Calhoun County, AL – Hammond-Harman master ‘fluke hole,’ finish strong to get sweet ‘redemption’ to win second Calhoun County Team Championship in three years
By Joe Medley
SILVER LAKES — A “fluke hole” cost Brandon Hammond and John Harman a chance to repeat in the Calhoun County Team championship last year. A birdie Sunday helped them gain “redemption.” The Carrollton, Ga., tandem shot 10-under-par 62 Sunday at Silver Lakes to complete a 22-under finish for the two-round event and won for the second time in three years. They beat Brennan Clay-Jeremy McGatha by three shots and Jason Johnson-Landon Straub by four to once again master the one area tournament in which they play. “I think it’s just the course itself,” Harman said. “It fits our eye. … Also, too, the competition that this tournament brings. We played with a tour pro yesterday, and there’s just a lot of good talent. “That attracts us. We love good competition.”
Hammond-Harman entered Sunday’s round at 12 under, two shots ahead of Clay-McGatha and Johnson-Straub. The visitors from the east were co-leaders after the first round last year and led going into the day’s 15th hole. They had played a seven-hole stretch midway through the round in 7-under and held as much as a three-shot lead on the back nine. The round’s 15th hole was Heartbreaker Course No. 6, a 343-yard, par-4 hole from the white tees. A double bogey there derailed Hammond-Harman last year, and Randy Lipscomb-Dane Moore won with a birdie on the first playoff hole. Hammond-Harman finished one shot out of the playoff.
Fastforward a year later, and Hammond called the mishap a “fluke hole” after Saturday’s first round. They showed anxiety about it Sunday, starting with an eagle and matching their nearest competition at 5 under for the front nine. “We started off pretty solid right out the gate, hitting just solid shots,” Hammond said. “We didn’t ever really have any questionable anything. “It was just putting. We didn’t really roll it that great today. We made the putts that we really needed to make, but we didn’t make any that we shouldn’ve have made.”
When they reached the day’s 15th hole, those thoughts occurred. No, not those thoughts. They had no sense of foreboding. “We stepped on the tee, and the only thought was we’re getting our revenge on this hole this year,” Harman said. Said Hammond, “I’d been looking for that hole all day.” Hammond stayed with the day’s trend of 2-iron on short par-4s and popped his shot over the bunker bulging into the fairway from the left side. He hit to within 70 yards of the pin. Harman hit his driver to within the edge of the green. In the day’s “scamble” format, he putted in first. “My partner looked at me and said, ‘I’m sure glad you made your putt,’” Harman said. Hammonds’ lone lament? “I wanted to make mine, but he’s already made his, so I just picked it up,” he said. [read more….]
