Hot O’mighty

Glencoe, AL – Gary Wigington’s game heats up with the temperature, wins Etowah Open for second time in three years; 19th County Tour win in July or after

By Al Muskewitz


It’s one of the inescapable truths of the Calhoun County golf scene: When the temperature goes up outside, so does Gary Wigington’s chances of winning a golf tournament.

Wigington is better than most any time of the year, but his game just seems to hit its peak in the doggiest days of the summer.

The winningest player on the Calhoun County Golf Tour added another mid-summer trophy to his collection Sunday, winning the Etowah Open at the Links of Briarmeade for the second time in three years, this time by seven shots over a four-way logjam behind him.

He shot a final round 66 for a two-day 12-under-par 130. Ty Cole, Brennan Clay, Mason Dennis and Scott Smith all fell in behind using various ways to pull in at 137.

It was July. It was hot and steamy. It also was the traditional Sunny King Charity Classic week — a fact that wasn’t lost on the champion. What did you reasonably expect was going to happen?

If you use the Sunny King as the jumping off point, Wigington has claimed 19 of his 24 Calhoun County Golf Tour titles in July and after. And he has won the Sunny King, which until last year was played the weekend after the Fourth of July, a record eight times.

“That’s what I was thinking the other day,” Wigington said. “For some reason, and that’s what I was telling (wife) Tammy, my biological golf clock doesn’t start ticking until July, particularly around the Sunny King. Until July comes around it’s just going to be average at best and that’s what it’s been.

“The last few weeks I’ve had some real good rounds and hadn’t put it together yet and I finally did. It seems like everything is starting to come together. That’s the best I’ve hit wedges in several years and I hit the driver really good.”

He went into the final round tied for the lead with Cole and never lost his share of it despite some early challenges from Clay and 23-year-old Gage Ledbetter. He turned them back with 11 greens of one putt or fewer and got up and down on five of the six greens he missed. He hit 11 of 14 fairways and every one on the back nine.

He took the lead outright with a birdie on the first hole. Ledbetter stayed within one of the lead through four holes, but the champion started getting separation on the sixth hole with a birdie to Ledbetter’s bogey.

The margin was never less than two the rest of the way. The big moves came on the two par-3s on the back. Wigington birdied 11 from inches off the green to get to 10-under, then basically sealed it with a birdie on 15 while Clay and Ledbetter both bogeyed.

“I couldn’t have told you how we stood,” Wigington said. “I’ve got my goal of making a birdie every three holes and try not to make any bogeys and I didn’t really know how we stood. (Ledbetter) said at the turn he was two back of me and that’s the first I’d heard of it.”

Both Clay and Ledbetter bogeyed three of their last four holes to slide back. Clay shot 72, Ledbetter 73.

Ledbetter, who was using the round to gauge his game against the area’s best, finished tied for sixth. His three playing partners in the final group had combined for 50 Calhoun County Tour wins

“I wasn’t as nervous as I was, so I’m proud of myself for that,” he said. “I learned I could play with them. I can’t be scared to play with them. I gained a lot of confidence knowing I could play with them and knowing I didn’t strike the ball as well as I could have. It ain’t the last time they’ll see me.”

Clay matched the leader’s birdie at the first to remain one back, but just couldn’t get anything going in the middle of the round when he needed to keep pace with him.

“The swing was not very good; I didn’t hit my driver worth a crap,” he said. “I had a case of hitting it left and I don’t hit it left with my driver and that’s not good when that happens. I probably should’ve left it in the bag earlier than what I did. I just didn’t hit the ball that good at all. I just didn’t have it.  Just a little bit off today.”

Smith and Dennis both posted 70s to pull into that four-way tie for second. Smith birdied four of the first five holes on the back to make his move, but bogeyed each of the last two holes. Dennis eagled No. 1 and birdied three of the last four holes.

OPEN NOTEBOOK: Smith was the tournament’s low senior and Ron McClellan was the low super senior … The next event on the Calhoun County Golf Tour is the Pine Hill Invitational July 30-31. The field is full, but entries are being taken for the waiting list. Call the pro shop.  [*** read more sports stories]

Etowah Open