Calhoun County, AL – Georgia native and Calhoun County Golf Tour newcomer shoots best round of season, leads Pine Hill Invitational after first round. Clay, Cole lurk one stroke back.
By Joe Medley
John Rollins could bag his first Calhoun County Golf Tour victory. Brennan Clay could bag his first this year, and Ty Cole could win his third Tour event in a row.
That’s the size of things headed into Sunday’s final round of the Pine Hill Invitational, the seventh of eight points events on the 2023 Tour.
Rollins shot a 7-under-par 65 Saturday to hold a one stroke lead over Clay, last year’s Tour runner up, and Cole, who seeks his fourth Tour victory this year.
Rollins, playing in his fifth Tour event in his first Tour season, scored his best round so far. The Summerville, Ga., resident who works for a logging company hopes to keep chopping away at the Tour’s tallest timber Sunday.
“It would be awesome (to win),” he said. “To compete with those guys, and I’ve seen their names over the past couple of years, it would be awesome. I wouldn’t even know what to say.”
Rollins starred at Trion (Ga.) High School, winning regional and state championships. He played for Georgia Northwestern Technical College, winning two tournaments and scoring “a few top fives,” he said.
Making his County Tour debut this season, he’s played in all but two events, missing Twin Bridges and Cane Creek. Coming off his top finish of the season, third at Briarmeade last week, he entered this weekend ninth with 705 Tour points.
He finished six strokes behind Cole and five behind Gary Wigington, the season points leader.
Rollins’ season-best round saw him shoot 2-under for the first nine holes (10-18) and 5 under for the back.
Pine Hill “reminds me of a course I play back home,” Rollins said. “It’s the same greens, so I felt more comfortable around the greens, and that’s what kind of got me going.”
Clay was the early leader in the clubhouse, finishing one stroke off of his best round of the year, the first round at Cider Ridge.
“No bogies, and I haven’t done that in a minute,” Clay said. “I probably haven’t done that since the first round at that tournament last year.
“No real bad mistakes. A couple of bad swings, but I got up and down every time I missed a green and made a couple of big par putts late. It was just all around good.”
Cole, who won at Twin Bridges early in the season then Cider Ridge and Briarmeade, finished later in the day. His lone bogey came after he missed an 18-inch putt on the par-3 fourth hole, and he made six birdies.
Riding last week’s positive vibes, he stuck with the putter he used at Briarmeade. After Saturday’s round, he pledged to go back to his usual putter.
