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Cody Robinson (left) shakes hands with Brennan Clay after their second attempt at a playoff hole to finish the Pine Hill Invitational on Sunday. (Photo by Joe Medley/East Alabama Sports Today)
Cody Robinson (left) shakes hands with Brennan Clay after their second attempt at a playoff hole to finish the Pine Hill Invitational on Sunday. (Photo by Joe Medley/East Alabama Sports Today)

First-round leader Robinson overcomes two bad holes, Sunday charge from defending champion Clay to win Pine Hill Invitational after two attempts at a playoff hole.

’25 CCGT schedule (winners)

March 29-30
Anniston City Championship, Cane Creek (Jacob LeCroy)
April 5-6
Calhoun County Team Championship, RTJ Silver Lakes (Layton Bussey-Cam Hurst)
April 26-27
Gadsden City Championship, Twin Bridges (Ty Cole)
May 3-4
Pine Hill Country Club Invitational (Cody Robinson)
May 30-June 1
Wilfred Galbraith Invitational, Anniston Country Club
June 28-29
Etowah County Open, The Links, Briarmeade
July 12-13
RTJ Silver Lakes Championship
July 26-27
Oxford City Championship, Cider Ridge Golf Course
Aug. 1-3
Gadsden Country Club Invitational
Aug. 16-17
89th Calhoun County Championship, Anniston Municipal Golf Course
Sept. 27-28 or Oct. 18-19
16th Calhoun County Match Play Championship, Anniston Municipal Golf Course

By Joe Medley

Cody Robinson (left) shakes hands with Brennan Clay after their second attempt at a playoff hole to finish the Pine Hill Invitational on Sunday. (Photo by Joe Medley/East Alabama Sports Today)
Cody Robinson (left) shakes hands with Brennan Clay after their second attempt at a playoff hole to finish the Pine Hill Invitational on Sunday. (Photo by Joe Medley/East Alabama Sports Today)

PINE HILL — Some day, Cody Robinson will explain how he won his first Calhoun County Golf Tour event to his two small children.

Even when 2-year-old Rooks and 5-month-old Ripley are old enough to understand, they might not believe it.

Robinson overcame a 5-putt on No. 9 and a double bogey on the first attempt at a playoff hole to prevail after defending champion Brennan Clay made a Sunday charge to force the playoff.

Talley Robinson attended Sunday’s final round with the couple’s two sons. They wound up staying longer than expected and came away with a story to tell.

As for Cody Robinson, the Tallapoosa, Ga., resident might need the drive home to get over it.

“I haven’t been that stressed in a long time,” he said.

Cody Robinson celebrates after winning the Pine Hill Invitational on Sunday. (Photo by Joe Medley/East Alabama Sports Today
Cody Robinson celebrates after winning the Pine Hill Invitational on Sunday. (Photo by Joe Medley/East Alabama Sports Today
)

Robinson shot a low-round, 6-under-par 66 on Saturday to enter the final round with a one-shot lead over Ty Cole, Dustin Travis, Dalton Chandler and Jacob LeCroy. Clay entered Sunday’s final round five shots back but quietly shot a low-round 66 while playing two groups ahead of the last group.

Robinson had already overcome one mishap, his 5-putt hiccup on No. 9. He entered the hole at 7 under par and leading Cole, his day-long, shot-for-shot competitor and walked away from the hole two shots back.

Robinson shrugged it off.

“Usually, my bad holes aren’t that bad,” he said. “I still hit the ball pretty well, even when I don’t feel like it. I still leave myself in the proper spots.

“It’s not new to me to have a bad hole. It’s just staying calm. Don’t really think about it. Just one shot at a time.”

Robinson’s rally included a 50-foot birdie putt on 14, and he finished regulation play at 7 under. He was doing interviews when Pine Hill boss Cory Etter called out to him about getting ready for the playoff with Clay.

Both players head back to No. 18 tee, and what ensued looked like two players who were equally surprised to still be playing. Clay skipped his second shot in the water. Robinson got ground-under-repair relief and hit just left of the left bunker, off of the No. 18 green, and stood positioned to chip and birdie.

Robinson’s chip skipped into the bunker right in front of him. He sailed his bunker shot well off of the green on the other side.

By the time both players double bogeyed the hole, and Cole provided comic relief from the gallery: “Would you all like to try a par 3?”

Both players returned to the No. 18 tee for another try, and Clay’s shot took a cart-path ricochet to the right, close to where Robinson’s tee shot settled. Clay’s second shot skipped and splashed again, forcing another drop and a penalty stroke.

Robinson’s second shot got up and settled short of the green, front side. He was in position to chip and birdie, but he played it conservatively.

“This one, I was just trying to make a par, leave my chip below the hole,” he said. “The first chip was with a pitching wedge. I never do that, I was just making sure I got it on the ground running and left myself and up-hill putt.”

Robinson chipped to within 10 feet, left his up-hill birdie putt just short and tapped in. After another round of interviews, he had a moment with his wife and sons.

The Pine Hill Invitational was Robinson’s first Calhoun County Tour appearance. A friend of Etter’s, he played in the tournament because of another acquaintance in the field.

He stepped inside a Tour that’s off to a wild start to 2025. Through three points events and the County 2-Man, playoffs have decided three of four events.

“It feels good to play in a field with some really good players and come out on top,” he said. “It’s really hard to do.

“I will be back, for sure.”

