(Arm)strong round
- Updated: August 1, 2025
Gadsden’s Armstrong joins Cole, Gladden at 5-under-par 66 to lead after Friday’s opening round of the Gadsden Invitational.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
GADSDEN — Golf is a fickle game, and Gadsden’s Luke Armstrong has lived the ups and downs recently.
He walked off the course amid a tough day at the Gadsden Country Club championship recently. Friday, he walked off of the same course tied for the lead.
Armstrong, Ty Cole and Andrew Gladden each shot a 5-under-par 66 to hold a one-stroke lead over Brennan Clay after the qualifying round of the Gadsden Invitational, the eighth of nine points events on the 2025 Calhoun County Golf Tour.
Ken Goforth came in at 68, and Jacob LeCroy and Dane Moore rounded out the other under-par players at 70.
Current Tour points leader and reigning Tour champion Gary Wigington was among four golfers at ever-par 71, and two-time defending event champion Chris Hummel shot 79.
Second-round play in what will be a 54-hole event for the championship contenders picks up Saturday morning.
Friday’s round was a good day on the course for Armstrong, a one-time Tour regular who pulled back in recent years while juggling work as owner of Nolen Glass, Inc., in Gadsden and time instructing 7-year-old son Evan in golf.
“There’s not a lot of time for dad to hit a lot of shots,” Armstrong said.
Evan Armstrong played in his first tournament Thursday, a six-hole event at GCC.
“That was probably one of the most fun moments I’ve had yet as a dad,” Luke Armstrong said. “That was awesome.”
Luke Armstrong has been “struggling real bad” at his own game recently.
“I played so bad at the club championship two weeks ago, I quit and walked off the golf course,” he said. “I’d never done that in my life.”
Luke Armstrong is a former baseball player for Southside High School and Gadsden State Community College who picked up golf with instruction from Cole,a perennial Tour contender who works as a residential product manager for Nolen.
“Ty taught me how to play,” Luke Armstrong said.
The two play together in the first round when playing in the same tournament. After Luke Armstrong’s tough day in the club championship, he and Cole hit range balls at Silver Lakes.
“He watched me take a few swings, and he can always pick out fast, and he can tell me exactly what I’m doing, and what I need to work on,” Luke Armstrong said. “We got that under control.”
Luke Armstrong’s round Friday featured an eagle on the par-4 ninth hole. He finished the front nine in 32 strokes.
“I have an extremely competitive nature about me, so it’s not fun playing bad,” he said. “I’m never going to be your Gary Wigingtons or your Ty Coles. …
“Every now and then, to get to turn in a round like this makes it worth it. It’s fun.’
| CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION | ||
| NAME | RD. 1 | TOTAL |
| Luke Armstrong | 66 | 66 |
| Ty Cole | 66 | 66 |
| Andrew Gladden | 66 | 66 |
| Brennan Clay | 67 | 67 |
| Ken Goforth | 68 | 68 |
| Jacob LeCroy | 70 | 70 |
| Dane Moore | 70 | 70 |
| Kevin Daugherty | 71 | 71 |
| Morgan Cunningham | 71 | 71 |
| Gary Wigington | 71 | 71 |
| Trent Mansfield | 71 | 71 |
| Mark McCaig | 72 | 72 |
| John Rollins | 73 | 73 |
| Justin Graveman | 73 | 73 |
| Harrison Martin | 73 | 73 |
| Chandler Richards | 73 | 73 |
| Daily Thomas | 74 | 74 |
| Chad Calvert | 74 | 74 |
| Jeremy McGatha | 74 | 74 |
| Eli Edge | 75 | 75 |
| Layton Bussey | 75 | 75 |
| Randy Lipscomb | 75 | 75 |
| Corey Ray | 75 | 75 |
| Mason Dennis | 77 | 77 |
| Michael Thomas | 77 | 77 |
| Tanner Wells | 77 | 77 |
| Vance Lewis | 78 | 78 |
| Jason Britton | 79 | 79 |
| Jeff Noah | 79 | 79 |
| Chris Hummel | 79 | 79 |
| Jonathan Gibson | 79 | 79 |
| Andrew Gunnells | 80 | 80 |
| Chad Reavis | 80 | 80 |
| Cove McHugh | 81 | 81 |
| Chris Sanford | 81 | 81 |
| Andrew Ford | 81 | 81 |
| Dre Davenport | 81 | 81 |
| Timmy Woodard | 81 | 81 |
| Houston Black | 81 | 81 |
| BLUE/WHITE TEE DIVISION | ||
| NAME | RD. 1 | NAME |
| Tyler Coley | 82 | 82 |
| David Coffey | 82 | 82 |
| Henry Pritchett | 83 | 83 |
| Anthony Mancini | 84 | 84 |
| Mason Aulsbrook | 84 | 84 |
| Matt Rogers | 84 | 84 |
| Mark Gaines | 86 | 86 |
| Bumper Jones | 86 | 86 |
| Michael Downey | 88 | 88 |
| Brad Landin | 88 | 88 |
| Malachi Taylor | 90 | 90 |
| Hank Bangs | 93 | 93 |
| Matt Greer | 94 | 94 |
| Scott Jimmerson | 95 | 95 |
| Kenny Fulmer | WD |
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