E.A. Sports Today

Long game

Seeking his first victory on the 2025 Calhoun County Golf Tour, reigning Tour champion Wigington appears right on schedule with 5-under 66 to lead at Briarmeade.

By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today

GLENCOE — Gary Wigington calls his 2025 Calhoun County Golf Tour season “disappointing so far,” but he has a way of showing that disappointment is relative.

The reigning and five-time Tour champion shot a 5-under-par 66 Saturday to lead the Etowah County Open.

He’ll enter Sunday’s final round on the Links at Briarmeade up one stroke on Chad Calvert and two strokes on Chad Hare. Brennan Clay, John Rollins and Tanner Wells all shot 69s.

Wigington has yet to win on the Tour in 2025, but he got his first 2024 Tour win on the same weekend last year, in the Oxford City Championship. He also won the Calhoun County Championship to cap the season and bag his fifth player-of-the-year honor.

Wigington led this season’s previous points event, the Wilfred Galbraith Invitational, after the first of three rounds at Anniston Country Club.

He stands third in the Tour points standings, 229 points behind leader Ty Cole. Neither Cole nor second-place Jacob LeCroy are playing at Briarmeade this weekend.

A victory could put Wigington on top.

“There’s a lot of golf left,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it,”

As for Wigington’s sense of disappointment so far, it’s all about a great player’s expectations of himself.

“I’ve just not been playing well,” he said. “I’ve not been hitting good, and I’ve been making a bunch of dumb mistakes.

“I’ve had some good rounds out there. I just haven’t been able to put two together.” 

Wigington went 32-34—66 Saturday, overcoming two bogeys with seven birdies. 

“I should’ve shot a lot better,” he said. “I birdied the last two holes to get to 5 under, but … I missed a little 18-incher on 15.

“I played solid. I just didn’t make any bad mistakes. Nothing great, and nothing real bad. I just kept it in play.”

Calvert shot his best round on the 2025 Tour, besting his first-round 68 at Pine Hill by one stroke. He posted a 33-34 split.

“The only hiccup I had was on No. 9, where I made bogey,” Calvert said. “Other than that, I was pretty consistent and didn’t do anything stupid. … I didn’t beat myself in some bad spots.”

Calvert said he feels “good” going into Sunday’s final round.

“Going up against (Wigington) is going to be tough, but you know what?” Calvert said. “I gave myself a chance. That’s all you can ask for.”

CHAMPIONSHIP
PLAYERRD. 1TOTAL
Gary Wigington6666
Chad Calvert6767
Chad Hare6868
John Rollins6969
Brennan Clay6969
Tanner Wells6969
Caden Wood7070
Tee Brown7171
Shawn Ledbetter7171
J.D. Berndt7272
Cam Hurst7373
Jeremy McGatha7373
Matt Rogers7373
Robin Wood7373
FIRST FLIGHT
NAMERD. 1TOTAL
Nolan Terrell7474
Randy Lipscomb7474
Mark McCaig7474
Bobby Bannister7575
Shane Chappell7575
Bob Eaton7575
Kole Chandler7575
Dre Davenport7575
Dylan Jackson7575
Turner Shanks7676
James Harrison7777
T.J. Daugherty7777
Jonathan Gibson7777
Jeff McRae7777
SECOND FLIGHT
NAMERD. 1TOTAL
Eric Ray7878
Billy Thompson7878
Vance Lewis7878
Josh Ballew7878
Draevan Bowmans7878
Jeff Noah7878
Opie Teague7979
Greg Hare7979
Bumper Jones7979
Jason Shields7979
Jake Campbell8080
Houston Black8080
THIRD FLIGHT
NAMERD. 1TOTAL
Lee Hubbard8282
Craig Graves8282
Luke Haynie8383
Rusty Freeman8383
Jason Gilley8383
Craig Watts8383
Chris Sanford 8383
Mike Underwood8484
Tyrel Tucker8484
Devan Downs8484
Brady Turner8484
Craig Kiker8484
Eric Morgan8484
Hunter Clough8585
Landon Davenport8585
Dylan Jackson8585
Madilyn Turner8585
FOURTH FLIGHT
NAMERD. 1TOTAL
Jay Shields8686
Russell Spencer8686
Nic Higdon8787
Dale Owens8787
Mason Aulsbrook8787
Coleman Oliver8787
Hunter Russell8989
Peyton Grisham8989
Beau Billingsley8989
Alex Grisham9090
Corey Garner9191
Travis Smith9595
Devin Sauls102102
Toan Nguyen104104
Trevor Millwood112112
SENIORS
PLAYERSRD. 1TOTAL
Neal Keener7474
Craig Colvard7575
Ted Heim7676
Stanley Hawkins7777
Greg Davenport8282
Frank Barnes8282
Phillip Eades8383
Donnie Sutton8787
Wade Croft9292
Gary Singleton105105

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply