Ted’s Top Tandem

Anniston, AL –

Tanner Wells-Jacob LeCroy shoot final-round 58, win first-ever Ted’s Charity Invitational Golf Tournament at Anniston Country Club.

By Joe Medley

The first-ever Ted’s Charity Invitational Golf Tournament left an impression on players, and the team of Jacob LeCroy and Tanner Wells left an impression in victory.

Wells highlighted the tandem’s 12-under-par 58 in the final round Sunday by holing in for eagle on No. 17, and they broke free from a four-way, first-round tie to beat Ty Cole-Gary Wigington by three strokes.

LeCroy-Wells emerged from an 80-team field in the first edition of the area’s newest major charity golf scramble, and they emerged with more than victory.

“It’s best players tournament there is around here,” Wells said. “Maybe not charity, yet, but it’s a great players’ tournament.”

Ted’s Floors & Beyond put on the tournament. It’s design is to raise money for a selected school in Calhoun County, and organizers cut a check for $10,228.73 for Cobb Preparatory Academy.

The long-running Sunny King Charity Classic, which plays out in September, typically raises more than $100,000 for area charities. It plays out over three days and three courses and typically draws 200 teams.

The inaugural Ted’s Charity Invitational, which occupied the Sunny King’s old traditional weekend in mid-July, started small, with 80 teams and two rounds at Anniston Country Club. Plans are to expand to three rounds and 200 teams n 2025.

Sponsor money covers the contribution to charity, and players get gift bags for their $400-per-team entry fees, or $200 a player.

“It’s what all you get,” Wells said. “You’ve got a $200 entry fee, and you’ve got shoes or a FootJoy shirt. You’re already over $200 there.”

LeCroy said he was “impressed.”

“This is a mini-Sunny King,” he said. “We had a blast. There’s not another tournament around here like this besides the Sunny King, and it matched right up to it. I would almost call it same exact thing.”

The tournament drew the Calhoun County Tour’s top competitors and produced a competitive field. LeCroy/Wells, Cole/Gary Wigington, Scott Murphree/Greg Shultz and Corey Ray/Dane Moore shot first-round 59s to tie for the lead.

Three other teams started Sunday a shot back.

In the end, it came down to a Sunday brother-in-law show by LeCroy and Wells.

“I played great on the front,” LeCroy said. “I was in a zone, playing out of this world. I was making putts from everywhere.

“Not in a bad way, but about 15 foot, I saw the line, hit the line, and just started canning them. It was unbelievable.”

They got to 19 under through 10 and answered Cole/Wigington’s challenges from there.

Cole/Wigington chipped for eagle on 11 to get to 18 under and within two strokes, but Wells got up and down for birdie on 13 and got the pair back to a three-stroke lead.

“Me and him (LeCroy) come out here Wednesday and hit a bunch of shots from right there,” Wells said. “It was just one of those clubs that we hit a lot, and it was in the same spot.

“Just hit it, and just happened to hit it up there to about six feet, and got lucky and made it.”

LeCroy matched Cole/Wigington’s par on 16 with a clutch, 12-foot par putt to maintain the three-stroke spread with two holes to go.

Wells eliminated all doubt, earning an eruption from the galley when he holed in from the trap on 17. Cole/Wigington birdied the hole to get to 19 under, but LeCroy/Wells walked away with a four-stroke lead.

“W’ere not going to talk about that,” Wells joked. “That was just a little chunk and run, baby. A little chunk and run.”

Cole/Wigington, one of Calhoun County’s most decorated scramble tandems and winners of this year’s County Team Championship, birdied 18 to reach 20 under, but LeCroy/Wells parred to finish off victory in their first official pairing.

LeCroy called the pair “good friends for a while.” Former Donoho teammate Harrison Hughston replied to LeCroy’s texts for a Sunny King teammate just ahead of Wells, and Wells took matters into his own hands for the Ted’s Charity Invitational.

“I called him and made sure I had a good partner as soon as I head about it,” Wells said.

Follow the leaders

–Thru 10: LeCroy/Wells -19, Cole/Wigington -16, Murphree/Shultz -15, Ray/Moore -14.
–Thru 11: LeCroy/Wells -20, Cole/Wigington -18, Murphree/Shultz -16, Ray/Moore -15. (Cole/Wigington with a chip-in eagle).
–Thru 15: King/Fite -15.
–Thru 12: LeCroy/Wells -20, Cole/Wigington -18.
–Thru 13: LeCroy/Wells -21, Cole/Wigington -18, Murphree/Shultz -18, Ray/Moore -16.
–First flight coming down to a sudden-death playoff between Etter/McCareeth and Howard/Burgess.
–Etter-McCareeth win playoff for first light.
–Thru 15: LeCroy/Wells -21, Cole/Wigington -18, Murphree/Shultz -17.
–Thru 16: LeCroy hits 12-foot par putt, keeps lead over Cole/Wigington at three strokes.
–Thru 17: Wells holes out from the trap for eagle, so LeCroy/Wells -23. Cole/Wigington birdie, -19.
FINAL: LeCroy/Wells win at -23. Cole/Wigington second at -20.

Photo gallery by Joe Medley

Completed scores