Testing the Waters

Calhoun County, AL – Stokes, 12, becomes youngest to tee it up in Calhoun County Tour event, Eaton gets back in swing; Cole leads by 5 

By Al Muskewitz

Jamarcus Stokes looks forward to the day he can compete against adults on the golf course, maybe even some day on the PGA Tour. Why not see what it would be like now so you’re ready for it then?

The Alexandria 12-year-old got a glimpse of the future Saturday as the youngest player to tee it up in a Calhoun County Tour event when he played in the City of Anniston Championship at Cane Creek Golf Course.

You read that right. Twelve. He’s not even old enough to drive the cart, but there he was, piping it down the fairway against guys three and four times his senior.

“I wanted to try to do my best out there and try to beat some of them,” he said. “I wasn’t too nervous until I got out here. I was looking forward to this day.”

He shot 90 – basically, bogey golf – and is 12 shots out of the Championship B lead, 26 behind first-round leader Ty Cole. He had the typical nerves early, but settled down late in the round and after a double bogey on 14, the par-5 that opens the home stretch, finished with four straight pars.

“That’s the worse score I’ve had in three years,” he said. “My driver and my putter were letting down a little bit. I couldn’t find my driver until like the last four holes. I found my putter the last two or three holes.”

He didn’t even know he was going to play in the tournament until his father signed him up last week. He wanted to see how his son would handle the advanced competition after limited challenges from kids his own age.

“I wanted to test his mental ability to go out there and play with somebody who is older than him and a lot better,” Jonathan Stokes said. “He handles himself pretty well around adults, so I didn’t think he was too young for it. I wanted to be able to test him to see how he’d react. He did (pass the test).”

“I’m hoping to play better tomorrow,” Jamarcus said.

There is no minimum age requirement in the Calhoun County Tour. Earlier this year Sawyer Edwards became the youngest winner in Tour history when, a week before his 16th birthday, he won the Oxford City Championship at Cider Ridge.

Cane Creek tournament director Chip Howell admitted he was skeptical at first, but was reminded the Valley Cubs eighth-grader posted rounds of 86 and 79 in the Calhoun County high school championship at Pine Hill, a top 10 finish. He has shot 79 in each of his last five rounds on the AJGO circuit and is currently second in that organization’s 13-and-under boys standings.

“I had confidence it was the right thing to do regardless how many entries we had,” Howell said. “I know when I was growing up 18 was the minimum age and it was something I shot for and when I turned 18 then I could play in the men’s events.

“I was proud for him. I watched him hit some shots, make some great up and downs, good putts. We have a lot of penalty areas out here and he seemed to avoid a good deal of those. He seems very humble and respectful, enjoys the game, so I was proud to give him that opportunity. I look forward to seeing his name for many years to come.”

While Stokes was just starting to test the waters against adult competition another player in the field was looking to get back into it.

Bob Eaton was one of the best players in the county coming up and played every day when he was in college, then, 18 years ago, the game of life intervened. His son was born and his focus turned from fairways and greens to fatherhood and family.

It wasn’t like he gave it up completely, but over the last 10 years he probably played two or three times a year and usually in business-related scrambles. He picked it back up in earnest May 11 at age 50 because he thought it would be good for his insurance business and Saturday was his first individual tournament in about a decade.

“I told my wife I think it’s a great tool as far as networking and getting to know a lot of people out here who have the needs I want to provide for,” he said. “I know there’s an older generation I’m already in touch with and I know there’s a newer generation out there I need to get to know. I’m hoping to make this my little niche as far as getting back into being successful.”

Eaton posted an 82 in his first competitive round back with a set of clubs he picked up from former Sunny King Classic partner (and Saturday cart partner) Matt Rogers last month and hasn’t gotten used to yet. He made the turn in 2-over, but got roughed up coming through The Hollow with two doubles sandwiched between two bogeys.

He promised the set he was using 22 years ago would be in the bag Sunday.

“This new set of irons I have, I have no idea where it’s going,” he said. “They will not make the journey tomorrow.”

His goals upon returning to the game are lot more modest than when he started playing decades ago.

“I would like to get to playing more competitive, but as far as trying to be the best in Calhoun County, I’m not (pursuing that),” he said. “I just want to enjoy it. Life’s too short. I want to do the things I love doing while I can do them.”

Higher up the leaderboard, Cole came in this week with no expectations and shot bogey-free 32s on each side. He leads Gary Wigington and Brennan Clay by five. Gage Ledbetter was the only other player under par (71).

Cole made four birdies on the front and had two birdies and an eagle (from off the green on 18) on the back. He hit 16 greens and got up and down on the two he missed.

“It was literally one of those no expectations and I hit it the best I’ve hit it all year,” he said. “I navigated the greens and knocked one in from off the green.”

It helped they were on a firm golf course. Cole already hits it a long way and the extra spring left many of his second shots right in front of the green.

“I hit my tee ball as good as I’ve hit it this year and being hard it rolled right up by the green and I was just chipping,” he said.

NOTES: Sunday’s final group of Cole (2018), Wigington (2019) and Clay (2021) won the last three Anniston City/Cane Creek Invitationals played. The event was cancelled in 2020 because of COVID … Among the challengers, Clay had five birdies and eagled No. 5, Wigington had four birdies and Ledbetter made seven birdies … David Sanders leads the Senior Flight after a 77.  [*** read more sports stories]

Anniston City Championship

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