Buddy Moore logjam
- Updated: September 10, 2022
Three-way tie at the top after opening round of the Buddy Moore Charity Tournament at Anniston Municipal
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
A mid-round switch related to the way they putted the green made all the difference for the defending champions in the opening round of the Buddy Moore Charity Tournament.
Brennan Clay and Andrew Brooks weren’t having a lot of luck in the order they were putting in Saturday’s scramble round at The Hill, so they called an audible and their fortunes quickly got better.
They made the switch in front of the gallery behind the green on Hole 11 and wound up playing their last eight holes in 9-under-par (7 birdies, 1 eagle) to grab a share of a three-way tie for the overnight lead. They played their last 13 holes in 12-under.
They wound up shooting 14-under-par 56 (30-26) and ended the day tied at the top with first-time partners Randy Lipscomb-Chad Calvert and long-time Buddy Moore partners Jeremy McGatha-Matt Rogers. Gary Wigington and Ty Cole are a shot back.
The defending and two-time past champions were only 2-under through four holes and 5-under through 10. They switched the order, Clay birdied 11 and 12 and they off and running. They also got 13 to make it three in a row and then Brooks drove it to eight feet on 14 and Clay made another putt for the eagle.
“In our original order I hit second on all holes that required driver and he hit second on everything else including the putt,” Brooks said. “The first 10 holes I putted first and he said you seem to be rolling it a little better, but we weren’t making anything.
“On 11 we had about a 12-footer for birdie and he said let me go first and if I make it we’ll keep it going and he made it. I think I only putted three times on the back. I don’t mind changing it if it’s not going right. We probably should’ve made the change on 10. We hit it decent on the front, we just didn’t make anything.”
Fate brought Lipscomb and Calvert together. They were going to to play in the tournament with different partners, but each dropped out leaving them to go it alone. They formalized their partnership last week and played Saturday like they’d been were partners for a long time.
They turned in 29, were 10-under through 15, then closed it out with a birdie-birdie-eagle finish. The only hiccup came on 15 when they didn’t get up and down from 20 yards in front of the green. The birdie came on 18 when Lipscomb hit a 9-iron from 158 yards to four feet and made the putt.
“It really wasn’t that exciting, we just didn’t do anyting stupid,” Calvert said. “We just played consistent golf and brother-in-lawed really well.
“It was the first we were partners in any tournament and it worked out perfectly. I told him I’d hit first and put something in play and let him rip at it, and for the most part I did that. I put it in play and he was able to let loose.”
They’ve already talked about joining forces in the tournament next year and maybe things bigger.
McGatha and Rogers shot the best round of the afternoon wave and were the only team among the top five to play after lunch. The key to their round was their close, particularly after they turned off 18. They already were 4-under, then birdied six in a row from 13 through 18, but it was all about making birdie on 1, eagle on 3 and birdie on 4.
“We tried to play our game,” Rogers said. “We can’t overpower this place. We’re going to hit fairways and we’re going to hit greens and try to make shots. We’re not going to hit spectacular shots, but Jeremy hit a couple today. He hit his second shot on 3 to about a foot and made a 20-footer from the back of the green on 4. They were the key to the whole round.
“We tried to stay with what we know. Those three pairings there are going to outpower us, they’re going to do all the great stuff. We’re just going to have to hit the fairway, hit the green, make putts. We didn’t try to do anything different. We tried to play our own game.”
NOTES: Brooks and Clay weren’t the only ones to take advantage of a mid-round audible. Tony Hicks and Nick Hubbard swapped their putting order and made seven straight birdies on the back nine for an 8-under 62 … Wigington and Cole birdied each of their first five holes, were 8-under through 10 and birdied each of their last four holes to get to 13-under … The tournament’s specialty prizes are named in honor of departed longtime friends of The Hill (Saturday’s winners are listed below). Earlier in the day organizers unveiled a memorial to Tom Sawyer in the gallery grove behind No. 2 green. Sawyer was one of the tournament’s founders who passed away in May … The event raises money for local families with seriously ill children. It has raised nearly $25,000 through Saturday.
