Old Guard Prevails

Annsiton, AL – Wigington finishes 13 under, wins the 88th Calhoun County Championship and clinches fifth county player-of-the-year honor.

By Joe Medley

In a season that saw seven different winners in the first seven Calhoun County Golf Tour points events, including three first-time winners, the old guard prevailed.

Gary Wigington finished off a 13-under-par performance in the 88th Calhoun County Championship on Sunday at Anniston Municipal Golf Course and clinched his fifth Calhoun Golf Tour player-of-the-year honor.

Wigington won the season’s final points event by one stroke over Chad Calvert. Brennan Clay, who entered the final tournament as the season points leader after winning consecutive events at Pine Hill and Cherokee Pines, finished third … two strokes back and one place out of clinching his second player-of-the-year honor in three years.

The victory made Wigington and Clay the only two-time winners in 2024 county points events. Wigington won at Cider Ridge.

Wigington, 55, won his seventh Calhoun County Championship to go with his fifth player-of-the-year honor.

“If feels good, man. It feels good,” Wigington said. “The older I get, the less they’re going to come, so any one from hear on our is a good one.”

Wigington finished the season with 1,432.5 points, based on his top-five finishes. Clay finished with 1,400 after finishing the season with two firsts and a third in the season’s final three tournaments.

Clay entered the weekend needing an outright second-place finish in the County Championship to clinch player of the year.

Wigington, who entered the weekend second in points, needed to win on The Hill and for Clay to finish in a tie for second or worse.

Wigington dominated the first round, shooting 9-under 61 to lead Randy Lipscomb by two strokes. Clay and Chad Calvert were tied for third, three strokes back, headed into Sunday’s final round.

Clay shot 5 under for the front nine and either led or was tied for the lead from holes No. 10-15. Wigington birdied 16 to take a one-stroke lead he never relinquished.

They came into No. 18 Clay one stroke back, tied with Calvert. Wigington and Calvert birdied the hole, and Clay parred.

“It hurts pretty bad,” Clay said. “Great front nine. I just didn’t do anything on the back nine. I missed a short par putt on 11 that I should’ve made. I only had one birdie on the back (14).

“I just wasn’t good enough on the back to do anything.”

Calvert, who led last year’s County Championship until Jeremy McGatha birdied five of the final six holes to win by one stroke, played his way into a spoiler’s role. He birdied 16 to force a tie for second with Clay, who needed to finish second place outright to win player of the year.

Calvert played in the final group, with Wigington, Clay and Randy Lipscomb.

“I knew if I finished second, it would knock Brennan out,” Calvert said. “If I won, it would knock Brennan back in it to win it.

“It was awkward, because I was playing with both of them, and I was riding with ‘Twig’ (Wigington). We talked about it, but I’ve got to play my own game. I played a solid round, finally, on a Sunday. I’ve been in contention three or four times this year.”

Follow the leaders

Thru 1: Wigington -10, Lipscomb -8, Clay -7, Calvert -7
Thru 2: Wigington -9, Lipscomb -7, Clay -7, Calvert -6
Thru 3: Wigington -10, Clay -8, Lipscomb -7, Calvert -7
Thru 4: Wigington -9, Clay -8, Lipscomb -7, Calvert -7
Thru 5: Wigington -9. Clay -9, Calvert -8, Lipscomb -7
Thru 6: Wigington -10, Clay -9, Calvert -9, Lipscomb -7
Thru 7: Wigington -10, Clay -9, Calvert -9, Lipscomb -8
Thru 8: Wigington -10, Clay -10, Calvert -9, Lipscomb -8
Thru 9: Wigington -11, Clay -11, Calvert -9, Lipscomb -8 (Twig hits 25-footer, and Clay answers from 15)
On hold: Small hail falling in a downpour
Thru 10: Clay -11, Wigington -10, Calkins -9, Lipscomb -8
Thru 11: Clay -10, Wigington -10, Calkins -8, Lipscomb -7 (Clay misses 3-footer for par)
Thru 12: Clay -10, Wigington -10, Calvert -8, Lipscomb -7 (Clay, Twig miss 4-foot birdie putts)
Thru 13: Clay-10, Wigington -10, Calvert -8, Lipscomb -8 (Wigington misses 4-foot birdie putt)
Thru 14: Clay -11, Wigington -10, Calvert -9, Lipscomb -8
Thru 15: Clay -11, Wigington -11, Calvert -10, Lipscomb -7 (Clay misses 6-foot birdie putt)
Thru 16: Wigington -12, Clay -11, Calvert -11, Lipscomb -7
Thru 17: Wigington -12, Clay -11, Calvert -11, Lipscomb -7
Thru 18: Wigington -13, Calvert -12, Clay -11, Lipscomb -7
FINAL: Wigington wins County Championship, clinches player of the year.

Final-round scores