Etowah Open

Former Hokes Bluff High, Jax State golfer Contris shoots 8-under-par 63, leads by four strokes going into Sunday’s final round.

By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today

GLENCOE — The 2024 Calhoun County Golf Tour appears well on its way to its sixth winner in six points events, and Zach Contris could get his first Tour victory.

The former Jacksonville State University shot an 8-under-par 63 on a rainy Saturday on The Links at Briarmeade and holds a four-stroke lead over Tee Brown and J.B. Billingsley.

Tour points leader Gary Wigington shot a 71. John Rollins, just 20 points back in second place, shot a 72.

Contris, a Hokes Bluff High graduate who finished his collegiate playing career in 2015, is pursuing professonal golf and rarely plays in amateur events. He typically plays Calhoun CountyTour events at Silver Lakes, his home course. He last played in the Etowah Open five years ago.

The special-education teacher at Floyd Elementary could get his first Tour victory.

“These guys, I’ve played in a few events against them, and they usually beat me up a little bit,” Contris said. “It would be nice to actually get a win against them, for sure.”

Contris, known for packing distance off the tee into a small frame, set the tone for his day with a 30-foot birdie putt in a downpour on No. 2. It was the first of his eight birdies on the day, four in the rain on the front nine and four in better conditions on the back.

He missed a 3-footer on 10 but answered with a string of birdies on 12, 13, 14 and 15.

“I struck the ball well all day,” he said. “I kept my driver within range of the green, and really, just my putter got hot and just rolled in a few putts.

“The greens were rolling really good. I was really impressed with just how how pure the ball was rolling. I don’t think any of my putts bounced off line any. That gives you confidence out there.”

First-round scores

CHAMPIONSHIP A FLIGHT
PLAYER	RD. 1	RD. 2	TOTAL
Zach Contris	63		63
Tee Brown	67		67
J.B. Bailey	67		67
Brennan Clay	69		69
Chad Hare	69		69
Clay Calkins	69		69
Corey Watson	69		69
Billy Thompson	70		70
Nick Ledbetter	70		70
Chad Calvert	70		70
Scott Smith	70		70
Gary Wigington	71		71
CHAMPIONSHIP B FLIGHT
Jeremy McGatha	72		72
Chris Sprayberry	72		72
John Rollins	72		72
Devon Downs	72		72
Chris Sanford	72		72
Dylan Jackson	73		73
Caden Wood	73		73
Robert Fleming	73		73
Grant Hockman	73		73
Jeremy Burns	73		73
Randy Lipscomb	74		74
Bumper Jones	74		74
J.D. Berndt	74		74
Jeff Noah	74		74
FLIGHT 1
Craig Colvard	73		73
Neal Keener	74		74
Matt Rogers	75		75
Andrew Brooks	76		76
Jay Boatwright	76		76
Jeff McRae	76		76
Hunter Fordham	76		76
Luke Haynie	77		77
Lee Vinson	77		77
Robin Wood	77		77
Maverick Smith	77		77
Jason Shields	77		77
Craig Graves	78		78
Mark Sawyer	78		78
FLIGHT B
Blake Grisham	79		79
Don Sutton	79		79
Steve Teague	79		79
Scott Moates	79		79
Tyler Tidmore	79		79
Bob Eaton	80		80
Phillip Eades	80		80
Michael McDowell	80		80
Greg Hare	80		80
Dre Davenport	80		80
Jared Chapman	80		80
Sam Bone	81		81
T.J. Daugherty	82		82
Eric Ray	82		82
Bill Gilchrist	82		82
FLIGHT 3
Paul Allen	83		83
Benji Turley	83		83
Jason Gilley	84		84
Lamar Carter	84		84
Stanley Hawkins	84		84
Joey Miller	84		84
Tim Fulmer	84		84
Craig Kiker	84		84
Pat Patterson	85		85
Alexander Allen	85		85
Greg Davenport	85		85
Adam Fuller	86		86
Mike Underwood	86		86
FLIGHT 4
Casey Downs	87		87
John Estes	88		88
Shane Chappel	88		88
Jesse Rawls	89		89
Russell Spencer	89		89
Jay Shields	89		89
Alex Grisham	90		90
Billy Page	91		91
Hunter Clough	92		92
Dani Bone	100		100
Leon Gladden	103		103
Gary Singleton	105		105
Beau Billingsley	105		105

Sunday tee times

8 a.m.: Beau Billingsley, Jesse Rawls, Gary Singleton, Dani Bone.
8:10 a.m.:  Billy Page, Alex Grisham, Jay Shields, Hunter Clough.
8:20 a.m.: Russell Spencer, Casey Downs, John Estes, Shane Chappel.
8:30 a.m.: Pat Patterson, Mike Underwood, Adam Fuller.
8:40 a.m.: Jason Gilley, Alexander Allen, Greg Davenport.
8:50 a.m.: Tim Fuller, Craig Kiker, Lamar Carter.
9 a.m.: Joey Miller, Stanley Hawkins, Paul Allen, Benji Turley.
9:10 a.m.: Michael McDowell, Eric Ray, T.J. Daugherty.
9:20 a.m.: Dre Davenport, Bill Gilchrist, Phillip Eades.
9:30 a.m.: Bob Eaton, Greg Hare, Don Sutton, Jared Chapman.
9:40 a.m.: Tyler Tidmore, Blake Grisham, Steve Teague, Scott Motes.
9:50 a.m.: Robin Wood, Mark Sawyer, Craig Graves.
10 a.m.: Jason Shields, Lee Vinson, Maverick Smith.
10:10 am.: Hunter Fordham, Jeff McRae, Jay Boatwright, Andrew Brooks.
10:20 a.m.: Luke Haynie, Matt Rogers, Craig Colvard, Neal Keener.
10:50 a.m.: J.B. Berndt, Bumper Jones, Randy Lipscomb.
11 a.m.: Jeremy Burns, Dylan Jackson, Jeff Noah.
11:10 a.m.: Jeremy McGatha, Grant Hockman, Robert Fleming, Caden Wood.
11:20 a.m.: Devon Downs Chris Samford, Chris Sprayberry, John Rollins.
11:40 a.m.: Billy Thompson, Chad Calvert, Nick Ledbetter, Gary Wigington.
11:50 a.m.: Corey Watson, Clay Calkins, Scott Smith, Chad Hare.
Noon: Zach Contris, J.B. Bailey, Tee Brown, Brennan Clay.

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