Buddy Moore Charity Tournament
| BUDDY FLIGHT | ||||
| Andrew Brooks-Brennan Clay | 30 | 26 | 56 | |
| Randy Lipscomb-Chad Calvert | 29 | 27 | 56 | |
| Jeremy McGatha-Matt Rogers | 28 | 28 | 56 | |
| Ty Cole-Gary Wigington | 28 | 29 | 57 | |
| Matt Miller-Chad Watson | 29 | 29 | 58 | |
| Landon Winfrey-Jared Waits | 29 | 30 | 59 | |
| Chip Howell-Jonathan Pate | 29 | 30 | 59 | |
| Layton Bussey-Max Basler | 30 | 30 | 60 | |
| Billy Thompson-Timmy Woodard | 30 | 31 | 61 | |
| Landon Straub-Jason Johnson | 30 | 31 | 61 | |
| MARY ANN FLIGHT | ||||
| Tanner Wells-Mark McCaig | 32 | 29 | 61 | |
| George Salmon-Chris Randall | 31 | 31 | 62 | |
| Tony Hicks-Nick Hubbard | 34 | 28 | 62 | |
| Tyler Dopson-Will Brown | 30 | 32 | 62 | |
| Brian Whitley-Kent Whitley | 30 | 32 | 62 | |
| Ted Towns-Due Snow | 31 | 31 | 62 | |
| Clay Calkins-Chris Hubbard | 30 | 33 | 63 | |
| Lamar Carter-Daniel Black | 34 | 29 | 63 | |
| Blake Jones-Hunter Carr | 32 | 31 | 63 | |
| Scott Murphree-Greg Shultz | 29 | 34 | 63 | |
| SCOTTY FLIGHT | ||||
| David Hill-David Fitzgerald | 32 | 32 | 64 | |
| Lenn Coffey-Adam Johnson | 30 | 34 | 64 | |
| Bob Eaton-Bradley Elliott | 32 | 33 | 65 | |
| Danny Whittaker-Gary Thomas | 34 | 31 | 65 | |
| Andy Jenkins-Mark Gaines | 33 | 32 | 65 | |
| Johnny Barnes-Chris Reaves | 33 | 32 | 65 | |
| Andrew Tyson-Byron Preston | 34 | 32 | 66 | |
| Ron Wheeler-Steve McClellan | 34 | 32 | 66 | |
| Jimmy Jackson-Gordon Stewart | 34 | 32 | 66 | |
| Ted Heim-Garrett Heim | 35 | 32 | 67 | |
| ANGIE FLIGHT | ||||
| Jimbo Phillips-Mike Hughston | 35 | 32 | 67 | |
| Tim Mullendore-Mike Braxton | 34 | 34 | 68 | |
| Donnie McGinnis-Ron Dulaney | 34 | 35 | 69 | |
| Steve Mullendore-Will Mullendore | 36 | 33 | 69 | |
| Daniel Clonts-Brett Key | 35 | 35 | 70 | |
| Mike Herndon-Tony Strickland | 34 | 37 | 71 | |
| Steve Rogers-Keith Gann | 36 | 35 | 71 | |
| Grady Sapp-Steve Akers | 37 | 39 | 76 | |
| Derrick Webb-John Roe | 40 | 37 | 77 | |
| Ken Renfroe-Konner Renfroe | 39 | 43 | 82 |
Specialty prizes
TOM SAWYER CLOSEST TO THE PIN (No. 2)
Gary Wigington (AM), Chip Howell (PM)
JAMES RAMEY CLOSEST TO THE PIN (No. 4)
Ron Dulaney (AM), Mike Herndon (PM)
DAVID COLEMAN/PRESTON PEPPER CLOSEST TO THE PIN (No. 7)
Mike Hughston (AM), Max Basler (PM)
MIKE CLONTS LONGEST PUTT (No. 6)
George Salmon (AM), Jason Johnson (PM)
MARK SAWYER LONGEST DRIVE (No. 1)
David Fitzgerald (AM), Tanner Wells (PM)
Sunday pairings
8 a.m. Shotgun
1A: Eaton-Elliott, Whittaker-Thomas
1B: Hill-Fitzgerald, Coffey-Johnson
2: Jenkins-Gaines-Barnes-Reaves
3: Jackson-Stewart, Wheeler-McClellan
4: Tyson-Preston, Heim-Heim
5: Phillips-Hughston, Mullendore-Braxton
6: McGinnis-Dulaney, Mullendore-Mullendore
7: Herndon-Strickland, Clonts-Key
8: Rogers-Gann, Sapp-Akers
9: Webb-Roe, Renfroe-Renfroe
1 p.m. Shotgun
1A: Lipscomb-Calvert, Wigington-Cole
1B: McGatha-Rogers, Brooks-Clay
2: Miller-Watson, Winfrey-Waits
3: Howell-Pate, Bussey-Basler
4: Thompson-Woodard, Straub-Johnson
5: Wells-McCaig, Dopson-Brown
6: Whitley-Whitley, Towns-Snow
7: Salmon-Randall, Hicks-Hubbard
8: Calkins-Hubbard, Carter-Black
9: Jones-Carter, Murphree-Shultz
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