Big hitter back
- Updated: August 26, 2021
Jacob Harper, one half of 2019’s record-setting title tandem, ’99 percent sure’ of returning to Sunny King Classic in September
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
When Jacob LeCroy and Jacob Harper high-fived coming off the 18th green at Anniston Country Club two years ago after completely destroying the Sunny King Charity Classic record book there weren’t many who ever expected to see them – or what they did – again.
Not because they were a hit-and-run pairing. One was headed off to college and the other to somebody’s tour.
Well, one of them is coming back – and it’s probably not the one you’d think.
Harper, the former Alabama Open champion who wowed the field in 2019 with his prodigious length off the tee, is returning like the Classic and playing with Kyle Daugherty. Tournament officials confirmed their entry this morning.
“It’s about 99 percent sure,” Daugherty said.
The only caveat is Harper’s commitment to Korn Ferry Tour Q-school. As it stands, he has a spot in a first stage qualifier two days after the Classic’s final round, but he’s also on the waiting list for several spots during the Classic week and if he gets that call he’ll be out.
“Unless something changes with the other sites, he has to go to Chicago and he’s in with me,” Daugherty said.
The Classic committee has allowed active professionals – and those waiting to get their amateur status back – to play in the largely amateur event because it was a charity tournament. The pros always played scratch.
If Harper does get the early call Daugherty likely will play with Jacob LeCroy’s dad Lewis – unless Daugherty can get his partner to find a replacement.
“We’re looking to get a new name etched on the trophy,” Daugherty said.
Actually, their pairing wasn’t hard to put together. In addition to their friendship, Daugherty is backing Harper on his bid through Q-school.
“Me and him and pretty tight,” Daugherty said. “When he’s not on tour and I’m not working, what little bit of golf I do play we’re usually someplace together. I talk to him more than anybody about golf.”
It was widely believed if the reigning champions couldn’t play together Harper would be the one to miss as he pursued a pro career on the developmental tours; LeCroy even had designs on a potential replacement. That was when the tournament was scheduled for July.
But COVID played havoc with everybody’s plans in 2020 and with the Classic shifting to September upon its return it’s LeCroy who will have to miss. The Donoho grad will be in classes at South Alabama playing for the Jaguars’ golf team, and has a practice round for a college tournament at Silver Lakes the Sunday of the final round.
In 2019, the last time the Classic was played, Harper and LeCroy obliterated the tournament scoring record, shooting a thought-to-be-impossible 51-under par 163. They beat the old scoring record by eight shots, posting record-setting rounds in the 50s all three days, and won by 13 shots, another record.
“There will be some pressure because he’s supposed to win; he ain’t exactly got (Jacob) LeCroy with him,” said Daugherty. “Hopefully I’ll keep playing from now until then and I’ll get tuned up; I just started (back) playing four weeks ago. This Ty (Cole) and Twig (Gary Wigington) combo is no joke.”
Cole and Wigington had won the Classic three years in a row before Harper and LeCroy unseated them.
With the reigning champion partners not expected to play due to their commitments, tournament observers were looking for the scoring, like the tournament, to return to a sense of normalcy.
“I think it’s going to be back in that 40 (under-par) range,” tournament chairman Brett Key said in an earlier interview. “What they did was unbelievable.
“I think it was cool to watch (the record run), but I also think it’ll be cool to go back to something competitive. That year you had the excitement about how low are they going to go. I think it’ll be good to go back to who’s going to win.”
And then Thursday happened.
Cover photo: Jacob Harper (R) and Jacob LeCroy ride along at Silver Lakes during the opening round of the 2019 Sunny King Charity Classic.
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