Gadsden, AL – Storm drops tree limb on two vehicles, forces late-round delay for eventual leader Cole in Gadsden City Championship.
By Joe Medley
Ty Cole just made major changes in his putting game. Add a grip adjustment, and he came away from Saturday’s first round of the Gadsden City Championship positioned to repeat as champion.
Cole shot a 4-under-par 68 at Twin Bridges, including an eagle on No. 6, and finished his round after a storm delay leading John Rollins by one stroke.
The Gadsden City Championship is the third points event on the 2024 Calhoun County Golf Tour.
Cole, who won the season-opener at Cane Creek, overcame soreness in his right elbow Saturday. Pain might prompt another adjustment for Sunday’s final round.
Cole said his elbow doesn’t hurt on wedge shots, but it hurts on irons.
“I don’t know if it hurts so much to hit an iron, or I just dread hitting it, so I make it hurt,” he said. “I’m going to get home tonight eat a handful of Advil and ice it. Hopefully, it’ll be better tomorrow.
“I may start tomorrow with the brace on instead of putting it on after 15 holes, like I did today.”
Maybe the weather had something to do with Cole’s elbow hurting. The late-round storm impacted players and two vehicles.
A tree limb fell on Rollins’ Dodge Ram pickup. He drives a cutter for a logging in Georgia and jokingly noted the tree’s potential vengeful motives.
If he conquers the course again Sunday, he can have the last laugh. He seeks his second win on the Calhoun County Golf Tour.
“It’d be a good one to win,” he said. “I’m not familiar with a course. I’m just trying to keep it in front of me, and that’s why I decided to just hit irons off of the tee box. … I’m trying to play it as safe as I can.”
Cole’s group was the final foursome and had to take cover in the clubhouse after teeing off on No. 18. They finished their round after an hour-plus weather delay, as lightning, thunder and blowing rain overtook the course.
“It just got to where it was raining so hard by the time we got to our second shots that you wouldn’t have been able to see to hit your ball,” Cole said.
Cole brought adjustments into his play at Twin Bridges, starting with all elements of his putting game. This after struggles with the putter two weeks ago, at Silver Lakes.
“I changed everything,” he said. “Style of putter, cutting two inches off of it, holding it different, standing up closer to it. Just total opposite of the way I was putting, and I’m rolling the ball a lot better with the putter.”
Cole said loosening his grip helped, as well.
“I’ve been hitting it, just not hitting it good, and I figured out that my grip had gotten a little strong,” he said. “I worked on that Thursday, getting my grip turned over and weak, and that felt good.”
First-round scores
| CHAMPIONSHIP A FLIGHT | |||
| PLAYER | RD. 1 | RD. 2 | TOTAL |
| Ty Cole | 68 | 68 | |
| John Rollins | 69 | 69 | |
| Randy Lipscomb | 70 | 70 | |
| Brennan Clay | 71 | 71 | |
| Mason Dennis | 71 | 71 | |
| Jeremy McGatha | 72 | 72 | |
| Jason Rich | 73 | 73 | |
| Casey Harmon | 73 | 73 | |
| Chris Cox | 74 | 74 | |
| Blake Boozer | 74 | 74 | |
| Dustin Travis | 74 | 74 | |
| Gary Wigington | 74 | 74 | |
| CHAMPIONSHIP B FLIGHT | |||
| Dane Moore | 75 | 75 | |
| Chad Hare | 75 | 75 | |
| Chris Leonhardt | 75 | 75 | |
| Joshua Bradley | 75 | 75 | |
| Trent Masfield | 76 | 76 | |
| Dre Davenport | 76 | 76 | |
| J.D. Berndt | 76 | 76 | |
| Cove McHugh | 76 | 76 | |
| Chance Harris | 76 | 76 | |
| Danny Whitaker | 76 | 76 | |
