Match Play master
- Updated: October 19, 2025
Wigington figures out his putting, catches fire to win seventh Calhoun County Match Play Championship title.
2025 Calhoun County Golf Tour
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 Country Club Invitational (Ken Goforth)
Aug. 16-17
89th Calhoun County Championship, Anniston Municipal Golf Course (Ty Cole)
Oct. 18-19
16th Calhoun County Match Play Championship, Anniston Municipal Golf Course (Gary Wigington)
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
ANNISTON — Gary Wigington figured out the match-play format long ago. Sunday, he just had to figure out the hitch in his putting.
Once he figured his putting out, the 56-year-old Calhoun County golfing legends match play prowess took over.
A birdie on No. 9 started a run of four birdies in six holes, and Wigington went one 1 down to beating Tanner Wells 4&3 in the finals of the Calhoun County Match Play Championship.
Wigington won his seventh County Match Play title and fourth in five years, with John Rollins’ 2024 title breaking up the string.
“I love playing match play,” he said. “One hole just don’t take you out of it. You have a triple (bogey) or one ugly hole, it doesn’t take you out of it. It’s just one hole, instead of three or four strokes.
“You can be more aggressive, take a few more chances. You can play with a different mindset.”
A five-time Calhoun County player of the year and perennial contender playing aggressively is a dangerous thing. He beat Jeremy McGatha 4&3 in the semifinals but struggled to putt on the front nine against Wells in the finals.
After pulling too many putts left, Wigington figured it out on No. 8.
“I was playing them too far forward,” he said. “I was missing them left, every putt left. I moved back in my stance.”
He birdied No. 9 to draw even then went 1 up on Wells’ bogey on No. 10. Wigington’s a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 11 put him 2 up, and Wells conceded No. 13 after driving into the woods.
Wigington birdied No. 14 to go 4 up, and the two parred No. 15. Wigington lipped out a 10-foot birdie putt as a gust of wind tracked a rush of leaves across the green but sank the 30-foot par putt to clinch it.
The Calhoun County Match Play Championship, a non-points event, is the annual County Tour finale and serves as a de facto all-star event. The bracket pairs the top 16 available players from the points standings.
Wigington, who finished fourth in points, was the top available seed. He and Jeremy McGatha were the only two Tour players to play in every event.
Wigington won a points event on The Links at Briarmeade and took the County Match Play title.
“I was kind of disappointed,” he said. “I just didn’t play good. I’m really probably playing better right now than I played all year. During the year, I just couldn’t put it together. …
“My wedge game has gotten better, and that’s always been my nemesis, and it’s gotten much better in the last month or two.”
2025 County Match Play results
NOTE: Seeds reflect where players finished in the 2025 Calhoun County Golf Tour points standings.
SATURDAY
First round
No. 4 Gary Wigington def. No. 40 Jeff Noah, 5&4
No. 15 Randy Lipscomb def. No. 16 Vance Lewis, 1 up (22 holes)
No. 10 Andrew Brooks def. No. 12 Greg Shultz, 5&4
No. 8 Jeremy McGatha def. No. 26 Cam Hurst, 3&2
No. 6 John Rollins def. No. 29 Mason Dennis, 4&3
No. 11 Dustin Travis def. No. 20 Robin Wood, 4&3
No. 19 Caden Wood def. No. 14 Dalton Chandler, DQ
No. 5 Tanner Wells def. Nio. 34 Justin Graveman, 4&3
Second round
Wigington def. Lipscomb, 3&2
McGatha def. Brooks, 2&1
Travis def. Rollins. 2&1
Wells def. Wood, 3&1
SUNDAY
Semifinals
Wigington def. McGatha, 4&3
Wells def. Travis, 1 up (19 holes)
Finals
Wigington def. Wells, 4&3
Match Play updates
–Wigington birdies No. 1 to go 1 up
–Wells birdies No. 2, match even
–Even thru three.
–Two pars on No. 4 … still even.
–Wigington 3-putt on No. 5 … Wells 1 up
–Pars on No. 6 … Wells 1 up
–Two bogeys on No. 7 … Wells still 1 up
–Two pars on No. 8 … Wells still 1 up
–Wigington birdies No. 9 … match even
–Wells bogeys No. 10 … Wigington 1 up
–Wigington 20-foot birdie putt on No. 11, goes 2 up
–Two birdies on No. 12 … Wigington still up 2.
–Wells on the woods on No. 13, concedes hole … Wigington up 3
–Wigington birdies No. 14, up 4.
–Two pars … Wigington wins 4&3
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