Clay leads

Clay shoots 69, leads six golfers by one stroke after first-round play in the Anniston City Championship, the first points event of the 2024 Calhoun County Golf Tour. (Includes full first-round scores, Sunday tee times)

By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today

CANE CREEK — Even the best of Calhoun County Golf Tour players are people with families and other things they do for a living.

Brennan Clay has business. He coaches youth baseball. Oh, and his third child is due in July.

That’s why performances like his first-round 69 in Saturday’s first round of the Anniston City Championship at Cane Creek feel special.

“I haven’t been playing very often, so I’m pretty happy with that,” Clay said.

With an eagle on No. 18, Brennan Clay clinched the day’s lone under-70 round to lead after the first of two rounds. He leads six players tied at 70: defending champion Andrew Brooks, Jeremy McGatha, John Rollins, Chad Calvert, Ty Cole and Jeff Chapman.

The Anniston City Championship marks the first points event on the 2024 Calhoun County Golf Tour. The final round is Sunday.

A tour veteran, Clay seeks his second Anniston City Championship title and first since 2021.

The husband, father, Turfgrass specialist at EnvyLawn and Alexandria A Ball 6U coach did all right Saturday.

“I haven’t been doing a lot of practice,” he said, “but I’m pretty happy with that.”

His day started with a three-putt bogey, but he recovered with birdies on three of the next four holes. After a bogey on No. 8, he strung together nine consecutive pars until his big finished on 18.

“I hit it right … and hit a low punch cut to within 8 feet,” he said. “It was the best shot I hit all day.”

Clay needed it with six other golfers riding his cart bumper. Cole, the reigning tour champion, also eagled 18, as did Calvert.

Chapman, a left-handed tour semi-regular from Albertville who played in the day’s final group, threatened to snatch the lead away from Clay, standing at 4 under par with no bogeys through 15 holes.

That’s where not having much experience on the course bit. He came into his first Anniston City Championship appearance with one practice round, on Wednesday.

Then came nerves. He saw scores when making the turn and knew the lead was in his grasp.

Chapman double-crossed on 16 and hit into the road, setting the stage for a double bogey.

He parred out on 17 and 18, making a spectacular second shot to help save par on 18. After teeing just across the cart path, he lined a shot just under the limbs of two trees, to within 10 feet of the green.

“All in all, I played good,” Chapman said. “Just one bad swing. Other than that, I was happy with the round. I putted good, and wedges were good.

“This is the first time I’ve been this close to the top. It was a little bit of nerves.”

First-round scores

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
Player	Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Total
Brennan Clay	69		69
Andrew Brooks	70		70
Jeremy McGatha	70		70
John Rollins	70		70
Chad Calvert	70		70
Ty Cole	70		70
Jeff Chapman	70		70
Kevin Daugherty	73		73
Gary Wigington	74		74
Blake Grissom	74		74
Ott Chandler	74		74
CHAMPIONSHIP B
Player	Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Total
Dustin Travis	75		75
Hunter Carr	77		77
Bob Eaton	78		78
Cole McNeal	79		79
Jamarcus Stokes	82		82
Daniel Black	83		83
FIRST FLIGHT
Player	Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Total
Chris Reaves	84		84
Dre Davenport	84		84
Andrew Gunnells	84		84
Houston Black	85		85
Carson Chandler	87		87
Aaron Gregerson	88		88
Taylor Vera	89		89
Nathan Gilbert	93		93
Isaac Scroggins	105		105
Jonathan Pate			WD
Kyle Webb			WD
CHAMPIONSHIP SENIORS
Player	Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Total
Chip Howell	74		74
Greg Shultz	75		75
David Sanders	78		78
Ted Heim	81		81
John McKenzie	81		81
Doug Huie	83		83
David Fitzgerald	86		86
Rocco D’Gomez	87		87
Danny Stephens	90		90
Dennis Moyer	93		93

Sunday’s final-round tee times

9:15 a.m.: Dennis Moyer, Rocco D’ Gomez, Danny Stephens
9:30 a.m.: David Fitzgerald , Doug Huie, John McKenzie, Ted Heim
9:45 a.m.: David Sanders , Greg Shultz, Chip Howell
10 a.m.: Starters Time
10:15 a.m.: Taylor Vera , Nathan Gilbert, Isaac Scroggins
10:30 a.m.: Carson Chandler, Houston Black, Aaron Gregerson
10:45 a.m.: Dre Davenport, Andrew Gunnells , Chris Reaves
11 a.m.: Starters time.
11:15 a.m.: Landon Holly, Jamarcus Stokes ,Daniel Black
11:30 a.m.: Dustin Travis , Hunter Carr, Bob Eaton , Cole McNeal
11:45 a.m.: Starters time
Noon: Kevin Daugherty, Gary Wigington , Blake Grissom, Ott Chandler
12:15 p.m.: John Rollins , Chad Calvert , Ty Cole , Jeff Chapman
12:30 p.m.: Brennan Clay, Jeremy McGatha , Andrew Brooks

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