“I hit a bunch of good tee balls today and had some tap-in birdies the first couple of holes,” he said. “Didn’t make anything outside of 4 feet. Same putter I used at Briarmeade, but it will not leave the bag tomorrow. I’m going back my old putter I’ve had forever.
“Some of it might’ve been reads, but a lot of it was stroke.”
Scores
| CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT | |||
| PLAYER | RD. 1 | RD. 2 | TOTAL |
| John Rollins | 65 | 65 | |
| Brennan Clay | 66 | 66 | |
| Ty Cole | 66 | 66 | |
| Sawyer Edwards | 68 | 68 | |
| Chad Calvert | 68 | 68 | |
| Vance Lewis | 69 | 69 | |
| Jeremy McGatha | 69 | 69 | |
| Hunter Carr | 69 | 69 | |
| Dalton Faulkner | 69 | 69 | |
| Jonathan Pate | 69 | 69 | |
| Jason Rich | 70 | 70 | |
| Bob Eaton | 70 | 70 | |
| Jeff Noah | 70 | 70 | |
| FIRST FLIGHT | |||
| Matt Evans | 71 | 71 | |
| Tyler Romine | 71 | 71 | |
| Janson Wilborn | 71 | 71 | |
| Gary Wigington | 71 | 71 | |
| Clay Calkins | 71 | 71 | |
| Billy McCroskey | 71 | 71 | |
| Kenny Okins | 71 | 71 | |
| Chase Hollingsworth | 72 | 72 | |
| Randy Lipscomb | 72 | 72 | |
| Casey Harmon | 72 | 72 | |
| Daniel Black | 72 | 72 | |
| Tanner Wells | 72 | 72 | |
| Mason Dennis | 72 | 72 | |
| Nick Ledbetter | 72 | 72 | |
| SECOND FLIGHT | |||
| Seth Wallace | 73 | 73 | |
| Andrew Brooks | 73 | 73 | |
| Eric Cannington | 73 | 73 | |
| Josh Poole | 73 | 73 | |
| Cain Hollingsworth | 74 | 74 | |
| Dustin Travis | 74 | 74 | |
| Caleb Bowen | 74 | 74 | |
| Mark McCaig | 74 | 74 | |
| Bradley Elliott | 75 | 75 | |
| Chris Reaves | 75 | 75 | |
| Layton Bussey | 75 | 75 | |
| Billy Thompson | 75 | 75 | |
| Samuel Wallace | 75 | 75 | |
| Josh Reynolds | 75 | 75 | |
| Coleman Messer | 75 | 75 | |
| Nick Hubbard | 75 | 75 | |
| THIRD FLIGHT | |||
| Mark Durden | 76 | 76 | |
| Ethan Davis | 76 | 76 | |
| Heath Hammond | 76 | 76 | |
| Matt Rogers | 76 | 76 | |
| Shannon Page | 76 | 76 | |
| Bart Smith | 76 | 76 | |
| Matt Wilson | 77 | 77 | |
| Tim Turner | 77 | 77 | |
| Cam Hurst | 77 | 77 | |
| Riley Boyd | 77 | 77 | |
| Chris Shultz | 77 | 77 | |
| Chris Hubbard | 77 | 77 | |
| Logan Watson | 77 | 77 | |
| Zac Goss | 77 | 77 | |
| Landon Winfrey | 77 | 77 | |
| FOURTH FLIGHT | |||
| Daily Thomas | 78 | 78 | |
| Chance Harris | 78 | 78 | |
| Will Brown | 78 | 78 | |
| Shane Lee | 78 | 78 | |
| Joe Hedgepeth | 78 | 78 | |
| Caleb Morrow | 79 | 79 | |
| Brad Baird | 79 | 79 | |
| Trevor Lane | 79 | 79 | |
| Chris Randall | 79 | 79 | |
| Doug Huie | 79 | 79 | |
| Brian Edwards | 79 | 79 | |
| Daniel Ricks | 79 | 79 | |
| Luke Armstrong | 79 | 79 | |
| Wesley Jenkins | 79 | 79 | |
| Jared Waits | 79 | 79 | |
| FIFTH FLIGHT | |||
