Still top tandem

Veteran duo of Cole-Wigington adds Ted’s Charity Invitational title to its tally of two-man titles, edging King-Fite in epic foursome showdown. (Photo gallery, complete scores)

By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today

ANNISTON — Golfers get old, but winning never does.

Ty Cole and Gary Wigington added another two-man tournament to their list of conquests Sunday, winning the second Ted’s Charity Invitational.

The area’s top tandems shot 58-62—120 Saturday and Sunday at Gadsden Country Club  and Anniston Country Club and prevailed by two strokes over Jackson King-Freeman Fite.

Cole-Wigington is a four-time winner of the Sunny King Charity Classic. They’ve also won the Calhoun County 2-Man Championship, most recently in 2023.

The pair has combined for 11 player-of-the-year titles on the Calhoun County Tour.

“I’m tickled to death to win,” Cole said. “I don’t know how many more we’ve got in us, because we’re both getting older, but we’ll keep going at it as long as we can take it back and swing it forward.”

This year marked the second for the Ted’s Charity Invitational, and it generated $21,226.84 for Saks Elementary School. The field nearly doubled in size this year, swelling to 139 teams and added Gadsden Country Club to its course.

Half of the field played at Gadsden Country Club on Saturday then played Anniston Country Club on Sunday, and vice versa.

Weather delays pushed the field up against darkness in Sunday’s final round, and the final foursome of Cole-Wigington and King-Fite played out No. 18 with the aid of cell-phone flashlights.

“Hats off to Ted,” Cole said. “I think this can be a great tournament, going forward. He’s done it right.

“The weather delay today was a little rough, finishing in the dark, but you can’t control that. As far as the players, I haven’t heard one person in two years say anything but positive things about it. I’m sure it’s going to be around for a while, if he wants to continue doing it.”

Cole-Wigington led by one stroke after playing Saturday’s first-round at Gadsden Country Club. King-Fite and Randy and Will Reaves lurked one stroke back. Jacob LeCroy-Tanner Wells and John Hilliard Catanzaro-William Catanzaro entered Sunday’s play at Anniston Country Club two strokes back.

Cole-Wigington and King-Fite played in the final group, and their heavyweight showdown, and neither team blinked. The most pivotal moment involved Wigington’s chip-in on the par-5 No. 11 to match Fite’s eagle and keep Cole-Wigington in the lead.

“It was a hard hole,” Wigington said. “We played the practice round on Friday and told myself, ‘Don’t hit left of this pin,’ Of course, that’s where I was, left of the pin.

“I hit a good chip, and it just went in.”

 Fite’s second shot on No. 11 nearly went for an albatross.

“We had some guys watching up by the green, and he hit 230 in,” King said. “They said it went in the hole and popped out to 2 inches.

“He tapped in for eagle, and ‘Twig’ (Wigington) just hit an unbelievable shot. He was left of the green, which, if you’re left of the green, that’s almost dead. He chipped it in, and it rolled in like a putt.”

Fite birdied Nos. 2, 6 and 16, and King birdied 17. They went into the final hole down two shots, but not without hope.

“We knew it was kind of out of reach, but it still gave us a little bit of hope,” King said. “Who knows? They might lose a ball, or whatever.

“It was a lot of fun playing with Ty and Twig. It’s fun watching them do what they do. They win a lot for a reason, and it was fun to see why.”

