Twig tests waters
- Updated: May 19, 2021
Wigington plays in U.S. Senior Open qualifying, shoots 77, not opposed to trying again with more prep
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
MONTGOMERY – Giving it a shot with the best players in the game is something Gary Wigington has wanted to do for a while. He got his chance Wednesday and even though the round didn’t turn out the way he had hoped, the experience has not dissuaded him from trying again.
Wigington teed it up in U.S. Senior Open qualifying here at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club and after an early birdie posted a 5-over-par 77. He was one of 29 amateurs in the 60-player field.
The four-time Calhoun County Player of the Year was headed back up Hwy. 21 shortly after signing his scorecard disappointed with his play but not discouraged.
“It was fun, a good experience, something I’ve been wanting to do for a while,” he said. “I just didn’t hit it good at all.”
Wigington birdied his second hole, then played the next three in 4-over that was a combination of errant tee shots that left him with some challenging recoveries. He did have another birdie on the par-5 13th, the second longest hole on the card.
He’d like to give it another shot with a little more preparation.
“It all depends on how you’re playing at the time,” he said. “I didn’t know about it until last week so I didn’t have enough time to prepare. Being a little more prepared would help.
“I could see if I’d been hitting it good and not making a couple early mistakes I could see it could’ve been a couple under par and had a pretty decent chance of making it. But several holes I hit it in the wrong place.”
Still, he welcomed the chance to test his game on the biggest stage. The field Wednesday included several players who excelled on the PGA Tour. Guys like Ted Tryba, Russ Cochran and Spike McRoy — and one big name that didn’t quite make it.
“It’s always good to play with the guys who have been out there and done it and seeing ho you play compared to them; it was good in that aspect,” Wigington said. “It’d have really been nice to play good and been a little better to look at, but when you don’t play good you don’t give yourself a whole lot to build on.”
One of the players on the tee sheet was John Daly. He was scheduled to play in the group right in front of Wigington, but WD’d to prep for the PGA Championship at Kiawah which is celebrating the 30th anniversary of his stunning 1991 PGA victory at Crooked Stick.
“I was looking forward to that, to seeing him and how he hits it,” said Wigington, a long hitter in his own right. “I was really looking forward to that. (Son) Peyton is a Daly fan and I was looking forward to getting some pictures, so that was a letdown – just like the golf.”
The field was playing for two qualifying spots and two alternates. Roger Rowland of Jacksonville, Fla., and Mountain Brook amateur Claud Cooper earned the spots at 2-under 70. Tryba and Mauricio Molina of Argentina are the alternates (71).
Rowland finished second to PGA Tour veteran Danny Edwards when the Sunbelt Senior Tour came to Cider Ridge in 2015.
Anniston Country Club pro Steven Driggers also was making a bid. He shot 76 with three birdies. He was 2-under through 10 holes, but had two bad holes on the back.
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