Wigington’s playoff chip-in for eagle answers Clay’s eagle putt on No. 18, gives LeCroy-Wigington victory in 18th Buddy Moore Charity Golf Tournament.
By Joe Medley
ANNISTON — The 18th Buddy Moore Charity Golf Tournament came down to two clutch eagle shots and Gary Wigington made the last one.
Wigington chipped in from 15 feet on the first playoff hole, and he and teammate Jacob LeCroy outlasted Brennan Clay-Andrew Brooks to win what became a competitive shootout.
Both playoff teams finished at 24 under par for the two-day tournament on Anniston Municipal Golf Course.
Jeremy McGatha-Matt Rogers made the biggest Sunday charge, shooting a 13-under-par 57 to finish within one stroke of LeCroy-Wigington and Brooks-Clay.
Clay Calkins-Chris Hubbard, Caden-Robin Wood and Bob Eaton-Dustin Travis all finished 20 under par.
“It was real competitive,” said Rogers, also the tournament director. “We know we can compete up here just because it’s a shorter golf course. If we can get rolling, we can get close. They can outdrive us, but we can stay close to them if we make good putts.
“I just want to say thank you to all of the sponsors and all of the people that showed up and got to see all of the kids and what we do.”
The tournament raised $30,0000 for charity.
It came down to a playoff hole, and Brooks hammered a drive that put him and Clay about 40 yards ahead of Wigington and LeCroy.
Wigington and LeCroy both chipped just right of the pin, which was on the right edge off the green on the par-5 No. 1 hole. Andrews and Clay hit from about 20 feet left of the hole, on the green.
LeCroy chipped first, and Wigington took it from there, with a short popup and roll to the hole.
“Jacob hit a perfect chip, and his just kicked dead right,” Wigington said. “I was sitting there thinking, I’ll just hit the same shot, and it kicked straight and rolled up and went in.
“Just a little bit of luck, you know?”
Brooks putted first for his team and missed just to the right. Clay followed, and his putt rounded the right lip.
Clay sank a 35-foot eagle putt on No. 18 to force the playoff, keeping him and Andrews alive for their would-be fourth Buddy Moore title.
Clay’s putt “was kind of eerily similar to the one I made in 2018,” Clay said. “It was just kind of a weird read. When he putted it, and I could see it, his didn’t do enough, my thought was, ‘If I could just get it to halfway of what was my mark.’
“I rolled right over my mark halfway, and it went dead center.”
Brooks-Clay came into Sunday with a one-stroke lead on LeCroy-Wigington after shooting a 15-under 55 in the first round, and their lead reached three strokes with a birdie on No. 5.
They were up two shots through nine holes, but LeCroy-Wigington began making their charge with three birdies in four holes and were tied with McGatha-Rogers with a one-stroke lead heading into No. 18.
McGatha-Rogers had completed their round and watched as Brooks-Clay eagled No. 18 and LeCroy-Wigington birdied to continue on in the playoff.
McGatha-Rogers’ Sunday charge started with McGatha’s 70-yard hole-in for eagle on No. 1. They birdied the next two holes.
“We started off pretty strong,” McGatha said. “We just missed a few easy ones in the middle of the round that we should’ve made.
“It’s frustrating. At our age, we’d like to get another one, but it’s hard to beat these guys up here.”
LeCroy and Wigington formed a younger-older dream team of sorts for this tournament because Wigington’s usual partner, Ty Cole, wasn’t available. LeCroy will team with former Donoho School teammate Harrison Hughston as they begin defense of their Sunny King Charity Classic title in three weeks, and Cole-Wigington will lurk among the challengers.
It’s intriguing to think what a LeCroy-Wigington team could do together, should they team up more.
Wigington’s former partner, Randy Reaves, once described playing with Wigington as “riding Secretariat” after one of their Sunny King victories.
“He’s more than still got it,” LeCroy said.
Tournament scores
| BUDDY FLIGHT | ||
| TEAM | RD. 1-2 | TOTAL |
| LeCroy-Wigignton | 56-60 | 116 |
| Clay-Brooks | 55-61 | 116 |
| McGatha-Rogers | 60-57 | 117 |
| Wood-Wood | 60-60 | 120 |
| Calkins-Hubbard | 59-61 | 120 |
| Eaton-Travis | 60-60 | 120 |
| Thompson-Woodard | 61-61 | 122 |
| Hollingsworth-Carr | 60-65 | 125 |
| McCaig-Edwards | 61-64 | 125 |
| Tyson-Key | 60-67 | 127 |
| MARY ANN FLIGHT | ||
| TEAM | RD. 1-2 | TOTAL |
| Wells-Bussey | 62-56 | 118 |
| Lipscomb-Johnson | 62-59 | 121 |
| Pate-Pate | 62-63 | 125 |
| Phillips-Hayes | 63-64 | 127 |
| Reaves-Page | 61-68 | 129 |
| Wheeler-McClellan | 63-66 | 129 |
| Winfrey-Hubbard | 63-66 | 129 |
| Johnson-Dopson | 62-68 | 130 |
| Gregerson-Gregerson | 62-68 | 130 |
| SCOTT FLIGHT | ||
| TEAM | RD. 1-2 | TOTAL |
| Hicks-Hubbard | 64-61 | 125 |
| Lambert-Lambert | 65-63 | 128 |
| Noah-Fulmer | 64-66 | 130 |
| Clonts-Key | 64-66 | 130 |
| Carter-Smith | 65-67 | 132 |
| Jenkins-Gaines | 64-69 | 133 |
| Jones-Jones | 65-68 | 133 |
| Whitaker-Thomas | 67-66 | 133 |
| Preston-Hall | 67-66 | 133 |
| Akers-Brooks | 65-71 | 136 |
| ANGIE FLIGHT | ||
| TEAM | RD. 1-2 | TOTAL |
| Randall-Salmon | 69-62 | 131 |
| Heim-Heim | 68-66 | 134 |
| Huie-Huie | 71-70 | 141 |
| Hill-Hill | 70-72 | 142 |
| Doss-Rainey | 71-72 | 143 |
| Rogers-Norred | 68-76 | 144 |
| Howell-Howell | 72-72 | 144 |
| Webb-Roe | 71-74 | 145 |
| Herndon-Stirckland | 72-73 | 145 |
| Mullendore-Mullendore | 73-79 | 152 |
| Jackson-Frederick | 77-76 | 153 |
