E.A. Sports Today

Matched again

Brooks, Wigington tied for lead after first round of Anniston City Championship. Four players two strokes back. Includes scores and Sunday tee times.

By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today

CANE CREEK — Andrew Brooks was a fan of history after Saturday’s first round of the Anniston City Championship at Cane Creek.

Conversation about his two Calhoun County Golf Tour wins prompted him to look across a table at his co-leader and remind Gary Wigington just who won that County Match Play championship once upon a time.

Brooks and Wigington shot 3-under-par 69s on Saturday and will join Landon Straub and Brennan Clay in the final tee group for Sunday’s final round.

They stand two strokes ahead of Straub, Clay, Kevin Daugherty and Chad Calvert.

Brooks, who also won last year’s Calhoun County Championship, seeks his third tour victory while playing in the fourth Tour points event of 2023.

“There’s still a lot of golf left,” Brooks said. “It’s always good to be in this position, going into Sunday.”

Brooks co-leads in a tournament he skips most years. It worked out that son Anderson’s baseball pursuits as part of Alexandria’s 11-under all-stars took the weekend off, allowing him to make his third Tour appearance this season.

He shot his season-low round, one stroke better than his final-round 70 in the Wilfred Galbraith Invitational earlier this month. That put him on top of the Championship B Flight at Anniston Country Club.

He goes into the final round of the Anniston City Championship with a chance to win. Getting to that position came down to shaking off back-to-back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 10, 11 and 12 on Saturday.

“I got off to a pretty good start, birdieing 2 and 4, then birdied 9 to cap off the front,” he said. “Went into the holler and made three straight bogeys.

“I just didn’t let it get me down the rest of the way.”

Brooks rebounded to par No. 13 and birdie the par-5 14th hole. That was the first of three birdies in four holes. He hit 11 fairways and 13 greens in regulation and finished the day with 27 putts.

Co-leader Wigington hit 10 fairways and 15 greens with 31 putts.

“One of the better days I had in a while,” said Wigington, who won the RTJ-Silver Lakes Championship to open the season and leads the Tour points. “Only had one bogey today. Just happy to be in contention for tomorrow.”

First-round scores

CHAMPIONSHIP A FLIGHT
PlayerRd. 1Rd. 2Total
Gary Wigington6969
Andrew Brooks6969
Brennan Clay7171
Chad Calvert7171
Kevin Daugherty7171
Landon Straub7171
Justin Graveman7272
Jeremy McGatha7474
CHAMPIONSHIP B FLIGHT
PlayerRd. 1Rd. 2Total
Dustin Travis7777
Chad Key7777
Chris Cox7777
Cam Hurst7777
Dre Davenport7777
Matt Rogers7878
Hunter Carr7878
Chance Harris7878
Doug Huie7878
Tyler Romine7979
Chance Haywood7979
Landon Holley7979
David Coffey7979
CHAMPIONSHIP C FLIGHT
PlayerRd. 1Rd. 2Total
Blake Grisham8080
Coleman Messer8181
Bob Eaton8282
Nick Pollard8282
Benji Turley8282
Taylor Vera8383
Matt Hardigan8383
Michael Ledbetter8484
Houston Black8787
Logan Turner8989
Andrew Betts8989
Jamarcus Stokes9191
Larry Champion9898
Greg Cordle9999
SENIOR DIVISION
PlayerRd. 1Rd. 2Total
Chip Howell7070
Tim Steward7676
David Fitzgerald7979
Jerry Kemp8080
Rocco D’Gomez8080
John McKenzie8383
Rick Dickson8383
Dennis Moyer8787
Jim Sirmon9797
OTHERS
Greg BurnettWD
Mike ThompsonWD
Eric CanningtonNS

Sunday’s tee times

8 a.m.: Chip Howell, Tim Steward, David Fitzgerald, Jerry Kemp
8:15 a.m.: Rocco D’Gomez, John McKenzie, Rick Dickson
8:30 a.m.: Dennis Moyer, Jim Sirmon, Greg Cordle, Andrew Betts
8:45 a.m.: Larry Champion, Jamarcus Stokes, Logan Turner, Houston Black
9 a.m.: Michael Ledbetter, Matt Hardigan, Taylor Vera, Nick Pollard
9:15 a.m.: Bob Eaton, Coleman Messer, Blake Grissom, Benji Turley
9:30 a.m.: Starter’s time
9:45 a.m.: Tyler Romine, Chance Haywood, Landon Holley
10 a.m.: David Coffey, Matt Rogers, Doug Huie
10:15 a.m.: Hunter Carr, Chance Harris, Daniel Black, Dre Davenport
10:30 a.m.: Cam Hurst, Chad Key, Dustin Travis, Chris Cox
10:45 a.m.: Starter’s time
11 a.m.: Kevin Daugherty, Chad Calvert, Justin Graveman, Jeremy McGatha.
11:15 a.m.: Gary Wigington, Andrew Brooks, Landon Straub, Brennan Clay.

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