County Championship

Jeremy McGatha shoots 4-under 66 to lead the Calhoun County Golf Championship, 13 players under par within three shots of the lead

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

With the Player of the Year award for all intents out of reach, Jeremy McGatha went into the Calhoun County Championship this week with his eye on prize right in front of him – the county tournament itself.

He took a big first step Saturday, making birdies on four of his last six holes to post a 4-under-par 66 to take a one-shot lead over five player with 13 players under par and within three shots of the lead.

It’s been a while since that many contenders are in the hunt on Championship Sunday at the county.

As for the Player of the Year race, it’ll be decided by who between Brennan Clay and Gary Wigington finishes higher Sunday. They came into the weekend tied for the series points lead and after Saturday’s round Clay holds the advantage, but neither were particularly pleased with their opening rounds.

Clay is among the five at 67 and Wigington among three at 68. Based on the current leaderboard, Clay would project as the POY with 1340 points with McGatha second and Wigington third. Jacob LeCroy would hold the final spot in the 16-player Match Play Championship.

With that in mind, McGatha is keeping is eye on the weekend’s prize.

“My only chance for Player of the Year would have been for them (Clay and Wigington) to finish like seventh, eighth, something like that and I know ain’t neither one of them going to do that,” he said. “I’m just trying to get the best I can in the county.

“This is one of my favorite tournaments. I’ve won this thing three times and I’ve finished second eight times. I don’t want to finish second again.”

An 11-time winner on the Calhoun County Tour, McGatha won his last County in 2017. He won unexpectedly earlier this year at Pine Hill, a win that reinforced a lesson in patience. He got a refresher in it Saturday.

He parred his first eight holes before finally making a birdie on 12, then gave the stroke right back with a bogey on 13 from the middle of the fairway with a lob wedge in his hand. He stayed at even par until his big finish with birdies at 18, 1, 3 and 5. Three of those holes were scoreable par-5s.

“Just like at Pine Hill, I’m a ticking timebomb,” he said. “It happened so fast at Pine Hill and I did get out of my own way and finished strong. I’d love to do it tomorrow, but you’ve got to be patient out here. I think I had eight straight pars, finally birdied my ninth hole, now I’m leading. After that start, I’m like no way, not making any birdies. You’ve just got to be patient.”

PROJECTED TOP 16 (based on Saturday’s leaderboard)

Brennan Clay	1340	Mason Dennis	788.75
Jeremy McGatha	1290	Dane Moore	785
Gary Wigington	1287.5	Kevin Daugherty	767.5
Ty Cole	1212.25	Corey Ray	760
Layton Bussey	976	Sawyer Edwards	757.5
Landon Straub	974.75	Clay Calkins	742.5
Chad Calvert	957.5	Randy Lipscomb	732.5
Gage Ledbetter	922.5	Jacob LeCroy	600

Wigington had one of his craziest competition rounds in a long drive. It was as if the golf gods were conspiring to keep him away from the POY award. He started birdie, bogey, eagle, double. He virtually followed every good hole with something bad. He lipped out seven putts.

The roller-coaster ride finally ended with a birdie on 18, but even that was a head scratcher. He hit one of his best drives ever on the par-5, then hit an equally impressive 9-iron over the trees from 155 he thought was going to give him an eagle opportunity only to find the ball off the back of the green. 

“It’s was just stuff you don’t even dream of doing,” he said. “It was just one of those that everything that could go wrong did. I just couldn’t hit it any better and it turned out … terrible.

“I’ve just got to play hard tomorrow and hopefully good things happen tomorrow instead of the bad.”

Clay was equally as irritated about his round, but it was more over the way he played opposed to any bad breaks he may have incurred. He missed four birdie putts inside four feet and another short par putt on his next-to-last hole. 

He came into the weekend among the Tour leaders in putting, but needed 30 strikes to get around the course Saturday despite hitting 14 greens. He made two long putts on his back nine from bad chip shots. 

“The short game let me down,” he said. “I’ve been putting good the last few months and today they weren’t going in. Lucky to be one back. I’m shocked there wasn’t a 7- or 8-under out there. 

“The only thing I’m concentrating on is winning the tournament. If I win the tournament, it takes care of everything. That’s my main goal is win the tournament. I’m not going to try to play him and I still have to play the golf course. Try to win the golf tournament, that’s all I’m worried about.”

He’s not alone in that approach.

NOTES: Gage Ledbetter is getting another turn in the final pairing on Sunday. He won the Dennis Gable Duffer Award for fewest putts in Saturday’s round (21) because he was sharp after missing the green. He hit only six greens, but was 10-of-12 getting up and down. He also had the morning wave’s longest drive … Closest to the pin prizes went to Randy Watson (2/11) and Will Brown (7/16) in the morning, Tanner Wells (2/11) and Tyler Dopson (7/16) in the afternoon. Bradley Elliott had the longest drive in the afternoon … One of the most dynamic groups of the day was the Wigington, Scott Eaton, Chip Howell, Randy Reaves pairing in the afternoon. Eaton, Howell and eight-time winner Wigington have combined for 14 County crowns and were the only ones winning them between 1997 and 1999.