| Craig Duncan | 80 | 80 | |
| Tony Hicks | 80 | 80 | |
| Taylor Morrow | 80 | 80 | |
| Houston Black | 80 | 80 | |
| Keaton Borrelli | 81 | 81 | |
| Terry Cobb | 81 | 81 | |
| Sean Kline | 81 | 81 | |
| Heath Waldrop | 81 | 81 | |
| Chris Maye | 81 | 81 | |
| Ethan McCareeth | 82 | 82 | |
| Johnny Barnes | 82 | 82 | |
| Zack Limberis | 82 | 82 | |
| Chad Mullinax | 82 | 82 | |
| Chris Sprayberry | 82 | 82 | |
| Ethan Turner | 82 | 82 | |
| Jason Payne | 82 | 82 | |
| SIXTH FLIGHT | |||
| Anthony Turner | 83 | 83 | |
| Zack Henderson | 84 | 84 | |
| Blake Woodard | 84 | 84 | |
| Rickey Carden | 85 | 85 | |
| Landon Holley | 85 | 85 | |
| Vann Hall | 85 | 85 | |
| Scott Watson | 85 | 85 | |
| Jimbo Phillips | 85 | 85 | |
| Keith Hutcheson | 85 | 85 | |
| Dakota Clark | 85 | 85 | |
| Mark Gaines | 86 | 86 | |
| David Coffey | 86 | 86 | |
| Greg Rainey | 86 | 86 | |
| Spence Florczak | 86 | 86 | |
| SEVENTH FLIGHT | |||
| Vance Hall | 88 | 88 | |
| Jeff Roszell | 88 | 88 | |
| David Medders Jr. | 88 | 88 | |
| Jared Joiner | 88 | 88 | |
| Mike Ledbetter | 88 | 88 | |
| Wilson Lowe | 88 | 88 | |
| Casey Turner | 88 | 88 | |
| Kelly Rogers | 88 | 88 | |
| Eli Gravitt | 89 | 89 | |
| Josh Swope | 90 | 90 | |
| EIGHTH FLIGHT | |||
| Tyrell Tucker | 92 | 92 | |
| Eddy Burks | 92 | 92 | |
| Ken Renfroe | 92 | 92 | |
| Bill McPherson | 92 | 92 | |
| Adam Benefiel | 94 | 94 | |
| Kolby Slick | 95 | 95 | |
| Shaughn Rankin | 95 | 95 | |
| Jason Swope | 96 | 96 | |
| Warren Sewell | 98 | 98 | |
| Larry Champion | 100 | 100 | |
| SENIOR DIVISION | |||
| Championship Flight | RD. 1 | RD. 2 | TOTAL |
| Chip Howell | 65 | 65 | |
| David Sanders | 72 | 72 | |
| Jerry Irwin | 73 | 73 | |
| Kurt Duryea | 73 | 73 | |
| Tim Steward | 73 | 73 | |
| Dennis Austin | 73 | 73 | |
| Keith Haywood | 73 | 73 | |
| Robbie Hurst | 75 | 75 | |
| David Messer | 75 | 75 | |
| First flight | |||
| Ron Wheeler | 76 | 76 | |
| Andy Jenkins | 76 | 76 | |
| Steve Perry | 77 | 77 | |
| Wilton Page | 77 | 77 | |
| Carter Gable | 78 | 78 | |
| Allen Mangham | 78 | 78 | |
| Jerry Kemp | 78 | 78 | |
| Gary Smith | 79 | 79 | |
| Bob McClain | 79 | 79 | |
| Rick Barthel | 79 | 79 | |
| David FItzgerald | 79 | 79 | |
| Charley Estes | 79 | 79 | |
| Second flight | |||
| Frank Toland | 80 | 80 | |
| David Medders Sr. | 80 | 80 | |
| Steve Smith | 80 | 80 | |
| Tim Hill | 80 | 80 | |
| Mike Thompson | 81 | 81 | |
| Randall Doss | 81 | 81 | |
| Ricky Hurst | 82 | 82 | |
| Frank Cobb | 82 | 82 | |
| Steve Williams | 82 | 82 | |
| Third flight | |||
| Lamar Ward | 84 | 84 | |
| Robbie Robertson | 85 | 85 | |
| Steve Borrelli | 87 | 87 | |
| Lee Clark | 87 | 87 | |
| Greg Thrower | 88 | 88 | |
