Rollins rollin’
- Updated: May 19, 2024
A day after tree limb falls on his truck, tree cutter Rollins falls on the field for second Calhoun County Golf Tour victory.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
GADSDEN — Sometimes, the tree falls on you. Sometimes, you’re the tree.
John Rollins lived both sides of that during this weekend’s Gadsden City Championship. A day after storm dropped a limb fell on his pickup, he rallied from one stroke down going into the final round to bag his second Calhoun County County Golf Tour victory.
Rollins finished 69-70—139 and edge Brennan Clay by one stroke. First-round leader Ty Cole finished third, two strokes off the pace.
Rollins left Twin Bridges with a grin on his face, even if it’s an anxious grin as he manages his speed while making the hour’s drive back home, across the Georgia line, with a bowed in windshield.
That made for an anxious drive home after Saturday’s final round.
“I was scared to even drive home,” he said. “I thought the windshield was going to come in on me. It made noises all the way home.”
Rollins scored his second Tour victory and second in the last seven events. He won at Pine Hill in 2023.
Rollins’ second victory comes two weeks after Chattanooga’s Andrew Weathers won his first attempt at a Tour event, at Silver Lakes. Cole, the reigning Tour player of the year, won the other 2024 points event, at Cane Creek.
“I don’t know if there’s better amateur golf in the state than what we’ve got right here,” Clay said. “It’s every week.
“You’ve got the same nine or 10 guys, but now we’ve got more coming. The more the merrier to me. I like the competition. You’ve got to play good. You can’t come out here and just smack it around and expect to win. You have to be under par, multiple shots under par, so it’s a lot of fun.”
Clay shot Sunday’s best round at 69 to finish second. His day included an eagle on No. 11, a 5-iron shot from 210 yards that rolled by the hole and settled at 2 feet.
“It went right by the hole,” Clay said. “It had a chance to go in. That would’ve been cool.”
That’s how close Clay came to an albatross and forcing a playoff.
Then again, Rollins’ day included a 25-foot putt to save par on No. 13. He also saved par after hitting into the hazard on the par-5 15th.
“John’s a dang good player,” Clay said. “He’s scrappy. He made two incredible pars today.”
Rollins was scrapped and acknowledged he was emotional over the condition of his black Dodge Ram. The limb that fell on his truck during Saturday’s storm bent the hood and bowed the windshield.
It’s fully insured and payed off, he said. It was drivable enough to get him home Saturday night, after he waited out the rain to avoid having to use wipers. It got him to the course Sunday.
“After all the stuff yesterday that happened, I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I even drove my truck again today.
“I don’t know why. Just a wave of emotions after the tree fell on my truck.”
He missed a 3-foot birdie putt on No. 1, and Clay announced his bad intentions with a birdie on the same hole.
After two pars and a bogey to start his round, the professional tree cutter started chopping wood. After birdies on 6 and 9, he made the turn at 1-under 35. His three birdies on the back nine offset two bogies.
He steadied his emotions enough to emerge in a foursome with Clay, Cole and Randy Lipscomb. Rollins answered Clay’s eagle with a birdie on the same hole.
“Just playing with Ty and Brennan, they’re two of the best, especially Ty,” Rollins said.
Rollins said he tried “keep my mind off of the card” and just play, play hole by hole. About hole No. 14, he learned he as one shot up.
He briefly lost that one-shot lead while scrapping with a trap to save par on 15, but he made a 10-foot birdie putt on 17.
Trees watched calmly Sunday as he avenged himself against the course. God help the first tree he sees at work Monday.
“It’s going to get hit like a truck,” he said with a chuckle. “No doubt.”
