Cox on the cusp

Chris Cox’ career-best 62 shares first-round lead in 85th Calhoun County Tournament with Gary Wigington

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

When Chris Cox set his clubs in the garage at the end of the Gadsden Invitational two weeks ago he was figuring his serious golf for the season was over. There was just too much going on his his life for the game to stay on the front burner.

Like what? Oh, the usual things. The job, moving into a new house, a 2½-year old at home who keeps him wide open and a second child on the way. You know, life in general.

With all that on his plate, he wasn’t planning on playing in this weekend’s 85th Calhoun County Championship until Friday.

Good thing his wife convinced him to go for it.

The 32-year-old commercial construction warehouse manager from Gadsden went out in Saturday’s morning wave at Anniston Municipal and shot the best round of his career, a nine-birdie, 8-under-par 62 that was seven better than his closest competitor.

He stayed on top of the leaderboard all day and at the end of it he shared the lead with defending champion Gary Wigington, who shot 62 to lead the afternoon wave.

They hold a two-shot lead over Dalton Chandler and a three-shot edge on Jonathan Pate. Brennan Clay, who needs a win or solo second to overtake Ty Cole for County Tour Player of the Year, shot 67.

“I wasn’t going to play until yesterday,” Cox said. “We talked about it at dinner – what do you think I should do, should I play or not – and my wife said go play. She told me to go play. I came out here and played.”

And played better than he ever had on the County Tour before. His previous best score was a 4-under 66 in the first round of the County Tournament here last year. He had nine birdies – including five in a row in the middle of the back nine – and a bogey; his previous Tour high for birdies was six, in the second round of this year’s Pine Hill Invitational.

He hit seven fairways and had 23 putts (13 one-putts). He had 17 putts on the 13 greens he hit in regulation and got up and down on four of the five he missed. His five consecutive birdies came on holes 12 through 16.

“I knew I played good (here) last year on the first day; I feel like my game kind of fits this course,” Cox said. “I just knew if I came out here and didn’t put any pressure on myself I could just come out and play, and once it got rolling, it just pretty much took off.

“I never thought this would happen; I’m excited about it for sure. I never had a chance to win one of these (Tour events) and I’m excited about it.”

To pull it off, he’ll have to outplay the tournament’s all-time wins leader coming off his best round of the season.

Wigington has won seven County titles. His 62 Saturday included seven birdies and an eagle and snapped a run of four straight rounds of par or higher, the longest such string since he started playing on the County Tour.

“The whole year’s been terrible,” he said. “It’s good to be back in the hunt and playing in the last group tomorrow and have a chance. I just haven’t had many opportunities this year and when I did I didn’t get it done. It just feels good to play a decent round, play a good round again.”

The key to it was hitting his wedges as well he has had the last two seasons. He had 13 one-putts, hit 12 greens, missed four non-par-3 greens and got up and down from those three times.

NOTES: Cox’ best finishes on the County Tour have been a pair of T-10s (2019 Etowah Open, 2020 Silver Lakes) … Pate won the Duffer Award for fewest putts (22). He had 13 one- or no-putts and nine putts on the front … Chandler won two PM closest-to-the-pin prizes (4, 2/11); the other went to Layton Bussey (7/16). The AM closest-to-the-pin prizes went to Ryder Hudgins (2/11), Tony Strickland (4) and Sawyer Edwards (7/16). Longest drive prizes went to Cameron McCareeth (AM) and Tanner Wells (PM) … The tournament field was reduced by three prior to the round due to COVID-related WDs.

