Still a match
- Updated: September 27, 2026
At 57, Wigington tops Clay in final, adds eighth Calhoun County Match Play championship on The Hill.
2026 Calhoun County Golf Tour
Sponsored by Ted’s Flooring & Beyond
(Winner/defending champion in parenthesis)
March 28-29
Calhoun County 2-Man Championship @ RTJ Silver Lakes (Jacob LeCroy/Tanner Wells)
April 18-19
Anniston City Championship @ Cane Creek Golf Course (Ty Cole)
May 2-3
Pine Hill Country Club Invitational (Ty Cole)
May 15-17
Gadsden Country Club Invitational (Dane Moore)
May 29-31
Wilfred Galbraith Invitational @ Anniston Country Club (‘Ty Cole)
June 13-14
RTJ Silver Lakes Championship (Gary Wigington)
June 27-28
Gadsden City Championship @ Twin Bridges Golf Course (Andrew Weathers)
July 18-19
Etowah County Open @ The Links, Briarmeade (Gary Wigington)
Aug. 1-2
Oxford City Championship @ Cider Ridge Golf Course (Ty Cole)
Aug. 15-16
90th Calhoun County Championship @ Anniston Municipal Golf Course (Ty Cole)
Sept. 26-27
17th Calhoun County Match Play Championship @ Anniston Municipal Golf Course (‘Gary Wigington)
2026 PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ty Cole.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
ANNISTON — The Calhoun County Match Play master added to his long list of titles Sunday.
Gary Wigington held steady down the final eight holes and finished off a 2&1 victory over Brennan Clay on hole No. 17 of the 2026 Calhoun County Match Play Championship finals.
This came after Wigington beat 2019 winner Jeremy McGatha 5&4 and Clay beat 2024 winner John Rollins 3&2 in the semifinals at Anniston Municipal Golf Course.
Wigington added his eighth county match play championship, once again mastering one of his favorite formats.
“You can be aggressive and one hole not kill you,” Wigington said. “If you’re playing stroke play and go out there and make a triple bogey, you’ve lost three or four shots, probably,
“You can hit more aggressive shots. You don’t have to worry about losing two or three shots in one hole. Just play aggressive.”
Clay drew even with a birdie on No. 9, but Wigington birdied two of the next three holes to go two up. Clay missed short birdie putts, one with a chance to stay even on No. 10 and another with a chance to draw within one shot on No. 13.
Clay, the 2020 match play champion., birdied No. 14 to draw within one shot with four to play, but Wigington drove to within two feet on the par-3 No. 16 and birdied. Clay missed a 10-footer.
Wigington finished it with a par on 17.
“I missed too many putts on the back nine,” Clay said. “I had those two short ones I missed. The first one I missed (No. 10), it was me. The second one (No. 13), I think it just hit something on the green.
“I’ve just got to make more putts. I didn’t make enough on the back nine to stay with him, but I played good in all of my matches. I can’t complain about much.”
Both players take aim at the Sunny King Charity Classic, which starts Friday at Silver Lakes, Cider Ridge and Anniston Country Club. Clay and McGatha are long-time Sunny King partners, and Wigington will once again team with eight-time Calhoun County Tour player of the year Ty Cole.
For now, Wigington will soak in another title in the Tour’s annual all-star event, which pairs the top 16 available players from the season points standings. Ten of the top 16 played in this year’s County Match Play.
“When you’re 57, and you can beat these guys, it’s great,” he said. “I know time is short. It ain’t going to be happening much longer, but any win out here against these guys is great. There’s tough competition here.
“It’s fun. I look forward to the Match Play, because it isn’t every stroke. You can just go out there and play and have a little more fun, and every stroke doesn’t kill you.”
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