Putter power
- Updated: October 20, 2024
With 40- and 30-foot birdie putts, Rollins rolls his way to victory in the Calhoun County Match Play Championship on The Hill.
Calhoun County Match Play results
The Calhoun County Match Play seeds the top 16 available players based on Calhoun County Tour season points. Listed with seed. Points finish in parenthesis.
FIRST ROUND
No. 1 Gary Wigington def. No. 16 (26) Zach Contris, 7&6
No. 9 (10) Randy Lipscomb def. No. 8 (9) Billy Thompson, 6&4
No. 5 (6) Ty Cole def. No. 12 (15) Chip Howell, 4&3
No. 4 (5) Jeremy McGatha def. No. 13 (16) Hunter Carr, 7&6
No. 3 (4) Chad Calvert def. No. 14 (20) Ott Chandler, 3&2
No. 11 (13) Nick Ledbetter def. No. 6 (7) Andrew Brooks, 4&2
No. 7 (8) Tanner Wells def. No. 10 Chase Hollingsworth, 3&1
No. 2 (3) John Rollins def. No. 15 (23) Jeff Noah, 1 up (two extra holes)
QUARTERFINALS
Lipscomb def. Wigington 1 up (extra hole)
McGatha def. Cole, 4 up
Calvert def. Ledbetter, 1 up (extra hole)
Rollins def. Wells, 1 up
SEMIFINALS
Sunday
McGatha def. Lipscomb, 3&2
Rollins def. Calvert, 3&2
FINALS
McGatha vs. Rollins
Rollins wins 4 & 2
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
ANNISTON — Funny thing, putters.
When they cause golf balls to roll into holes, especially from distance, they become the ultimate confidence sticks,
“Sometimes, when the putter is working,” John Rollins said, “it’s just magic.”
Rollins hit a 40-footer and a 30-footer during his Calhoun County Match Play final against Jeremy McGatha on Sunday, and Rollins went on to win 4 & 2 at Anniston Municipal Golf Course.
His victory concluded a 2024 County Tour season that saw him also win at Twin Bridges and finish third in the points standings for the second year in a row.
The County Match Play seeds the top 16 available players from the points standings. Rollins held the No. 2 seed because points runner-up Brennan Clay is recovering from a work-related injury.
“This is probably the biggest win of any of them,” Rollins said. “You’ve got the best of the best, and you just have to grind. It was a fight.”
Rollins won all four matches this weekend, beating Jeff Noah in extra holes then Tanner Wells 1 up on Saturday. Rollins beat Chad Calvert 3 & 2 in Sunday’s semifinals.
That set up a showdown with McGatha, who beat Hunter Carr 7 & 6 and Ty Cole 4 up on Saturday then edged Randy Lipscomb 3 & 2 in Sunday’s semifinals.
Rollins and McGatha were even through two holes, but Rollins won the next three to go 3 up. That included his 40-foot birdie putt on No. 5.
“I thought I hit it too hard,” he said. “It just happened to go in the hole.”
Rollins also hit a 30-footer on No. 7, but McGatha answered with a 15-footer for birdie to keep Rollins’ lead at 3 up.
Rollins double bogeyed 9, but McGatha saw his 10-foot par putt lip out with a chance to trim Rollins’ lead to 1 up.
Rollins quickly got back to 3 up on No. 11 and 4 up on No. 12.
“I think the one that got me was 11,” McGatha said. “We tied 10, and on 11, he makes an 8-footer for par, and I’ve got a 7-footer to tie and miss it, so I got right back to 3 down.
“When you get an opportunity, you’ve got to make it.”
The match concluded on No. 16. McGatha’s tee shot left him 40 feet out, and Rollins teed to within 2 feet. McGatha’s attempt to putt in from the fringe for birdie lipped out.
“I knew I had to make it, and golly, I thought I did,” McGatha said. “I don’t think he was going to miss his, regardless, but it would’ve been sweet if it would’ve gone in.”
Rollins and McGatha hugged at the flag pin, so ending the 2024 Calhoun County Tour.
Rollins was in contention for the points title throughout the season. His victory at Twin Bridges saw him avenge his truck after a Saturday storm caused a tree limb to fall on it.
“It’s definitely one to remember,” he said. “I’m already looking forward to next year.”
The 2024 Tour saw seven different winners through the first seven events, including three first-time winners on the Tour. Clay became the first two-time winner with back-to-back victories at Pine Hill and Cherokee Pines.
Gary Wigington, who won at Cider Ridge in June, took the Calhoun County Championship in August to edge ahead for his fifth player-of-the-year title.
“It was great,” said McGatha, Tour president. “It always flies by way too fast, April to October, and it’s done. I can’t believe it’s done.
“I’m looking forward to next year.:
McGatha said Gadsden Country Club has contacted him about returning to the Tour rotation after a two-year absence. This year’s Tour had nine points events, including Cherokee Pines’ return to the Tour, plus the County Two Man and Match Play.
“We had nine, adding Centre,” he said. “Ten is almost too many. I don’t know. We’ve got a lot of figuring out to do.”
2024 Calhoun County Golf Tour schedule/winners
2024 CALHOUN COUNTY GOLF TOUR
Date – Tournament, Champion(s)
April 6-7 – County Two Man (Silver Lakes), Cole-Wigington
Points events
April 27-28 – Anniston City Championship (Cane Creek), Ty Cole
May 4-5 – The Trail Championship (Silver Lakes), Andrew Weathers
May 18-19 – Gadsden City Championship (Twin Bridges), John Rollins
May 31-June 2 – Wilfred Galbraith Invitational (ACC), Harrison Hughston
June 29-30 – Oxford City Championship (Cider Ridge), Gary Wigington
July 20-21 – Etowah County Open (Links at Briarmeade), Tee Brown
July 27-28 – Pine Hill Invitational, Brennan Clay
Aug. 3-4 – Dub Ellis Invitational (Cherokee Pines), Brennan Clay
Aug. 17-18 – 88th Calhoun County Championship (Anniston Municipal), Gary Wigington
All-Star event (top 16 in points)
Oct. 19-20 – Calhoun County Match Play (Anniston Municipal), John Rollins
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