Best of Buddy’s
- Updated: August 28, 2016
Harrell, Turley shoot final-round 57, win their second Buddy Moore Tournament by three shots
Tournament winners Marcus Harrell (L) and Benji Turley stand in front of Buddy Moore’s classic 1986 GMC Caballaro.
BUDDY MOORE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
2009 – Jeremy McGatha-Matt Rogers
2010 – Benji Turley-Marcus Harrell
2011 – Gary Wigington-Clay Calkins
2012 – Jaylon Ellison-Gonzalo Berlin
2013 – Matt Rogers-Jeremy McGatha
2014 – Jeremy McGatha-Matt Rogers
2015 – Ott Chandler-Dalton Chandler
2016 – Benji Turley-Marcus Harrell
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Every year he plays in the tournament, Benji Turley seeks out the Buddy Moore Tournament trophy in the Anniston Municipal pro shop, finds the plate that commemorates his 2010 win with Marcus Harrell and rubs it up for shine and luck.
It’s been six years since they last won the charity scramble and they’ve been getting anxious to do it again.
The wait ended Sunday after they shot 13-under-par 57 for a two-day total 113 that completed a wire-to-wire victory. They won by three shots over Jeremy McGatha and Matt Rogers.
“It was great to get our names on that trophy again; we’ve been staring at it for six years,” Turley said. “I’ll rub it every time I come up here, like I do that (first) one. I’ll make sure it’s clean every time we come up here, just like Goob (Adrian Geeting) does the County Championship.”
The longtime friends have played in the tournament through thick and thin since its inception. The only year they missed was 2014 when Harrell had a scheduling conflict. In 2010 they came from a couple shots back overnight to win by one. The next year they were in the hunt, but Turley lost a good friend in an accident overnight and Harrell played the final round by himself.
“I don’t come up here much, but when I do it’s always with Benji and he always talks about our names being up there on that trophy,” Harrell said. “We came up Friday and said it’s been six years; it’s been a while.
“We finally got off to a good start and put ourselves in contention to win again. It felt good to play with a chance to win. I hadn’t been able to play as much the last few years so feeling that heat, feeling that pressure, it felt good.”
The winners came into the final round with a two-shot lead over three teams and a ton of momentum after playing their final four holes Saturday in 5-under-par and eagling their last. They lost none of it overnight, with Turley starting the round with a 30-foot eagle putt from just off the back of the No. 1. They birdied the last five holes on the front to turn in 8-under.
“We talked about trying to carry that momentum we finished with yesterday into this round,” Harrell said. “Sometimes that’s tough to do, but (Turley) made a huge putt from off the fringe on the first hole and that got us going.”
Turley’s bomb was one of two eagles they made Sunday. Harrell holed out a lob wedge from 30 yards on the par-4 13th after Turley pitched up to two feet.
By the time the field got on the back nine, it became a two-team race with Harrell-Turley and McGatha-Rogers. The challengers got to 11-under for the day through 15, but lost their chance to catch up when they parred 16 and 17.
They birdied 18, but so did the winners.
“We didn’t have our best,” McGatha said. “Played a couple practice rounds and shot good, then come to play the tournament and didn’t – that’s golf. (The feeling) is like the County. I’m still stinging about (finishing second), but at least I’ve won twice. This one stings, but at least we’ve got our names on it three times.”
EXTRA HOLES: Shane Chappell and Matt Miller won the Mary Ann Flight. Roger and Grant Jackson won the Scott Flight. Tim Mullendore and Mike Braxton won the Angie Flight. The Jacksons shot a bogey-free 59 and birdied six of their last seven holes to win their flight. … In addition to the winners’ two, there were eight others in the round: Tanner Wells-Mark Gaines (3), Mullendore-Braxton (17), Jason Johnson-Lee Waldron (3), Andrew Tyson-Guy Bradley (6), McGatha-Rogers (3), Chip Howell-David Sanders (8), Austin Minter-Adrian Geeting (3), Clay Calkins-Chris Hubbard (3). … Specialty prizes for the day went to Nick Pollard and Andrew Brooks (long drive), Steve Rogers and Harrell (longest putt), and Rodney Wade and Geeting (closest to the pin). … Tournament organizers anticipate raising at least $17,500 for their charities.
BUDDY MOORE CHARITY TOURNAMENT
Final scores
Buddy Flight
Benji Turley-Marcus Harrell 56-57—113
Jeremy McGatha-Matt Rogers 58-58—116
Clay Calkins-Chris Hubbard 58-61—119
Andrew Brooks-Steve Akers 60-59—119
Austin Minter-Adrian Geeting 58-61—119
Kevin Daugherty-Garrett Burgess 59-61—120
Chip Howell-David Sanders 60-61—121
Danny Weeks-Randy Burke 61-63—124
Landon Straub-Brennan Clay 61-63—124
Mary Ann Flight
Shane Chappell-Matt Miller 62-59—121
Andrew Tyson-Guy Bradley 64-59—123
Jeff Borrelli-Keaton Borrelli 63-63—126
Jason Johnson-Lee Waldron 62-65—127
Tony Strickland-Mike Herndon 64-65—129
T.J. McGatha-Rick Dickson 62-67—129
Daniel Clonts-Brett Key 63-70—133
Lynn Oswalt-Clay Bass 66-67—133
Kelly Cleghorn-Matt Cleghorn 65-69—134
Ted Heim-Steve Davis 66-68—134
David Fitzgerald-David Hill 66-69—135
Jimbo Phillips-Will Coker 66-WD
Scott Flight
Roger Jackson-Grant Jackson 67-59—126
Nick Pollard-Jake Goggans 67-64—131
Tanner Wells-Mark Gaines 69-64—133
Danny Whittaker-Andy Jenkins 68-65—133
Gage Miller-Allen Mangham 66-68—134
Chris Randall-James Randall 67-67—134
Scott Moore-Will Prickett 68-68—136
Jimmy Jackson-Gordon Stewart 67-71—138
Donnie McGinnis-Morris Mink 69-71—140
Tim Davis-Grady Sapp 68-75—143
Ken Renfroe-Tyler Teneyck 69-75—144
Angie Flight
Tim Mullendore-Mike Braxton 70-69—139
Derek Webb-John Roe 71-70—141
Rodney Wade-Bruce Collins 73-70—143
Steve Rogers-Keith Gann 73-71—144
Billy Grizzard-Wayne Tillman 75-72—147
Jay Jenkins-Matthew Wright 72-76—148
Henry Higginbotham-Tom Mullins 74-76—150
Steve Mullendore-Will Mullendore 79-73—152
Kelly Rogers-Elbert Rogers 78-76—154
LEADERS SCORECARDS
Ann. Municipal 535 344 344 35 434 444 345 35 70
Turley-Harrell 334 333 233 27 433 244 334 30 57 (113)
McGatha-Rogers 433 343 234 29 333 333 344 29 58 (116)
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