Dub Ellis champ

Cider Ridge superintendent McCroskey wins Centre’s Dub Ellis Invitational

By East Alabama Sports Today

CENTRE — Billy McCroskey got invited to play a couple rounds of golf at Cherokee County Country Club this weekend. He didn’t know there was going to be a tournament when he got there.

But it turned out all right.

McCroskey, the superintendent at Oxford’s Cider Ridge Golf Club, posted rounds of 74 and 74 and won the Dub Ellis Invitational by three shots.

“That was cool,” McCroskey said. “It’s been a while since that happened and it was definitely sweet. It felt great.”

McCroskey played steady enough to climb into contention, but the window for winning flung wide open late in Sunday’s second round when first-round leader David Garrett abruptly withdrew. Garrett, a seven-time club champion, took a five-shot lead into the final round, but was 8-over-par after three holes and 13-over when he left the course.

“I didn’t know if I was leading because the other two were a hole, hole and a half, behind us,” McCroskey said. “I was just thinking whenever one of them left at least now all I’ve got to do is beat one of them to come in second.

“I was trying to make birdie on 17 and 18 to give myself a better chance, but I made pars and luckily it was good enough to win.”

McCroskey was 1-over for the day through 11 (and tied with Garrett), then went through a rough patch in the middle of the back nine with three straight bogeys. He got back on track with a birdie on 16.

Cover photo: Dub Ellis champion Billy McCroskey (R) accepts the first-place prize from tournament committee member Scott Hays.

Dub Ellis Invitational

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