Weaver, White Plains aces put hair on the line for their teams in upcoming County Golf Tournament
By Al Muskewitz
Nick Ledbetter and Sawyer Edwards will be playing for something a lot more personal than being called the best high school player in town when they tee it up in the Calhoun County Golf Championship next week.
They’re literally putting their heads on the block. Well, their hair, actually – and if you know either one of them, that’s like Mattress Mack putting $4.5 million on the Super Bowl.
In a wager they put together a while back, the two No. 1s – Ledbetter, a junior from Weaver, and Edwards, a sophomore from White Plains – have agreed the loser between them would have to shear their flowing manes. It’s likely to be the most drama in an event Edwards’ reigning state champion Wildcats are expected to win handily.
Last year, White Plains’ boys had it clinched after the first day, had seven of the top eight finishers and won by 127 shots. The WP girls had three of the top four and won by more than a front nine.
“It started one night in (White Plains player) Dalton Faulkner’s shop when we were playing Cornhole,” Ledbetter explained. “Me and Sawyer always talk crap to each other because what else are we supposed to do? We were going to bet $50 on the county tournament and he texted me the next day and said, ‘You know, I think our hair means more than money right now, so the loser has to cut their mullet and the winner keeps his.’ I said deal.”
“I thought it would be something fun to do,” Edwards said. “We’re both going to cut it either way, win or lose, but I just thought it would be a good thing. I like messing with Nick and he likes messing with me about it, so, now it’s just something fun to do.”
The bet is overall score for the two days at Pine Hill Country Club (April 1-2), but there’s a kicker. Ledbetter and Edwards are the favorites, but if someone else in the field wins the tournament, both get clipped. If they tie for medalist, there will be a sudden-shed playoff that’s sure to be hair-raising.
“To keep the hair, you have to win,” Ledbetter said.
“We’ve got to have consequences,” Edwards said. “There are some good players in the county, but if me and him don’t win it, well, we deserve to cut it. In my opinion.”
Someone suggested having the coach of the winner cut the hair of the loser, but Edwards nixed that pretty quick. Truth be told, he didn’t trust Weaver’s folically challenged coach Justin Brown with the clippers.
The hair is important to both players. White Plains players, in fact, have been knowing for their flowing locks. Remember Kenny Okins and Wesley Jenkins? Both had famously long hair and just as famously shed their locks during the season and became better players.
Ledbetter started growing his mullet in March 2020, the week school was canceled for COVID. Outside of trimming the sides and light maintenance he hasn’t had a real haircut since. “It’s practically how everyone sees me now,” he said.
Edwards has pictures of his mullet going back to August 2020, but usually has a hat pulled over it. He gets his hair cut “a good bit,” but figures his last “true haircut” was three or four months ago.
“I think it’s just bragging right at this point,” Edwards said. “I like it just because when you look at golfers, they don’t really come out having long hair, most of them. They’re clean cut. I just think it’s something fun to do.”
This is the tournament where last year Edwards burst on the scene. He’d only been playing the game for two years, but, playing among the White Plains’ individuals, he shot a final-round 70 – the second-best round of the tournament – and finished tied for second – two shots ahead of fourth-place Ledbetter. He has been in the Wildcats’ lineup ever since.
Last year was big for Ledbetter, too. He became Weaver’s first-ever qualifier for the AHSAA state tournament when he won a sudden death playoff for the final spot of the Class 3A South Substate. He finished 20th in Class 3A in the rain-shortened state tournament after an opening round of 47-41–88. Edwards was T-5 in 4A (38-39–77).
The two only played in one Calhoun County Golf Tour event together since last year’s county tournament, the Pine Hill Invitational on Edwards’ high school course. Edwards shot rounds of 76-76, Ledbetter was 78-81. The White Plains golfer is coming off an individual win in the Glencoe Invitational.
“We haven’t really played much together since last year,” Ledbetter said, “but Sawyer is definitely a stud so we will see how it goes.”
“I think it’s going to be really close, I do,” said Edwards. “It’s going to be really tight coming down the stretch.”
You might even say hair raising. [*** read more]
