White Plains leads boys county golf

By EASportsToday.com
- Tweet
Updated: April 17, 2015

Wildcats open 19-shot lead; Travis, Bussey share individual lead after teammate DQ’d

White Plains’ Dustin Travis made his only birdie of the day on his final hole. He will sign with Montevallo following the end of Saturday’s round.

Layton Bussey had three birdies in his 74 that earned him a share of the lead with Travis.

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

The rain was soaking the players at Pine Hill Country Club all afternoon, but the real damper on the soggy day didn’t come until the end of the round.

It should have been a celebration of White Plains’ opening-round lead in the Calhoun County Boys High School Golf Championship. Instead, the conversation was dominated by the disqualification of its tournament leader.

The Wildcats, bidding to win the first boys county championship in school history, shot 314 as team Friday and opened a 19-shot lead over its closest eligible rival.

White Plains’ B team shot 324, but by rule can’t finish first or second in the tournament. Instead, Donoho is the second-best eligible team at 333. Oxford is next at 335.

“Its always nice to have the lead,” Wildcats coach Marcus Harrell said. “You’d like it to be as big as possible; last year we were almost 20 shots down and came back and almost won the whole thing. Our problem has always been not starting fast with the boys, so it’s definitely nice to have a lead. I just wish we had played a little better.

“We’re always a positive team. We’re not allowed to say anything negative whatsoever; if you do there’s a punishment. So, by the time I walk out of here there will not be one negative thing said amongst any of our players or any of our coaches. We’re going to approach it that we have the lead in the tournament and we’re going to try to win the White Plains first boys county championship.”

The Wildcats’ margin would have been 33 shots, but was impacted by the disqualification of junior Trevor Lane, who would have been leading the individual race.

Lane signed for an even-par 72 he called “an all-day grind,” but actually shot 73, erroneously counting a par on the par-3 14th rather than a bogey 4. He was challenged by his playing partners after the round and recounted his mistake after conferring with teammates who confirmed the missed putt.

“It hurts,” a visibly shaken Lane said in the locker room. “I feel like I let the team down … but I’m going to do everything I can to try to help the team out tomorrow.”

In the wake of the error, the Wildcats counted an 86 by Drennen Beam. Lane will be eligible to count toward his team’s score in Saturday’s final round, but will not be eligible for medalist or All-County.

The ruling elevated White Plains teammates Dustin Travis and Layton Bussey into the lead. They shot 2-over 74 and held a two-shot lead over White Plains B player Dylan Griggs.

Both players said they “don’t like” taking over the lead that way, especially at the expense of a teammate.

Travis made only one birdie in his round and it came on 18. Bussey had three birdies in his “grind-it-out” 74.

“I hate that that’s the way it had to be, that’s the way I have to lead now, especially considering it was my teammate,” Travis said. “As a team I don’t think it’s going to really slow us down; we’ll still have the lead and everything.

“Tomorrow we’re just going to get out here and grind. We’re going to play the best we can either way. He’ll count tomorrow.”

Lane said it was the first time he had ever made that type mistake. Harrell could empathize with his player. He recounted a time during a junior tournament he caught his own scoring mistake, reported it and the resulting DQ cost him a spot in a playoff for the championship.

“It’s definitely tough,” Harrell said. “I definitely hate it for him more than I do the team because you have a kid who has absolutely worked his tail off, who grinded like no other today.

“It’s just one of those freaky things that happen, but he’ll pick his head up and he’ll move on and be a better person.”

The first-round lead, regardless of how it came about, sets the stage for Travis to have a big weekend. Shortly after he signs his scorecard Saturday, he will sign scholarship papers to play college golf at Montevallo.

“First off, it would be good to get a win tomorrow, to go in with confidence, especially because we have a tournament Monday and Tuesday,” he said. “The signing, that’s a real big deal to me, and I want to win because of that. I don’t want to be going to be a college player and not winning the tournament.”

