Anniston, AL – Past champion plays the back nine like a champ, posts 67 to lead championship flight qualifying for the Wilfred Galbraith ACC Invitational
By Al Muskewitz
The back nine at Anniston Country Club is the big-boy side of the golf course with both of its par-5s and a couple other long-ish holes that will make a player shudder a little bit. Jacob LeCroy played it like a big-boy Friday, but, then, he just likes that side.
LeCroy made four birdies on the back to post a 3-under-par 67 that led championship flight qualifying in the Wilfred Galbraith ACC Invitational.
“I’ve always liked the back nine more,” LeCroy said. “I’ve kind of learned. You watched me on 14 and 17, I blasted it right; it’s just something I learned to do. It’s just Country Club golf, basically. You don’t get to do that every course, but it’s just something I just learned.”
LeCroy, the 2018 Invitational winner and a winner in the last Calhoun County Tour event at Silver Lakes, birdied both par-5s with two putts, the long par-3 12th and 15. His play off 14 tee found the layup area on 12 and his play off 17 was over the ditch into 9 fairway.
“I play better on the back nine every time just about,” he said. “The front nine, the first three holes I struggle getting past them. Today, I bogeyed 1; I was in a bunker. I’ve finally decided to start hitting a 3-iron off 1 just to keep it out of the park over there. My main goal is if I keep in play the first three holes I’m going to play decent from there.
“You’ve still got to hit good shots. Like today on 7 I pulled 3-wood trying to go for the green. I won’t do that the next two days. And if it hardens up, I’m going to get rid of the 3-iron and put the hybrid in the bag because it doesn’t go through the fairway on 7. I’ll basically have that club in the bag for Hole 7.”
When LeCroy left the course heading for the pool, he was the only player at par or better. Ryan Howard closed the gap a short while later with an even-par 70.
A short while later, Brennan Clay posted the only other round under par, a 1-under 69. He had three birdies and two bogeys.
Thirty-nine players made the cut into the championship flight.
Andrew Gladden is fourth at 71. Seven-time Invitational winner Freeman Fite, 2020 winner Gary Wigington and 16-year-old Sawyer Edwards are among five players at 72. Defending champion Ty Cole and Landon Straub shot 73.
With a little better luck with the putter, Howard could be a little closer to the lead. His round featured four birdies and four bogeys. He birdied the two easiest holes on the front, both par-5s on the back and left another long birdie putt on the edge at 18.
“Tee to green I hit it real well, I don’t think I missed a fairway; I just struggled on the greens,” Howard said. “That’s been kind of my M.O. going forward lately. There’s a reason I’m using a broomstick (long putter).” [*** read more]
WILFRED GALBRAITH ACC INVITATIONAL
Championship flight qualifiers
Jacob LeCroy 67
Brennan Clay 69
Ryan Howard 70
Andrew Gladden 71
Sawyer Edwards 72
Gary Wigington 72
Freeman Fite 72
Eric Howle 72
Woodie Eubanks 72
Ty Cole 73
Landon Straub 73
Dalton Chandler 74
Will Reaves 74
Jaylon Ellison 74
Jeremy McGatha 74
Clay Calkins 75
Andrew Brooks 75
Randy Lipscomb 75
Ross Napier 75
Kevin Daugherty 75
Morton Holcomb 75
Chandler Wilborn 76
Layton Bussey 76
Harrison Hughston 77
Jake Goggans 77
Nick Ledbetter 77
Gage Miller 77
Jonathan Pate 77
Cain Hollingsworth 77
Hunter Carr 78
Scott Martin 78
Chad Key 79
Timmy Woodard 79
Chip Howell 79
Blayne Armstrong 80
Brandon Fincher 80
Cole McNeal 80
Taylor Morrow 80
Corbin Picton 80
Championship flight pairings
8 a.m.: Jacob LeCroy, Brennan Clay, Ryan Howard
8:12: Andrew Gladden, Sawyer Edwards, Gary Wigington, Freeman Fite
8:24: Eric Howle, Woodie Eubanks, Ty Cole, Landon Straub
8:36: Dalton Chandler, Will Reaves, Jaylon Ellison, Jeremy McGatha
8:48: Clay Calkins, Andrew Brooks, Randy Lipscomb, Ross Napier
9:00: Kevin Daugherty, Morton Holcomb, Chandler Wilborn, Layton Bussey
9:12: Harrison Hughston, Jake Goggans, Nick Ledbetter, Gage Miller
9:24: Jonathan Pate, Cain Hollingsworth, Hunter Carr, Scott Martin
9:36: Chad Key, Timmy Woodard, Chip Howell, Blayne Armstrong
9:48: Brandon Fincher, Cole McNeal, Taylor Morrow, Cohen Picton
Players flights pairings
10:00: Don Springer, Don Whitlow, Tom Roberts, Keith Hutcheson
10:15: Brian Stewart, Zach Mangum, Kolby Slick, Sean Kline
10:30: Greg Rainey, Heath Waldrop, Drey Reeves, Daron Johnson
10:45: Grant Greenwood, Kenneth Willingham, Joe Hedgepeth, Charlie Smith
11:00: Eric Stringer, Henry Pritchett, Will Broome, Will Hollingsworth
11:15: Matt Peters, Jake Pollard, Matt Hartdegen, Matt Hunter
11:30: Alex Freeman, Billy Thompson, Lamar Carter, Matt Rogers
11:45: Ott Chandler, Addison Wood, Haden Downey, Michael Downey
12:12 p.m.: Josh Davis, Eric Boutwell, Kely Rogers, Jason Britton
12:24: Johnny Barnes, Houston Black, Luke Armstrong, Maverick Smith
12:36: Wesley Jenkins, Zach Limberis, Marlee Hedgepeth, Noah Flynn
12:48: Riley Boyd, Sawyer Parks, Shaughn Rankin, Corey Mize
1:00: Mark Durden, Keaton Borrelli, Tyler Huckaby, Taylor Jones
1:12: Andrew Betts, Jason Payne, Tyler Simmons, Austin Elliott
1:24: Logan Forrester, Jeff Borrelli, Adam Benefiel, Chance Haywood.
