E.A. Sports Today

Relocation

Rollins’ recent move to the area, LeCroy’s move back home help both players surge atop the field after the first round of the Anniston City Championship.

Cover photo: John Rollins shot a 7-under-par 65 Saturday and is the new leader in the clubhouse in the Anniston City Championship. (Photo by Joe Medley/East Alabama Sports Today)

By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today

CANE CREEK — John Rollins recently moved from Georgia to Glencoe to be near his girlfriend. Jacob LeCroy moved back home to Calhoun County ahead of his June nuptials.

The moves mean Rollins gets a lot of practice at the Silver Lakes range, and LeCroy can now play in more Calhoun County Golf Tour events.

The two gave a preview of what that could look like during Saturday’s first-round of the Anniston City Championship at Cane Creek. Rollins shot a 7-under-par 65 to overtake LeCroy’s 4-under 68 from earlier in the day for the lead headed into Sunday’s final round.

The Anniston City Championship leads off the 2025 County Tour and also serves as the Tour’s first points event.

Rollins, a Tour regular who has surged into a contender over the past two years, no longer must commute to play. Instead, he commutes to work as cutter operator for Triple J Logging, in Summerville, Ga.

He moved to be closer to new girlfriend, but the move also put him closer to Silver Lakes. He’s worked out kinks in his game.

Jacob LeCroy shot a 4-under-par 68 during Saturday’s first round of the Anniston City Championship at Cane Creek. He’s in second place, three strokes back of John Rollins. (Photo by Joe Medley/East Alabama Sports Today)

Rollins changed to JumboMax grips and has spent a lot of time at the Silver Lakes range, working out his tee game.

“I have a bad miss, and I heard a lot of talk last year about, I hit a lot of hooks,” said Rollins, who finished third in Tour points in 2024. “I go left a lot, and that’s really improved. I don’t overrotate in my hands. I keep it straight and actually hit a little right.

“It’s helped me out a whole lot. I don’t have that miss left like I used to. Everything is pretty nuch straight.”
Rollins hit 10 fairways Saturday and 17 greens in regulation. Five of his seven birdies came in the first eight holes.

“It was keeping the ball in front of me and hitting a lot of irons off of the tee box,” he said. “I wasn’t real familiar with this course last year, so I kind of went at it a different way.”

LeCroy made it around with six birdies and two bogeys Saturday. Three of his birdies came in the first five holes. He hit 10 fairways and 14 greens in regulation.

LeCroy hopes to give a good answer to the long lingering question of how he could do on the Calhoun County Tour, if only he could play more Tour events. It wasn’t possible during his playing years for the University of South Alabama, but he graduated. 

The Donoho graduate moved back home ahead of his June 9 wedding, and he’s an insurance agent in training with Alfa.
That makes it possible for LeCroy, who helped Donoho win a state championship and earn a runner-up finish as a junior and senior, to play enough Tour events to qualify for the season points title.

Final points factor in a player’s best five finishes. The Tour has nine points events.

LeCroy said it would mean “a bunch” to win a long-standing county tour, historically led by Ty Cole and 2024 champion Gary Wigington plus perennial contenders like Rollins, Brennan Clay and Jeremy McGatha, Chad Calvert and Andrew Brooks.

“It’s more tournament by tournament,” LeCroy said. ”I’ve never won here. I’ve never won at Cider (Ridge). I want to see if I can go and win.

“It’s a challenge, and I completely believe in that.”

CHAMPIONSHIP
PLAYERRD. 1RD. 2TOTAL
J. Rollins6565
J. LeCroy6868
V. Lewis6969
K. Daugherty6969
J. McGatha7070
C. Calvert7070
A. Brooks7171
H. Carr7171
G. Wigington7171
T. Cole7272
J. Chapman7272
B. McCrosky7272
B. Clay7272
CHAMPIONSHIP B
J. Pate7373
H. Fordham7474
J. Noah7474
H. Hammond7676
L. Bussey7676
C. Wood7676
R. Wood7676
D. Travis7676
J. Graveman7777
C. Harmon7777
K. Borrelli7777
G. Reaves7777
FIRST FLIGHT
D. Davenport7979
J. Ballew7979
M. Rogers8080
K. Slick8080
J. Harrison8080
D. Thomas8282
T. Gregerson8181
B. Eaton8181
Z. Limberis8282
D. Williams8484
A. Gunnells8484
B. Thompson8484
H. Black8585
SECOND FLIGHT
M. Gaines8989
M. Ledbetter9191
L. Fourquet9191
R. Townley9595
P. Denton9595
A. Benefiel9696
I. Scroggins102102
C. Colbert103103
E. Beadles104104
L. Champion105105
H. Russell106106
SENIORS
D. Sanders7272
C. Calkins7272
C. Howell7575
R. Svensen7676
G. Shultz7676
L.LeCroy7676
N. Ray7777
O. Chandler8080
G. Cordle8787
J. Kern8888

Sunday tee times

Out of concern for weather, tee times will start at 8 a.m. on Nos. `1 and 10 tees. Championship, Championship B and First Flight will tee off of No. 1. Seniors and second flight will go off No. 10.

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