Another battle on the Calhoun County Golf Tour

Glencoe, AL – Cole prevails by one stroke after another epic Calhoun County Golf Tour battle with friend, Sunny King partner and rival Wigington

By Joe Medley

Ty Cole and Gary Wigington stared at would-be birdie putts on No. 18 in Sunday’s final round of the Etowah County Open, Cole with a one-shot lead. As Wigington stepped up to try his 12-footer, Cole couldn’t help rooting for his friend.

“Put it in, big man,” Cole said. “I can take it.”

Both players parred the final hole on the Links at Briarmeade, and Cole scored his third Tour victory this season and second in as many Tour events.

So ended another epic battle between two Tour heavyweights, who entered Sunday’s final round tied for the lead after shooting 63s on Saturday. Cole birdied No. 17 to take the final-round lead and shot a 66 to win.

Wigington came into the Tour’s who sixth points event of the season having lead the points standings since winning the first points event, at Silver Lakes. Cole, didn’t play in two Tour events and nearly missed the Oxford City Championship two weeks ago, entered the weekend in fourth place, 195 points back.

Two more points events remain, including the Pine Hill Invitational this coming weekend. The 87th Calhoun County Championship is Aug. 19-20.

Cole and Wigington will go on to be playing partners in September’s Sunny King Charity Classic and Buddy Moore Invitational, which are not part of the Tour.

“We spend all year trying to beat the hell out of each other, then in September, we’re like, ‘Come on, man!’” Cole said, while both man sampled Briarmeade’s tantalizing red beans and rice. “We pull for each other when we play Buddy Moore and Sunny King on back-to-back weekends.”

Cole and Wigington battling for tournament victories and Tour points titles is nothing new.

“We’ve done it a lot,” Wigington said. “We have a good time, any way, on it. It’s not like we don’t like each other and playing each other. We have a good time, and we had a good time out there today.”

Cole and Wigington shared the final group with Tee Brown and Jeremy McGatha, and the start foretold a day where they were either tied or within a stroke of each other the whole round. Wigington started eagle-birdie, and Cole started birdie-birdie to fall one shot back.

They were tied at 11 under par at the turn. Cole went up one with a birdie on 10, and Wigington matched it on 11.

Cole made a key par save on No. 14, after his tee shot ricocheted off of a tree and back back into the water.

“It hit halfway up a pine tree and comes back 60 yards back into the water,” Cole said. “I didn’t see it go into the water. We didn’t know it went in the water until we got up there, because we were 60 yards up, looking for it in the rough.

“I heard it hit the tree, but I didn’t know where it went, but it typically doesn’t got that.”

Cole took a drop and penalty stroke but had a good look for his approach. He saved the par 5 to stay even with Wigington.

Cole took the lead with an aggressive 7-iron drive and two-putting for birdie on the par-5 17th hole.

“Just smoked the drive,” Cole said. “I hit it as hard as I can swing it. I knew I had to hit it high to keep it out of the woods, but I knew I didn’t need a flyer, either.”

Cole entered No. 18 with a one-stroke lead then drove left of the green and downhill, in dirt and rocks. Able to move the ball a club length, he found a better lie.

“I found a little bit of grass,” he said. “Hit a good shot and then hit a fantastic putt, dead center and knocked the back of the cup out but left it four inches short.”

Cole and Wigington two-putted 18 then shook hands after a round that showed why Wigington has won 26 Tour events and Cole 25. Cole is a five-time Tour player of the year, and Wigington has won it four times.

“I played good and didn’t make a birdie the last five holes, and that kind of told the tale,” Wigington said. “You can’t not make birdies on the last five and think you’re going to win, but played good.

“I was happy. It’s the best I’ve played in a while. It gives me something good to look forward to.”