Final-round scores
| CHAMPIONSHIP A FLIGHT | |||
| PLAYER | RD. 1 | RD. 2 | TOTAL |
| John Rollins | 69 | 70 | 139 |
| Brennan Clay | 71 | 69 | 140 |
| Ty Cole | 68 | 73 | 141 |
| Randy Lipscomb | 70 | 76 | 146 |
| Jeremy McGatha | 72 | 75 | 147 |
| Mason Dennis | 71 | 77 | 148 |
| Dustin Travis | 74 | 75 | 149 |
| Casey Harmon | 73 | 77 | 150 |
| Blake Boozer | 74 | 78 | 152 |
| Jason Rich | 73 | 80 | 153 |
| Chris Cox | 74 | 81 | 155 |
| Gary Wigington | 74 | WD | |
| CHAMPIONSHIP B FLIGHT | |||
| Trent Masfield | 76 | 71 | 147 |
| Dane Moore | 75 | 75 | 150 |
| Chad Hare | 75 | 76 | 151 |
| Chris Leonhardt | 75 | 76 | 151 |
| Dre Davenport | 76 | 76 | 152 |
| J.D. Berndt | 76 | 76 | 152 |
| Chance Harris | 76 | 78 | 154 |
| Tim Woodard | 76 | 79 | 155 |
| Joshua Bradley | 75 | 82 | 157 |
| Cove McHugh | 76 | 82 | 158 |
| Danny Whitaker | 76 | 96 | 172 |
| FIRST FLIGHT | |||
| Carson Jones | 77 | 71 | 148 |
| C.J. Taylor | 77 | 73 | 150 |
| Zack Pruitt | 77 | 73 | 150 |
| Tanner Wells | 77 | 77 | 154 |
| Clayton Chandler | 77 | 79 | 156 |
| Vance Lewis | 77 | 79 | 156 |
| Brad Landin | 78 | 79 | 157 |
| Aaron Jackson | 78 | 80 | 158 |
| Eric Cannington | 78 | 80 | 158 |
| Clay Smith | 77 | 84 | 161 |
| Austin Elliott | 78 | 85 | 163 |
| SECOND FLIGHT | |||
| Jeremy Burns | 79 | 73 | 152 |
| Michael Rich | 79 | 73 | 152 |
| Blake Grisham | 79 | 74 | 152 |
| Chase Hollingsworth | 80 | 77 | 157 |
| Hunter Fordham | 79 | 81 | 160 |
| Hunter Carr | 80 | 82 | 162 |
| James Lett | 81 | 81 | 162 |
| Maverick Smith | 81 | 81 | 162 |
| Aaron Gregerson | 80 | 83 | 163 |
| Bob Eaton | 80 | 85 | 165 |
| Cole McNeal | 79 | 97 | 176 |
| THIRD FLIGHT | |||
| Luke Armstrong | 82 | 74 | 156 |
| Chandler Richards | 86 | 71 | 157 |
| Josh Ghavassi | 83 | 81 | 164 |
| Houston Black | 85 | 79 | 164 |
| Chris Reaves | 85 | 81 | 166 |
| Jonathan Gibson | 84 | 84 | 168 |
| Drey Reeves | 86 | 84 | 170 |
| Logan Steele | 86 | 86 | 172 |
| David Webb | 85 | 94 | 179 |
| Mark Gaines | 86 | 93 | 179 |
| Nathan Williams | 83 | WD | |
| Alex Burnham | 86 | WD | |
| FOURTH FIGHT | |||
| Carl Stanley | 89 | 76 | 165 |
| Eli Dunn | 87 | 82 | 169 |
| Cain Hollingsworth | 88 | 82 | 170 |
| Matt Greer | 88 | 82 | 170 |
| Craig Duncan | 92 | 79 | 171 |
| Derek Jenkins | 89 | 86 | 175 |
| Ridge McHugh | 90 | 89 | 179 |
| Drake Bearden | 92 | 87 | 179 |
| Andrew Gunnells | 91 | 94 | 185 |
| Tim Gables | 89 | WD | |
| FIFTH FLIGHT | |||
| Dustin Pearce | 93 | 84 | 177 |
| Justin Pickard | 93 | 86 | 179 |
| Scott Jimmerson | 95 | 92 | 187 |
| Eli Pearce | 94 | 96 | 190 |
| Stephen Jenkins | 93 | 98 | 191 |
| Nick Sabat | 96 | 102 | 198 |
| Larry Champion | 105 | 99 | 204 |
| Ted Gregerson | 111 | 94 | 205 |
| Daniel Ricks | 96 | WD | |
| SENIOR | |||
| Greg Shultz | 70 | 76 | 146 |
| David Sanders | 75 | 72 | 147 |
| Dominick Margentina | 76 | 78 | 154 |
| Graham Morrow | 77 | 78 | 155 |
| Scott Moates | 75 | 80 | 155 |
| Jerry Fraiser | 76 | 79 | 155 |
| Mike Lett | 83 | 73 | 156 |
| Scott Harmon | 89 | 82 | 171 |
| Keith Hutcheson | 83 | 93 | 176 |
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