Pine Hill Invitational scores

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
NAME RD. 1 TOTAL
Cody Robinson 66-71 137
Brennan Clay 71-66 137
Ty Cole 67-72 139
Dalton Chandler 67-73 140
Jacob LeCroy 67-73 140
Chad Calvert 68-72 140
Dawson Day 70-70 140
Dustin Travis 67-76 143
John Rollins 71-72 143
Wesley Jenkins 71-73 144
Gage Miller 71-79 150
Josh Reynolds 71-81 152
FLIGHT 1
PLAYER RD. 1 TOTAL
Gary Wigington 73-67 140
Dakota Albright 73-69 142
Jeremy McGatha 72-72 144
Ward Campbell 73-71 144
Sawyer Edwards 72-75 147
Ryder Hudgins 73-75 148
Eric Messer 74-74 148
Trevor Lane 72-77 149
Dakota Gaskin 74-78 152
Chris Reaves 73-81 154
Eric Cannington 74-80 154
Daniel Black 74-82 156
Houston Black 73-84 157
FLIGHT 2
PLAYER RD. 1 TOTAL
Cam Hurst 75-73 148
Joe Cash 75-73 148
Carson Chandler 75-73 148
Lee Hubbard 75-75 150
Hunter Carr 77-74 151
Caleb McKinney 77-74 151
Greg Shultz 76-78 154
Chris Sprayberry 76-79 155
Mark McCaig 77-78 155
Caden Wood 77-78 155
Andrew Miller 77-81 158
Vann Hall 77-83 160
Rick Okins 77-89 166
Joe Hedgepeth 76-93 169
Brock Young 76-WD
FLIGHT 3
PLAYER RD. 1 TOTAL
Bob Eaton 78-73 151
Shannon Page 79-75 154
Chris Randall 79-76 155
Robin Wood 78-77 155
Matt Rogers 78-78 156
Tony Hicks 79-77 156
Hunter Fordham 79-78 157
Billy McCroskey 79-80 159
J.C. Adams 79-80 159
Vance Lewis 79-82 161
Chris Hubbard 79-84 163
Rylan Bentley 78-88 166
Park Denton 78-93 171
FLIGHT 4
PLAYER RD. 1 TOTAL
Mason Dennis 80-70 150
Aaron Gregerson 80-75 155
Nick Ledbetter 80-76 156
Jeff Chapman 81-76 157
Ted Gregerson 80-78 158
Mark Durden 80-78 158
Madilyn Turner 80-79 159
Dre Davenport 80-79 159
Kolby Slick 81-81 162
Wade Richardson 81-82 163
Eddy Burke 80-85 165
Heath Hammond 81-85 166
Cooper Martin 80-92 172
James Harrison 81-91 172
FLIGHT 5
PLAYER RD. 1 TOTAL
Dylan Jackson 82-79 161
Marlee Hedgepeth 84-78 162
Jason Green 85-79 164
Jeff Roszell 86-78 164
Andrew Gunnells 82-83 165
David Coffey 86-80 166
Josh Ballew 82-85 167
Danny Whittaker 84-85 169
Landon Price 86-83 169
David Medders Jr. 84-86 170
Greg Rainey 86-86 172
Ricky Carden 82-91 173
Sean Kline 82-92 174
Adam Benefiel 86-96 182
FLIGHT 6
PLAYER RD. 1-2 TOTAL
Sean Hayes 87-79 166
Greg Harrelson 87-80 167
Ben Miller 88-83 171
Braxton Branham 87-84 171
Shane Lee 87-84 171
Trent Williams 88-89 177
Nash Messer 90-90 180
Dylan Russell 87-94 181
Blake Jones 90-92 182
Jason Swope 90-102 192
FLIGHT 7
PLAYER RD. 1-2 TOTAL
Mike Ledbetter 91-88 179
Ethan Beadles 93-89 182
Scott Jimmerson 93-92 185
Chris Hollingsworth 93-93 186
Noah Preston 91-105 196
Larry Champion 95-101 196
Ken Renfroe 94-104 198
Shane Price 95-103 198
FLIGHT 8
PLAYER RD. 1-2 TOTAL
Courtney Loveless 96-86 182
Isaac Scroggins 99-85 184
Brady Turner 96-89 185
Luke Webber 96-97 193
Jeremiah Boyd 101-93 194
Landis Yarbrough 99-99 198
Hunter Russell 96-105 201
Kody Medders 104-107 211
Dison Durden 101-WD
Logan Swope 113-WD
SUPER SENIOR FLIGHT
PLAYER RD. 1-2 TOTAL
David Sanders 66-72 138
Rick Barthel 77-78 155
Steve Williams 77-80 157
Norris Turner 82-76 158
Robbie Robertson 87-92 179
David Medders Sr. 87-97 184
Lamar Ward 96-99 195
Ron Fleming 101-98 199
Frank Cobb 89-WD
SENIOR FLIGHT
PLAYER RD. 1-2 TOTAL
Ott Chandler 67-70 137
Clay Calkins 68-73 141
Chip Howell 75-72 147
Tim Steward 76-76 152
Rich Etter 74-80 154
Tim Hill 77-78 155
David Messer 75-81 156
Michael Downey 78-78 156
Keith Haywood 78-82 160
Glenn Heathcock 75-89 164
SENIOR 2 FLIGHT
PLAYER RD. 1-2 TOTAL
David Fitzgerald 79-79 158
Wilton Page 80-81 161
Randall Doss 79-84 163
Jimmy Ingram 81-82 163
Ray Stover 80-85 165
Steve Davis 84-87 171
Lee Clark 84-93 177
Steve Perry 88-90 178
Eddy Reese 92-86 178
Steve Smith 93-100 193
Steve McClellan 79-WD 79

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