CALHOUN COUNTY BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP

Team scores
White Plains 314
x-White Plains B 324
Donoho 333
Oxford 335
Alexandria 352
Jacksonville 373
Piedmont 385
Pleasant Valley 398
Saks 418
x-Ineligible for first or second

Individuals
Dustin Travis, WP 38-36–74
Layton Bussey, WP 36-38–74
Dylan Griggs, WP-B 38-38–76
Tyler Putnam, Ox 39-38–77
Jacob Lecroy, Don 39-39–78
Britton Proper, PV 38-42–80
Nathan Gilbert, WP 41-39–80
Nathan Griffin, WP-B 40-41–81
Trevor McCarley, Pied 41-41–82
Ross Svensen, Don 41-41–82
P.J. Sotello, WP-B 41-42–83
Jack Svensen, Don 42-41–83
Coleman Hayes, WP-B 42-42–84
Jake Moore, Jax 41-43–84
Joey Salonia, Ox 42-43–85
Jacob Vaughn, Ox 42-43–85
Drennen Beam, WP 40-46–86
Cameron McCareeth, WP-B 44-42–86
Austin Smith, Alex 44-42–86
Cole Burnett, Alex 44-42–86
Hunter Watts, Alex 45-42–87
Will Turley, Ox 40-48–88
Charlie Smith, Don 41-47–88
Jeremy Allen, Ox 45-43–88
Ethan Johnson, PV 44-45–89
John Hutto, Don 48-42–90
Braxton McFall, Jax 46-44–90
Trevin Ray, Saks 44-47–91
Jamey Ott, SH 45-47–92
Nick McCain, Alex 47-46–93
Zach Casey, Jax 46-47–93
Will Bedwell, Pied 48-48–96
Jeremiah Screvan, Pied 48-49–97
Clayton Esty, Ox 50-47–97
Robert Clausen, Don 49-50–99
Chase Denham, Saks 50-49–99
Tyler Sutherlin, Saks 49-51–100
Harrison Houston, Don 52-51–103
Nathienal Pannel, Weav 50-54–104
Andrew Richter, SH 53-52–105
Holden Abernathy, Don 53-52–105
Tanner Jumper, Jax 54-52–106
Jason Howard, Alex 52-56–108
Andrew Miller, Jax 51-58–109
Sam Garner, Don 55-54–109
J.T. Barthel, PV 55-54–109
Matthew Webb, PV 50-59–109
Ethan Floyd, Pied 54-56–110
Thomas Conley, Don 57-53–110
Colton Harris, PV 55-58–113
Torrien Sizemore, Ann 58-56–114
Brooks Davis, PV 54-62–116
Jaxon Chaffin, Alex 59-58–117
Eddie Ferguson, Ohat 60-58–118
Colby Gaines, PV 63-56–119
Brock McSheridan, PV 56-63–119
Noah Causey, Weav 53-67–120
Thomas Emery, PV 66-55–121
Austin Goodwin, Jax 63-62–125
Chase Adderhold, Pied 57-69–126
Coley Birchfield, PV 69-58–127
Jhuan Buchanan, Saks 65-63–128
Chris Collison, Saks 60-69–129
Dast Sturkie, Ann 68-63–131
Carter Landers, Jax 63-69–133
Terrence Sizemore, Ann 74-62–136
Trevor Lane, WP DQ

Saturday’s Tee Assignments
(8 a.m. Shotgun)

Hole 1 — Dustin Travis, Jacob Lecroy, Tyler Putnam, Austin Smith.
2 — Trevor Lane, Ross Svensen, Joey Salonia, Nick McCain.
3 — Layton Bussey, Jack Svensen, Clayton Esty, Cole Burnett.
4 — Drennen Beam, Robert Clausen, Jacob Vaughn, Hunter Watts.
5 — Nathan Gilbert, John Hutto, Will Turley, Jaxson Chaffin.
6 — Dylan Griggs, Trevor McCarley, Britton Proper, Jake Moore.
7 — Nathan Griffin, Will Bedwell, Ethan Johnson, Braxton McFall.
8 — Cameron McCareeth, Jeremiah Screvin, Brooks Davis, Zach Casey.
9 — Colman Hayes, Ethan Floyd, Thomas Emery, Tanner Jumper.
10 — P.J. Sotello, Chase Adderhold, Colton Harris, Austin Goodwin.
12 — Chase Denham, Jamie Ott, Charlie Smith, Jeremy Allen.
13 — Trevin Ray, Andrew Richter, Harrison Hughston.
14 — Jhuan Buchanan, Thomas Conley, Matthew Webb.
15 — Chris Collison, Eddie Ferguson, Colby Gaines.
16 — J.T. Barthel, Jason Howard, Carter Landers.
17 — Brock McSheridan, Holden Abernathy, Andrew Miller.
18 — Coley Birchfield, Tyler Sutherlin, Sam Garner.