Soccer dad

Gadsden’s Hare, having put in extra practice after daughter’s soccer season ends, catches fire on back nine, shares Gadsden City Championship lead after first round.

By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today

GADSDEN — Chad Hare played his way into a chance to win one for the Blue Unicorns during Saturday’s first round of the Gadsden City Champion.

A hot putter helped him shoot a 32 on the back nine and 5-under-par 67 overall at Twin Bridges, and he’s tied with 2024 RTJ-Trail Championship winner Andrew Weathers for the lead headed into Sunday’s final round.

Clayton Chandler is two strokes back at 69.

The group at 2-under 70 includes current Calhoun County Golf Tour points leader and reigning player of the year Ty Cole, former White Plains High standout Sawyer Edwards, current White Plains High standout Cam Hurst, John Rollins and C.J. Taylor.

Hare, the general manager for Gadsden Water Works, plays in three to four Calhoun County Tour events each year. He could bag his first Tour victory.

More than that, he could bring home a measure of redemption for his 9-year-old daughter Vivian, who plays rec-league soccer for the Blue Unicorns.

Hare coaches her team, which won two out of three matches against the Pink Unicorns this season but lost 2-1 the weekend that fellow Gadsden golfer Dane Moore won the Gadsden Country Club Invitational.

Moore led after the first round of the 56-hole Invitational, and first-round leaders typically play in the first group on Saturdays. He asked for a later tee time so that he could attend his daughter’s match against the Blue Unicorns.

Julia Moore, 8, scored both goals in the Pink Unicorns’ victory, and her dad finished off a 13-stroke victory in the GCC Invitational.

Six weeks later, Hare has the upper hand at Twin Bridges. It doesn’t hurt that he can practically walk from work to practice at Twin Bridges, and he’s been practicing more lately.

“During the fall and spring, I’m a soccer coach,” he said. “My son, John, he’s playing on the high school team, so it’s given me a reason to get out here and practice with him some. I’ve got another son, David, he plays for fun, but he’s kind of gotten into it here recently, so that’s given me a reason to get back out here a little bit.”

It showed most on the back nine Saturday. Bringing his soccer dad super power, he birdied Nos. 11, 13, 14, 15 and 17.

“I kind of plodded along on the front nine and got some things going on the back nine,” Hare said. “It’s one of those rounds, kind of one shot at a time, and I kind of found something on the back nine and made some putts.

“I think it was tempo. I just started hitting my lines and making a few putts. I just hit a lot of greens today. Didn’t hit a lot of fairways. Just off. I didn’t miss anything too, too bad off of the tee, but hit a lot of greens.” 

Weathers, from Chattanooga, saw the Twin Bridges course for the first time Friday and shot 5 under Saturday. He had seven birdies, four on the front nine, between Nos. 2-7. He’s seeking his second Tour victory.

“I haven’t played in too many of these, but always a good group of guys and good courses they get to play,” Weathers said. “It would mean a lot to play good tomorrow and come out on top.”

Sunday’s final-round tee times

8 a.m.: Mike Lett,, Kurt Duryea, Billy Thompson
8:09 a.m..:David Sanders, Scott Hays, Lamar Carter
8:18 a.m.: Maurice Dates, Matt Wilson, Terry Tallent
8:27 a.m.: Toan Nguyen, Larry Champion, Dustin Pearce
8:36 a.m.: Andrew Folsom Cain Hollingsworth Josh Ghavassi
8:45 a.m.: Gordon Johnson, James Harrison, Scott Jimmerson
8:54 a.m.: Ryan Townley, Matt Greer, Logan Steele
9:03 a.m.: Jonathon Gibson, Drey Reeves, Thomas Snead, Mark Cotton
9:12 a.m.:Jarrod Smith, Hunter Fordham, Aaron Gregerson, Dylan Jackson
9:21 a.m.: Ridge McHugh, Danny Whittaker, Dre Davenport, Bubba Willingham
9:30 a.m.: Ted Gregerson, Matt Rogers, Joel Brock, Brannon Burt
9:39 a.m.: Mason Aulsbrook, Chris Sprayberry, Chance Harris, Chase Hollingsworth
9:48 a.m.: Zack Pruitt, Greg Hare, Cole Chandler
9:57 a.m.: Walker Hobbs, Houston Black, Easton Wright, Andrew Gunnells
10:06 a.m.: Caleb Morrow, Jeff Bain, Taylor Vera
10:15 a.m.: Mason Dennis, Cove McHugh, Ben Miller.
10:24 a.m..: Scott Moates, Robin Wood, Chris Reaves
10:33 a.m.: J.D. Berndt, Skyler Dennis, Jeremy McGatha, Mason Agan
10:42 a.m.: Kevin Daugherty, Tanner Wells, Ken Goforth
10:51 a.m.: Chase Romanstine, Caden Wood, Bob Eaton
11 a.m.: Shawn Ledbetter, Lee Hubbard, Chad Calvert
11:09 a.m.: John Rollins, Mark McCaig, Jamarcus Stokes
11:18 a.m.: C.J. Taylor, Cam Hurst, Sawyer Edwards
11:27 a.m.: Ty Cole, Clayton Chandler, Andrew Weathers, Chad Hare

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