Photo gallery by Joe Medley

’25 Ted’s Charity Invitational scores

CHAMPIONSHIP A FLIGHT
TEAM	RD. 1-2	TOTAL
Cole-Wigington	58-62	120
King-Fite	59-63	122
Catanzaro-Catanzaro	60-64	124
Broadway-Chandler	62-64	126
Harper-Daugherty	61-66	127
Ray-Moore	61-66	127
Reaves-Reaves	59-69	128
LeCroy-Wells	60-69	129
Middlebrooks-Weatherly	63-68	131
Calvert-Watwood	62-71	133
Lipscomb-Anderton	63-70	133
Thomas-Davis	62-72	134
CHAMPIONSHIP B FLIGHT
NAME	RD. 1-2	TOTAL
Daugherty-Wilborn	65-62	127
Svensen-Murphree	66-64	130
Autaulla-Ledbetter	65-65	130
Parmer-Turley	64-67	131
Howard-Shultz	66-65	131
Woodard-Thomas	64-68	132
Richards-Underwood	65-68	133
Clay-Brooks	65-69	134
Miller-Edwards	64-71	135
Graveman-Love	67-68	135
Etter-Robinson	66-69	135
Bain-Knight	64-72	136
Travis-Eaton	67-69	136
Rollins-Lewis	67-69	136
Dennis-Dennis	66-70	136
Straub-Johnson	66-71	137
McCareeth-McCareeth	66-72	138
Contris-Prichard	65-74	139
McGatha-Gregerson	65-74	139
Chandler-Kilgore	65-74	139
Leonhardt-Reeves	66-73	139
Brown-Duckett	66-73	139
Hubbard-Mize	67-72	139
Moore-Maples	66-73	139
Gilchrist-Smith	66-74	140
Hurst-Chandler	67-74	141
Morrow-Morrow	64-78	142
Wright-Hathorn	66-76	142
Calkins-Salmon	65-78	143
FIRST FLIGHT
NAME	RD. 1-2	TOTAL
Tabor-Harris	68-66	134
Bowen-Vera	68-66	134
Miller-Sewell	69-66	135
Cunningham-Third	68-67	135
Pearce-Burns	70-66	136
Goggans-Davie	70-67	137
LeCroy-Limberis	68-69	137
Wood-Wood	69-69	138
Brady-Winfrey	68-71	139
Cannington-Pritchett	68-71	139
Phillips-Young	70-70	140
Jenkins-Carter	71-69	140
Anderton-Slick	70-70	140
Bussey-Rogers	70-70	140
Hollingsworth-Carr	71-69	140
Gardner-Costner	69-71	140
Messer-Hudgins	69-72	141
Brown-Dopson	69-72	141
Watson-Whittaker	70-71	141
Hubbard-Lett	70-71	141
Picton-Waits	70-72	142
Hollingsworth-Brewer	70-72	142
Black-Holley	68-74	142
Thompson-Davis	70-73	143
Huckaby-Lemaster	70-75	145
Messer-Page	71-75	146
Borelli-Webber	71-77	148
Casey-Schroeder	68	DNF
SECOND FLIGHT
NAME	RD. 1-2	TOTAL
Cox-Grisham	74-62	136
Jones-Owens	72-66	138
McCroskey-Hammond	73-67	140
Jenkins-Gaines	73-67	140
Ashley-Copeland	73-68	141
Durden-Jones	73-68	141
Reaves-Page	72-70	142
McClellan-Smith	72-70	142
Morrow-Grier	74-68	142
Rutledge-Fulmer	73-69	142
TenEyck-Johnson	72-70	142
Key-McNickle	72-71	143
Svensen-Svensen	72-71	143
Smith-Smith	73-70	143
Reynolds-Smith	74-69	143
Heim-Huie	74-69	143
Akers-Messer	73-71	144
Whitman-Baker	74-70	144
Gillespie-Moore	74-70	144
Huff-Lindsey	74-71	145
Callan-Wakefield	72-75	147
Williams-Hardin	74-74	148
Harmon-Harmon	74-75	149
Waldrop-Rainey	72-77	149
Askew-Broome	74-77	151
Mitchell-Payne	73-78	151
Okins-Okins	74-79	153
Noah-Nichols	74-79	153
THIRD FLIGHT
NAME	RD. 1-2	TOTAL
Hockman-Pritchett	75-67	142
Hicks-Harrelson	75-68	143
Ray-Teague	75-73	148
Dickson-McKenzie	78-70	148
Lambert-Lambert	78-70	148
Sanders-Davis	75-74	149
Carpenter-Carpenter	77-73	150
Wilcox-Kirby	75-76	151
Bullard-Connell	77-74	151
Graham-Carden	76-75	151
Steward-Thompson	75-77	152
Willingham-Cotton	76-76	152
Pierce-Johnson	75-78	153
Talbot-Thomas	77-77	154
Whaley-Whaley	76-78	154
McClellan-Ray	77-78	155
Thompson-Williamson	78-77	155
Hiett–Welcher	75-81	156
Couch-McCauley	78-78	156
Abernathy-Baine	77-88	165
FOURTH FLIGHT
NAME	RD. 1-2	TOTAL
Bannon-Barnwell	81-70	151
Black-Benefiel	79-73	152
Price-White	80-73	153
Key-Hunter	79-75	154
Hammontree-Nailer	81-73	154
Coffey-Ingram	79-75	154
Kiker-Haynes	80-74	154
Watson-Jones	81-75	156
Daugherty-Daugherty	82-75	157
Blackwell-Clonts	81-77	158
Schmelling-White	80-78	158
Wells-Carden	84-75	159
Pool-Brown	85-74	159
Harrison-Champion	82-78	160
Williams-Mosley	79-83	162
Wright-Smiley	85-77	162
Johnson-Loggins	87-77	164
Peters-Johnson	84-84	168
Nissley-Blocker	88-80	168
Jenkins-Heibel	86-87	173
Dingler-Latta	96-94	190
Lawson-Boatfield	90	DNF
McKennaway-Fromel	95	DNF

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