| Jim Landers | 89 | 89 | |
| Terry Thompson | 101 | 101 | |
| Sammy Wynn | 102 | 102 |
Sunday tee times
Hole No. 1
6:50 a.m.: FRANK COBB GREG THROWER STEVE SMITH LEE CLARK
7 a.m.: SAMMY WYNN TERRY THOMPSON MIKE THOMPSON BOB MCCLAIN
7:10 a.m.: RANDALL DOSS ROBBIE ROBERTSON RICKY HURST GARY SMITH
7:20 a.m.: KEN RENFROE WARREN SEWELL EDDY BURKS LARRY CHAMPION
7:30 a.m.: SCOTT WATSON CHAD MULLINAX KOLBY SLICK ADAM BENEFIEL
7:40 a.m.: LAMAR WARD FRANK TOLAND JERRY KEMP ANDY JENKINS
7:50 a.m.: ALLEN MANGHAM WILTON PAGE STEVE PERRY CARTER GABLE
8 a.m.: DAKOTA CLARK LANDON HOLLEY VANN HALL ETHAN TURNER
8:10 a.m.: ZACK HENDERSON BLAKE WOODARD ANTHONY TURNER ZACK LIMBERIS
8:20 a.m.: ETHAN MCCAREETH JOHNNY BARNES CHRIS SPRAYBERRY JASON PAYNE
8:30 a.m.: TONY HICKS CRAIG DUNCAN BRIAN EDWARDS WESLEY JENKINS
8:40 a.m.: DANIEL RICKS CALEB MORROW LUKE ARMSTRONG BRAD BAIRD
Hole No. 10
6:50 a.m.: DAVID MEDDERS SR. DAVID MEDDERS JR. JIM LANDERS STEVE BORRELLI
7 a.m.: RICK BARTHEL STEVE WILLIAMS TIM HILL CHARLEY ESTES
7:10 a.m.: RON WHEELER ROBBIE HURST JIMBO PHILLIPS RICKY CARDEN
7:20 a.m.: JASON SWOPE SHAUGHN RANKIN JOSH SWOPE BILL MCPHERSON
7:30 a.m.: WILL BROWN LOGAN WATSON SHANE LEE BILLY THOMPSON
7:40 a.m.: TYREL TUCKER ELI GRAVITT KELLY ROGERS JEFF ROSZELL
7:50 a.m.: CASEY TURNER WILSON LOWE MIKE LEDBETTER DAVID COFFEY
8 a.m.: LANDON WINFREY JARED WAITS DAVID FITZGERALD DOUG HUIE
8:10 a.m.: GREG RAINEY SPENCE FLORCZAK MARK GAINES KEITH HUTCHESON
8:20 a.m.: CHRIS MAYE HEATH WALDROP SEAN KLINE TAYLOR MORROW
8:30 a.m.: TERRY COBB JARED JOINER KEATON BORRELLI HOUSTON BLACK
8:40 a.m.: TREVOR LANE JOE HEDGEPETH ZACK GOSS CHRIS HUBBARD
Hole No. 1
11:20 a.m.: RILEY BOYD DAILY THOMAS CAM HURST MATT ROGERS
11:30 a.m.: DAVID MESSER KEITH HAYWOOD DENNIS AUSTIN TIM STEWARD
11:40 a.m.: KURT DURYEA JERRY IRWIN DAVID SANDERS CHIP HOWELL
11:50 a.m.: CHANCE HARRIS MATT WILSON GREG SHULTZ BART SMITH
Noon: TIM TURNER SHANNON PAGE HEATH HAMMOND ETHAN DAVIS
12:20 p.m.: MASON DENNIS RANDY LIPSCOMB CLAY CALKINS BILLY MCCROSKEY
12:30 p.m.: GARY WIGINGTON MATT EVANS BOB EATON JEFF NOAH
12:40 p.m.: SAWYER EDWARDS JEREMY MCGATHA VANCE LEWIS HUNTER CARR
12:50 p.m.: JOHN ROLLINS TY COLE BRENNAN CLAY CHAD CALVERT
Hole No. 10
11:20 a.m.: MARK DURDEN JOSH REYNOLDS SAMULE WALLACE CHRIS RANDALL
11:30 a.m.: COLMAN MESSER NICK HUBBARD CHRIS REAVES CAIN HOLLINGSWORTH
11:40 a.m.: DUSTIN TRAVIS LAYTON BUSSEY CALEB BOWEN MARK MCCAIG
11:50 a.m.: ANDREW BROOKS ERIC CANNINGTON SETH WALLACE BRADLEY ELLIOTT
12 p.m.: TANNER WELLS NICK LEDBETTER DANIEL BLACK JOSH POOLE
12:20 p.m.: CHASE HOLLINGSWORTH KENNY OKINS JANSON WILBORN CASEY HARMON
12:30 p.m.: TYLER ROMINE JASON RICH JONATHAN PATE DALTON FAULKNER
