Glad he came

After deciding not to play in the 89th Calhoun County Championship, Cole changes course, wins and claims his seventh player-of-the-year honor.

2025 Calhoun County Golf Tour

(Winners in parenthesis)

March 29-30
Anniston City Championship, Cane Creek (Jacob LeCroy)
April 5-6
Calhoun County Team Championship, RTJ Silver Lakes (Layton Bussey-Cam Hurst)
April 26-27
Gadsden City Championship, Twin Bridges (Ty Cole)
May 3-4
Pine Hill Country Club Invitational (Cody Robinson)
May 30-June 1
Wilfred Galbraith Invitational, Anniston Country Club (Jacob LeCroy)
June 28-29
Etowah County Open, The Links, Briarmeade (Gary Wigington)
July 12-13
RTJ Silver Lakes Championship (Jacob LeCroy)
July 26-27
Oxford City Championship, Cider Ridge Golf Course (Tanner Wells)
Aug. 1-3
Gadsden Invitational, Gadsden Country Club (Ken Goforth)
Aug. 16-17
89th Calhoun County Championship, Anniston Municipal Golf Course (Ty Cole)
Sept. 27-28 or Oct. 18-19
16th Calhoun County Match Play Championship, Anniston Municipal Golf Course (non-points)

By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today

ANNISTON — Ty Cole nearly didn’t play in the 89th Calhoun County Championship. A blunt text exchange with tournament director Matt Rogers changed his mind and added to his legacy on the county golf four.

Cole shot a 3-under-par 67 in Sunday’s final round at Anniston Municipal Golf Course and finished 8-under 132 to his 30th Tour victory. 

The 50-year-old Cole’s victory coupled with Tour points leader Jacob LeCroy’s tied-for-third finish at 69-68—137 meant that Cole also came away with his seventh Tour player-of-the-year honor.

He scored another victory for the Tour’s old guard against a rising tide of younger players like LeCroy. Cole and Gary Wigington have now won player of the year three years in a row.

“This has always been a great thing for amateur golf around here,” Cole said. “It’s always been a good thing since they started it. 

“There’s a lot of good players down here, and there’s some young guys. Jacob is going to be a force.”

Cole, who lives in Albertville, said he wouldn’t play the Calhoun County Championship two weeks ago, after leading for two rounds but finishing second to Ken Goforth at the Gadsden Invitational, the eighth of nine points events on this year’s Tour.

Rogers changed Cole’s mind with a few texts.

Rogers: “I’m finalizing the field. Am I counting you in or out?”

Cole: “Of what?”

Rogers: “County. Looks like points come down to you, Jacob and ‘Twig’ (Wigington).”

Cole: “I reckon. You gonna put us down for 1 o’clock?”

Rogers: “Yes. Get your (bleep) here.” 

The County Championship has always played out on The Hill, a nine-hole course that players round twice from different tee positions and play different pin positions. A lot of players from the county grew up playing on that course.

Rogers spoke up for the course while launching Sunday’s afternoon shotgun start.

“We might not have the greatest course, but we have 89 years of tradition,” he said.

Cole came into the tournament second to LeCroy in Tour points when factoring top-four finishes on the season. The County Championship counts points and a half, the biggest points prize of the season.

The winner gets 450 points instead of the standard 300.

“I’m that guy that complains every year that we play the county here, because it’s nine holes,” Cole said. “It’s not great conditions, all that, but I’ll take a win wherever I can get it.”

Cole shot 5-under 65 on Saturday and came into Sunday’s final round tied with Layton Bussey for first place. They were among 18 golfers to shoot in the 60s Saturday.

Rogers toughened pin placements for Sunday, and only Cole, (67), LeCroy (68), Jeremy McGatha (68), Brennan Clay (69) and Sawyer Edwards (69) shot in the 60s.

Cole finished with a 30-foot putt for eagle.

“I got a little lucky with that going in on the last hole,” Cole said. “They had the two pins, and I couldn’t go at that pin, so I told Layton I’m aiming at the No. 9 pin, and I’m going to try to make it.

“I think it landed right by the hole. It’s probably the best shot I hit all day, was that, aiming at the wrong flag.”

LeCroy came into the County Championship with a 112.5-point lead on Cole. A Cole victory would mean that LeCroy would have to finish no worse than alone in a third, so as not to split third-place points.