85th CALHOUN COUNTY TOURNAMENT

CHAMPIONSHIP A
Chris Cox	32	30	62
Gary Wigington	30	32	62
Dalton Chandler	30	34	64
Jonathan Pate	31	34	65
Tanner Wells	32	34	66
Brennan Clay	33	34	67
Jeremy McGatha	34	34	68
Josh Poole	31	37	68
Max Basler	36	32	68
CHAMPIONSHIP B
Landon Straub	35	34	69
Clay Calkins	36	33	69
Wesley Jenkins	36	33	69
Chip Howell	35	34	69
Matt Rogers	35	34	69
Caleb Bowen	33	36	69
Chad Calvert	36	33	69
Andrew Brooks	36	34	70
Sawyer Edwards	35	35	70
Johnny Barnes	35	35	70
FIRST FLIGHT
Timmy Woodard	34	37	71
Tyler Dopson	35	36	71
Ted Heim	37	34	71
David Sanders	36	36	72
Billy Thompson	37	35	72
Cameron McCareeth	32	40	72
Robbie Hurst	37	35	72
Tony Hicks	37	35	72
Randy Lipscomb	37	35	72
Layton Bussey	37	35	72
SECOND FLIGHT
Chris Randall	38	35	73
Matt Miller	38	35	73
Steve Minton	36	38	74
Robin Wood	36	38	74
John McKenzie	38	37	75
Vince Floyd	38	37	75
Chris Reaves	36	39	75
Bradley Elliott	37	38	75
Kenneth Patterson	36	39	75
Mark McCaig	37	38	75
Byron Preston	37	38	75
THIRD FLIGHT
Mark Cotton	39	37	76
Hunter Carr	40	36	76
Landon Holley	41	35	76
Chase Hollingsworth	34	42	76
Daniel Black	37	39	76
George Salmon	39	38	77
Tony Strickland	40	37	77
Tim Dennison	39	38	77
Tyler Romine	36	41	77
Danny Whittaker	38	39	77
FOURTH FLIGHT
Ladon Rogers	39	39	78
Rick Dickson	37	41	78
Tyler Teneyck	38	40	78
Don Hill	38	40	78
Lamar Carter	41	37	78
Mike Lett	36	42	78
Marc Gaines	40	38	78
Austin Jones	36	42	78
Mark Durden	42	37	79
FIFTH FLIGHT
Mike Hughston	41	39	80
Randy Watson	44	36	80
Landon Winfrey	39	41	80
Nick Pollard	42	38	80
Steve Davis	41	39	80
Andy Jenkins	41	39	80
Brad Young	43	38	81
Cam Hurst	41	40	81
Dereck Webb	39	42	81
SIXTH FLIGHT
Cal Lambert	45	38	83
Kelly Rogers	42	42	84
Blake Jones	41	43	84
Riley Boyd	47	37	84
Ryder Hudgins	43	42	85
Ron Fleming	41	44	85
Kevin Wells	43	42	85
Roger Smith	44	43	87
Gene Hicks	47	42	89

Sunday tee assignments

8 a.m. Shotgun
1A: Daniel Black, George Salmon, Tony Strickland, Tim Dennison
1B: Hunter Carr, Mark Cotton, Landon Holley, Chase Hollingsworth
2: Tyler Romine, Danny Whittaker, Rick Dickson, Ladon Rogers
3: Tyler Teneyck, Don Hill, Lamar Carter, Mike Lett
4: Marc Gaines, Austin Jones, Mark Durden, Mike Hughston
5: Randy Watson, Landon Winfrey, Nick Pollard, Steve Davis
6: Andy Jenkins, Cam Hurst, Brad Young, Dereck Webb
7: Cal Lambert, Kelly Rogers, Blake Jones
8: Riley Boyd, Ron Fleming, Ryder Hudgins
9: Kevin Wells, Roger Smith, Gene Hicks

1 p.m. Shotgun
1A: Tanner Wells, Brennan Clay, Jeremy McGatha, Josh Poole
1B: Chris Cox, Gary Wigington, Dalton Chandler, Jonathan Pate
2: Max Basler, Landon Straub, Chip Howell, Wesley Jenkins
3: Clay Calkins, Matt Rogers, Caleb Bowen, Chad Calvert
4: Andrew Brooks, Johnny Barnes, Sawyer Edwards, Timmy Woodard
5: Tyler Dopson, Ted Heim, Billy Thompson, David Sanders
6: Cameron McCareeth, Robbie Hurst, Tony Hicks, Randy Lipscomb
7: Layton Bussey, Chris Randall, Matt Miller, Robin Wood
8: Steve Minton, John McKenzie, Chris Reaves, Vince Floyd
9: Bradley Elliott, Kenneth Patterson, Mark McCaig, Byron Preston

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