Cider Ridge leaders
- Updated: April 21, 2018
Lipscomb scales back his aggressive approach, grabs one-shot lead in Cider Ridge Invitational
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD – Randy Lipscomb is usually a pretty aggressive player. His philosophy on the course is hit it as far as you can, as close to the green as you can, and take your chances.
He stepped back from the grip-it-and-rip-it approach – at times – Saturday and the patient approach it takes to get around Cider Ridge Golf Club allowed him to climb the leaderboard and lead the Cider Ridge Invitational after the first round.
The 39-year-old Rainbow City resident posted a 5-under-par 67, playing the final 11 holes in 6-under. He made four birdies on the back nine that can really test an aggressive player’s patience.
“The tees were up,” Lipscomb said. “There’s a lot of bait out there as far as you could get in trouble with your driver, but I didn’t take the bait and try to squeeze my driver into a lot of places. Usually I’m a little bit too aggressive, but I just kind of laid back and kept it in play.
“I think lot of the guys know my game out there. I’m a driver-wedge type player. My philosophy is I don’t care if it’s in the rough, I want to hit it as far as I can and as close as I can. You can really get in some trouble the way the fairways fall off and there’s hazards everywhere here.”
Lipscomb holds a one-shot lead over Ty Cole and Logan Archer and a two-shot edge over Jeremy McGatha. They will all play together in the final pairing off No. 1 in Sunday’s two-tee start to beat the incoming weather.
Lipscomb’s round wasn’t anything special to start. He was 1-over through seven holes, but got a nice break after over-clubbing on the tee that produced a birdie on the par-3 eighth and then eagled the par-5 ninth after hitting a 7-iron to six feet.
On the back he birdied 12 and 13, bogeyed 14 – after relenting to a 7-iron off the tee instead of the big hard cut he wanted to play – then birdied the two par-5s coming home.
“I usually play good when I don’t overthink things and early in the year that’s just the way it works,” he said.
It was only his third competitive round since October; he also played in the Calhoun County Two-Man in March. The key was being comfortable, and that’s what makes Championship Sunday a big challenge.
“I’ll have rounds like this,” he said. “Me and Ty were texting back and forth and I told him anybody can play good 18 holes. There are probably 10 guys who could shoot 67 in 18 holes out there, but for me it’s feeling comfortable for 36 holes.
“I’ve been playing golf a long time, done this over and over, but it’s feeling comfortable for 36 holes; that’s the hard part for me. I can usually do it 18 holes – whether it’s the last nine holes of one day and the first nine of the next or whatever – but 36 is a different story.”
NOTES: Archer was on track for the overnight lead. He was 6-under through 15 holes and then bogeyed 16 and 17 for his 68. His round was highlighted by a 20-foot eagle on the par-4 11th and a chip-in for par on 6. … Cole played bogey-free with two birdies on each side. … Gary Wigington made six birdies on the back nine (eight in the round) and shot 71. … All three are scheduled to play in the U.S. Open qualifier at Silver Lakes May 3 … Lipscomb, Archer and Chad Reavis (No. 9) had eagles in the round. … The ninth hole yielded 21 birdies and two eagles.
CIDER RIDGE INVITATIONAL
First-round scores
Championship flight
Randy Lipscomb 34-33—67
Ty Cole 34-34—68
Logan Archer 33-35—68
Jeremy McGatha 36-33—69
Brennan Clay 33-38—71
Gary Wigington 39-32—71
Daniel Black 35-37—72
Adrian Geeting 37-36—73
Chad Calvert 38-35—73
Jake Goggans 38-35—73
First flight
Dalton Chandler 35-39—74
Eric Lett 38-36—74
Kevin Daugherty 38-37—75
Layton Bussey 38-37—75
Heath Walker 37-38—75
Matt Rogers 37-39—76
Scott Martin 38-39—77
Dustin Travis 40-38—78
Richard Starling 43-35—78
Chad Reavis 39-39—78
David Lawrence 38-40—78
Jeff Borrelli 39-39—78
Second flight
Kyle Daugherty 41-38—79
Caleb Bowen 39-40—79
Mark Highland 40-39—79
Chris Cox 40-39—79
Austin Minter 40-40—80
Jeremy Willis 37-43—80
Clay Calkins 39-41—80
Wayne Hudgins 41-39—80
Graham Morrow 39-41—80
Kaine Gibson 39-42—81
Phillip Hunt 45-36—81
Andrew Brooks 38-43—81
Brad Baird 39-42—81
Third flight
Casey Harmon 40-42—82
Randy Archer 38-44—82
Chance Harris 40-42—82
Rick Taylor 42-41—83
Tim Steward 43-40—83
Jeff Bain 42-41—83
Mike Granato 36-47—83
Tanner Wells 39-45—84
Kenny Wright 39-45—84
Keith Raisanen 41-44—85
Timmy Woodard 39-46—85
Chase Hollingsworth 41-44—85
Fourth flight
Charley Estes 45-42—87
Luke Armstrong 46-41—87
Daily Thomas 45-42—87
Scott Sikes 43-45—88
Kobie Webb 46-42—88
Bruce Collins 49-41—90
Chase Thomas 48-43—91
Clayton Chandler 47-44—91
Billy Thompson 46-47—93
Ron Fleming 43-50—93
Landon Holley 52-42—94
Seth Collett 48-46—94
Lamar Ward 47-50—97
Kelly Rogers 51-47—98
Aaron Jones 51-54—105
Sunday’s tee times
No. 1 Tee
8:00 – Dustin Travis, Jeff Borrelli, Richard Starling
8:08 – Scott Martin, Chad Reavis, David Lawrence
8:16 – Kevin Daugherty, Layton Bussey, Matt Rogers
8:24 – Dalton Chandler, Eric Lett, Heath Walker
8:32 – Adrian Geeting, Chad Calvert, Jake Goggans
8:40 – Brennan Clay, Gary Wigington, Daniel Black
8:48 – Randy Lipscomb, Logan Archer, Ty Cole, Jeremy McGatha
No. 10 Tee
8:00 – Lamar Ward, Kelly Rogers, Aaron Jones
8:08 – Ron Fleming, Landon Holley, Seth Collett
8:16 – Chase Thomas, Clayton Chandler, Billy Thompson
8:24 – Kobie Webb, Scott Sikes, Bruce Collins
8:32 – Charley Estes, Daily Thomas, Luke Armstrong
8:40 – Keith Raisanen, Chase Hollingsworth, Timmy Woodard
8:48 – Tim Steward, Kenny Wright, Tanner Wells
8:56 – Jeff Bain, Mike Granato, Rick Taylor
9:04 – Casey Harmon, Chance Harris, Randy Archer
9:12 – Brad Baird, Kaine Gibson, Phillip Hunt
9:20 – Jeremy Willis, Wayne Hudgins, Andrew Brooks
9:28 – Austin Minter, Clay Calkins, Graham Morrow
9:36 – Caleb Bowen, Chris Cox, Mark Highland, Kyle Daugherty
You must be logged in to post a comment Login