He tied with Clay. They finished behind Andrew Brooks (66-70–136), who led the tournament at 5 under par through 16 holes Sunday.

Whereas Cole finished with an eagle, LeCroy finished with a double bogey and no regrets. The 2025 Tour’s leader with three victories didn’t come to finish third.

“I still thought I had a chance of catching him (Cole) headed into the last hole,” LeCroy said. “Ty was finishing on two birdie holes, so I pulled a club that, if it gets back there, can get me a birdie, possibly, and that was my biggest concern. … 

“I pulled 6 iron, so a 194-195 club, and I pull it left of the green. If I hit it normal, solid, it gets to pin, but it never goes past it, and the wind was a little bit into it, so I thought it was the perfect club. I just pulled it, hit it solid, and I missed a 2-footer for bogey.”

LeCroy played his first full season on the Tour since graduating from the University of South Alabama. The former Donoho School standout took a job with Alfa Insurance,  moved back home and got married in June.

Back closer to home, he was able to play more county events and compete for the championship. He won at Cane Creek, Anniston County Club and Silver Lakes.

“It was a good year,” he said. “It definitely takes course knowledge, because I’ve only played out here three times total. …

“I didn’t end up winning player of the year, and that’s OK. I got beat, but I’m still in a good mood. I didn’t play bad today. I’m pretty happy with how I played today.”

CHAMPIONSHIP A
PLAYER	RD. 1	TOTAL
T. Cole	65-67	132
A. Brooks	66-70	136
B. Clay	68-69	137
D. Chandler	67-73	140
C. Hollingsworth	66-75	141
J. Pate	67-75	142
L. Bussey	65-78	143
C. Randall	67-76	143
T. Wells	67-77	144
V.. Lewis	67-78	145
J. Stokes	68-81	149
H. Carr	66-86	152
CHAMPIONSHIP B
PLAYER	RD. 1	TOTAL
J. LeCroy	69-68	137
J. McGatha	70-68	138
S. Edwards	69-69	138
C. Calvert	69-71	140
C. Calkins	69-71	140
O. Chandler	70-71	141
M. McCaig	70-74	144
D. Travis	69-76	145
K. Borrelli	70-76	146
C. Howell	70-77	147
E. McCareeth	69-80	149
L. Holley	70-79	149
C. Harris	70-83	153
FIRST FLIGHT
PLAYER	RD. 1	TOTAL
G.. Wigington	72-70	142
R. Lipscomb	72-74	146
J. Johnson	72-74	146
D. Coffee	72-76	148
M. Rogers	72-78	150
M. West	71-82	153
B. Thompson	72-82	154
D. Sanders	72-87	159
SECOND FLIGHT
PLAYER	RD. 1	TOTAL
C. Wood	73-70	143
C. Chandler	74-71	145
R. Wood	73-73	146
L. Hubbard	74-72	146
T. Hicks	74-77	151
B. Eaton	74-79	153
J. Noah	73-80	153
G. Harralaon	73-82	155
THIRD FLIGHT
PLAYER	RD. 1	TOTAL
G. Shultz	75-69	144
L. Winfrey	79-71	150
E. Cannington	77-75	152
C,. Hurst	75-78	153
L. Carter	77-76	153
A. Jenkins	76-77	153
D. Whittaker	77-78	155
K. Fulmer	76-80	156
R. Svensen	76-80	156
D. Black	76-81	157
D. Huie	77-80	157
M. Gaines	76-86	162
FOURTH FLIGHT
PLAYER	RD. 1	TOTAL
S. Davis	78-74	152
C. Reaves	78-78	156
C. Lambert	78-80	158
A. Gregerson	78-80	158
G. Salmon	78-83	161
T. Vera	78-83	161
C. Hagler	78-89	167
K. Chandler	78-WD
FIFTH FLIGHT
PLAYER	RD. 1	TOTAL
C. Sanford	80-77	157
B. Jones	80-78	158
S. Grimes	81-78	159
B. Elliott	80-81	161
J. Howell	82-79	161
A, Minter	82-80	162
T. Gregerson	81-83	164
D. Cotton	80-88	168
K. Slick	84-84	168
J. Roszell	83-87	170
L. Champion	85-92	177
SIXTH FLIGHT
PLAYER	RD. 2	TOTAL
T. Fulmer	82	82
J. Barnes	85	85
B. Woodfin	85	85
W. Page	87	87
J. Brown	92	92
K. Rogers	95	95

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