CALHOUN COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
CHAMPIONSHIP A
Jeremy McGatha	32	34	66
Brennan Clay	34	33	67
Chad Calvert	33	34	67
Gage Ledbetter	33	34	67
Layton Bussey	35	32	67
Sawyer Edwards	34	33	67
Clay Calkins	33	35	68
Gary Wigington	34	34	68
Josh Poole	35	33	68
CHAMPIONSHIP B
Jonathan Pate	35	34	69
Landon Straub	32	37	69
Scott Eaton	35	34	69
Tyler Dopson	34	35	69
Andrew Brooks	35	35	70
Chip Howell	33	37	70
Robin Wood	34	36	70
Tim Turner	37	33	70
David Sanders	33	38	71
Timmy Woodard	37	34	71
Vance Lewis	37	34	71
FIRST FLIGHT
Billy Thompson	35	37	72
Randy Lipscomb	37	35	72
Tanner Wells	33	39	72
Bob Eaton	37	36	73
Chase Hollingsworth	37	36	73
Lenn Coffey	36	37	73
Will Brown	34	39	73
Cam Hurst	39	35	74
Chris Reaves	38	36	74
Hunter Carr	38	36	74
Landon Winfrey	39	35	74
Mark Gaines	36	38	74
Max Basler	38	36	74
Randy Reaves	34	40	74
SECOND FLIGHT
Blake Jones	38	37	75
Frankie Hanvey	37	38	75
George Salmon	40	35	75
Bradley Elliott	40	36	76
Kenny Fulmer	36	40	76
Mark McCaig	37	39	76
Matt Rogers	37	39	76
Ted Towns	39	37	76
THIRD FLIGHT
Lamar Carter	38	38	76
Austin Jones	38	39	77
Jerry Kemp	40	37	77
Kurt Duryea	37	40	77
Tony Strickland	37	40	77
Andy Jenkins	37	41	78
Jared Waits	38	40	78
Keaton Borrelli	39	39	78
Ladon Rogers	40	38	78
FOURTH FLIGHT
Chris Sanford	41	38	79
Dalton Faulkner	40	39	79
Jeff Noah	42	37	79
Kaden Parramore	39	40	79
Kelly Rogers	39	40	79
Kevin Wells	39	40	79
Johnny Barnes	40	40	80
Ted Heim	42	38	80
Tim Steward	42	38	80
FIFTH FLIGHT
Austin Elliott	39	42	81
Daniel Black	43	38	81
Derrick Cotton	39	42	81
Fisher Prichard	40	41	81
Zack Goss	38	43	81
Cal Lambert	43	39	82
Daily Thomas	41	41	82
Dennis Austin	42	40	82
Mark Durden	44	38	82
Rom Fleming	41	41	82
Tyler Rich	40	42	82
SIXTH FLIGHT
Danny Whittaker	38	45	83
Roger Smith	43	40	83
Daniel Ricks	41	45	86
Charles Carden	42	45	87
Mark Cotton	44	43	87
Randy Watson	46	42	88
Nick Ledbetter	47	42	89
SEVENTH FLIGHT
Byron Preston	43	49	92
Lamar Ward	46	46	92
Gene Hicks	51	44	95
Ken Renfroe	51	55	106

Sunday tee assignments

8 a.m. Shotgun
1A: Kurt Duryea, Andy Jenkins, Keaton Borrelli, Ladon Rogers
1B: Lamar Carter, Austin Jones, Jerry Kemp, Tony Strickland
2: Jared Waits, Jeff Noah, Chris Sanford, Kelly Rogers
3: Kevin Wells, Kaden Parramore, Dalton Falkner, Ted Heim
4: Johnny Barnes, Tim Steward, Daniel Black, Austin Elliott
5: Fisher Prichard, Derrick Cotton, Zack Goss, Daily Thomas
6: Cal Lambert, Tyler Rich, Mark Durden, Dennis Austin
7: Ron Fleming, Danny Whittaker, Roger Smith, Daniel Ricks
8: Charles Carden, Mark Cotton, Randy Watson, Nick Ledbetter
9: Byron Preston, Lamar Ward, Gene Hicks, Ken Renfroe
1 p.m. Shotgun
1A: Sawyer Edwards, Chad Calvert, Gary Wigington, Clay Calkins
1B: Jeremy McGatha, Brennan Clay, Layton Bussey, Greg Ledbetter
2: Josh Poole, Tyler Dopson, Landon Straub, Jonathan Pate
3: Scott Eaton, Chip Howell, Robin Wood, Tim Turner
4: Andrew Brooks, David Sanders, Timmy Woodard, Vance Lewis
5: Billy Thompson, Tanner Wells, Randy Lipscomb, Chase Hollingsworth
6: Bob Eaton, Lenn Coffey, Will Brown, Mark Gaines
7: Randy Reaves, Max Basler, Chris Reaves, Cam Hurst
8: Landon Winfrey, Hunter Carr, Frankie Hanvey, Blake Jones, George Salmon
9: Matt Rogers, Mark McCaig, Kenny Fulmer, Bradley Elliott, Ted Towns

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