| Tim Woodard | 76 | 76 | |
| FIRST FLIGHT | |||
| Clay Smith | 77 | 77 | |
| C.J. Taylor | 77 | 77 | |
| Clayton Chandler | 77 | 77 | |
| Carson Jones | 77 | 77 | |
| Vance Lewis | 77 | 77 | |
| Tanner Wells | 77 | 77 | |
| Zack Pruitt | 77 | 77 | |
| Aaron Jackson | 78 | 78 | |
| Brad Landin | 78 | 78 | |
| Austin Elliott | 78 | 78 | |
| Eric Cannington | 78 | 78 | |
| SECOND FLIGHT | |||
| Michael Rich | 79 | 79 | |
| Blake Grisham | 79 | 79 | |
| Jeremy Burns | 79 | 79 | |
| Hunter Fordham | 79 | 79 | |
| Cole McNeal | 79 | 79 | |
| Aaron Gregerson | 80 | 80 | |
| Hunter Carr | 80 | 80 | |
| Chase Hollingsworth | 80 | 80 | |
| Bob Eaton | 80 | 80 | |
| James Lett | 81 | 81 | |
| Maverick Smith | 81 | 81 | |
| THIRD FLIGHT | |||
| Luke Armstrong | 82 | 82 | |
| Josh Ghavassi | 83 | 83 | |
| Nathan Williams | 83 | 83 | |
| Jonathan Gibson | 84 | 84 | |
| Houston Black | 85 | 85 | |
| David Webb | 85 | 85 | |
| Chris Reaves | 85 | 85 | |
| Alex Burnham | 86 | 86 | |
| Chandler Richards | 86 | 86 | |
| Drey Reeves | 86 | 86 | |
| Logan Steele | 86 | 86 | |
| Mark Gaines | 86 | 86 | |
| FOURTH FIGHT | |||
| Eli Dunn | 87 | 87 | |
| Matt Greer | 88 | 88 | |
| Cain Hollingsworth | 88 | 88 | |
| Tim Gables | 89 | 89 | |
| Derek Jenkins | 89 | 89 | |
| Carl Stanley | 89 | 89 | |
| Ridge McHugh | 90 | 90 | |
| Andrew Gunnells | 91 | 91 | |
| Drake Bearden | 92 | 92 | |
| Chris Duncan | 92 | 92 | |
| FIFTH FLIGHT | |||
| Justin Pickard | 93 | 93 | |
| Stephen Jenkins | 93 | 93 | |
| Dustin Pearce | 93 | 93 | |
| Eli Pearce | 94 | 94 | |
| Scott Jimmerson | 95 | 95 | |
| Nick Sabat | 96 | 96 | |
| Daniel Ricks | 96 | 96 | |
| Larry Champion | 105 | 105 | |
| Ted Gregerson | 111 | 111 | |
| SENIOR | |||
| Greg Shultz | 70 | 70 | |
| David Sanders | 75 | 75 | |
| Scott Moates | 75 | 75 | |
| Jerry Fraiser | 76 | 76 | |
| Dominick Margentina | 76 | 76 | |
| Graham Morrow | 77 | 77 | |
| Keith Hutcheson | 83 | 83 | |
| Mike Lett | 83 | 83 | |
| Scott Harmon | 83 | 83 |
Final-round tee times
7:30 a.m.: Scott Harmon, Mike Lett, Keith Hutcheson.
7:39 a.m.: Graham Morrow, Dominick Margentina, Jerry Fraiser.
7:48 a.m.: Scott Moates, Greg Shultz, David Sanders.
7:57 a.m.: Ted Gregerson, Larry Champion, Daniel Ricks.
8:06 a.m.: Nick Sabat, Scott Jimmerson, Eli Pearce.
8:15 a.m.: Dustin Pearce, Justin Pickard, Stephen Jenkins, James Lett.
8:24 a.m.: Craig Duncan, Drake Bearden, Andrew Gunnells.
8:33 a.m.: Ridge McHugh, Carl Stanley, Derek Jenkins.
8:42 a.m.: Cain Hollingsworth, Eli Dunn, Matt Greer, Tim Gables.
8:51 a.m.: Logan Steele, Chandler Richards, Drey Reeves, Alex Burnham.
9 a.m.: Mark Gaines, Chris Reaves, David Webb, Houston Black.
9:09 a.m.: Jonathan Gibson, Josh Ghavassi, Luke Armtrong, Nathan Williams.
9:18 a.m.: Maverick Smith, Bob Eaton, Chase Hollingsworth.
9:27 a.m.: Aaron Gregerson, Hunter Carr, Cole McNeal.
9:36 a.m.: Blake Grisham, Michael Rich, Hunter Fordham, Jeremy Burns.
9:45 a.m.: Eric Cannington, Austin Elliott, Brad Landin.
9:54 a.m.: Aaron Jackson, Clayton Chandler, Carson Jones, Zack Pruitt.
10:03 a.m.: C.J. Taylor, Clay Smith, Tanner Wells, Vance Lewis.
10:12 a.m.: Timmy Woodard, Danny Whitaker, Chance Harris
10:21 a.m.: Dre Davenport, Trent Masfield, J.D. Berndt, Cove McHugh.
10:30 a.m.: Chad Hare, Dane Moore, Chris Leonhardt, Joshua Bradley.
10:39 a.m.: Gary Wigington, Dustin Travis, Blake Boozer, Chris Cox.
10:48 a.m.: Casey Harmon, Jason Rich, Jeremy McGatha, Mason Dennis.
10:57 a.m.: Brennan Clay, Randy Lipscomb, John Rollins, Ty Cole.
