Calhoun County, AL – LeCroy emerges from second round with two-shot lead in Wilfred Galbraith Invitational after he and Cole battle through blazing front nine (updated scores, tee times below)

Jacob LeCroy sizes up a putt as Ty Cole looks on during Saturday’s second round of the Wilfred Galbraith Invitational at Anniston Country Club. (Photo by Joe Medley)

By Joe Medley

There came that it’s-on moment Saturday, with Wilfred Galbraith Invitational co-leaders Jacob LeCroy and Ty Cole staring at eagle on No. 3.

Cole rolled his in. LeCroy?

“I barely missed mine,” he said. “I said, ‘Oh no, we’ve got us a battle now.’”

LeCroy prevailed in Saturday’s battle, shooting 4-under-par 66 to lead the war by two strokes going into Sunday’s final round at Anniston Country Club.

Cole shot a 2-under 68, and Freeman Fite, who was tied with LeCroy and Cole after Friday 67s, shot a par 70 and trails by four strokes.

Trey Rouse shot a 71 Saturday to stand tied with Garrett Burgess for six strokes off of the lead. Burgess shot the day’s third under-par round with a 1-under 69.

LeCroy’s and Cole’s eagle showdown on No. 3 was part of a blazing front nine for a college Southern Amateur qualifier playing on his home course and a perennial Calhoun County Golf Tour contender.

LeCroy shot 5-under 29 on the front nine, with birdies on Nos. 3, 4, 6,7 and 9.

“It’s been a while since I shot a 29,” LeCroy said, “maybe a year and a half, two years.”

Cole stacked birdies on 5 and 8 on top of his eagle on 3 and shot a 4-under 30 on the front nine. File the 30-foot eagle under things that happen to good players.

“I hit a 3 wood, just like Jacob and got a good bounce,” he said. “He was inside me for eagle. I just had a really good read on it and just barely touched it, and it rolls 30 feet and runs in.”

It was all part of a nine-hole stretch of combustible golf as two of the best golfers connected to Calhoun County pushed each other.

“We both played so good on the front,” LeCroy said. “We were just going back and forth, back and forth, and it was a lot of run.”

It’s hard to hold that level of play for 18 holes, and “it’s just like it went away on the back,” Cole said.

After a birdie on 11 to reach 5 under, Cole bogeyed three of the next four holes then parred out. He came away lamenting a missed 2-foot putt on No. 13.

He missed a 2-footer on No. 15 Friday.

“I think that’s the difference,” Cole said. “He’s got me by two shots.”

Cole and LeCroy figure to play in the same group again during Sunday’s final round. The 48-year-old Cole, who won at Twin Bridges two weeks ago, looks to go back-to-back in the county tour’s third points event of 2023.

“When you get my age, and you come into a final round with a shot, you’re glad to have a shot,” Cole said. “Playing somebody as good as Jacob, the way he’s playing, on his home golf course, I’m going to have to play really, really good golf to even have a chance, to be honest.”

LeCroy looks forward to another fun afternoon.

“Me and Ty, we always butt heads, but we love each other, too,” LeCroy said. “I’ve always thought of him as a great golfer, just like ‘Twig’ (Gary Wigington) or anybody else. I know I’ve got my hands full tomorrow.”

Calhoun County Golf Tournament

Second-round scores

Championship A Flight
Player Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Rd. 3 Total
Jacob LeCroy 67 66 133
Ty Cole 67 68 135
Freeman Fite 67 70 137
Trey Rouse 68 71 139
Garrett Burgess 70 69 139
Jaylon Ellison 69 76 145
Brennan Clay 74 72 146
Ott Chandler 74 73 147
Chandler Wilborn 73 75 148
John Rollins 74 75 149
Landon Straub 74 75 149
Gary Wigington 78 71 149
Championship B Flight
Player Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Rd. 3 Total
Jeff Chapman 71 79 150
Jonathan Bailey 74 76 150
Scott Martin 75 75 150
Timmy Woodard 76 75 151
Chris Cox 73 79 152
Andrew Brooks 74 78 152
Jonathan Pate 79 74 153
Chip Howell 77 77 154
Hank Smith 76 79 155
Rob Svensen 79 76 155
Mark Durden 77 79 156
Jeremy McGatha 77 79 156
Chad Key 79 77 156
Matt Rogers 80 76 156
Championship C Flight
Player Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Rd. 3 Total
Vance Lewis 74 83 157
Tanner Wells 78 79 157
Greg Shultz 76 82 158
Will Reaves 82 76 158
Ryan Huff 81 79 160
Kenny Wright 81 79 160
Matt Hunter 81 82 163
Andrew Morris 82 82 164
Keaton Borrelli 81 84 165
David Kyatt 82 83 165
Cam Hurst 82 84 166
Senior Division Flight
Player Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
David Sanders 73 NS 73
Don Springer 76 NS 76
Dennis Staples 79 NS 79
First Flight
Player Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
Jack Svensen 74 NS 74
Cain Hollingsworth 74 NS 74
Ryan Powers 75 NS 75
Taylor Morrow 76 NS 76
Clay Calkins 76 NS 76
David Smith 76 NS 76
Brian Woodfin 77 NS 77
Mike Wiedmer 77 NS 77
Ted Heim 78 NS 78
Charlie Smith 78 NS 78
Dru Davenport 78 NS 78
Will Broome 80 NS 80
Bradley Elliott 80 NS 80
Eric Lett 80 NS 80
Second Flight
Player Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
Billy Thompon 81 NS 81
Graham Morrow 81 NS 81
Rusty Whitlow 81 NS 81
Tyler TenEyck 82 NS 82
Caleb Morrow 82 NS 82
Kyle Glover 82 NS 82
Corey Mize 82 NS 82
Austin Elliott 82 NS 82
Greg Rainey 83 NS 83
Joe Hedgepeth 83 NS 83
Eric Stringer 84 NS 84
Trey Hopper 84 NS 84
Third Flight
Player Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
Carson Chandler 85 NS 85
Jimmy Ulrey 85 NS 85
Andrew Gunnels 85 NS 85
Matt Hartdegen 86 NS 86
Henry Pritchett 86 NS 86
Trey Stone 86 NS 86
Houston Black 86 NS 86
Matt Greer 86 NS 86
David Coffey 86 NS 86
Chase Thomas 87 NS 87
Chance Haywood 87 NS 87
Mark L. Cotton 88 NS 88
Taylor Jones 88 NS 88
Taylor Vera 88 NS 88
Zach Limberis 88 NS 88
Christopher Sprayberry 88 NS 88
Fourth Flight
Player Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
Chase Arnold 89 NS 89
Kenneth Willingham 91 NS 91
Sean Kline 91 NS 91
Heath Waldrop 92 NS 92
Kolby Slick 94 NS 94
Mark Gaines 94 NS 94
Lucas Boozer 94 NS 94
John Lindsey 96 NS 96
Keith Hutcheson 99 NS 99
Scott Jimmerson 105 NS 105
Adam Benefiel 107 NS 107
Marlee Hedgepeth 109 NS 109

Sunday’s tee times

Time Group
8 a.m. David Sanders, Don Springer, Dennis Staples
8:12 a.m. Marlee Hedgepath, Adam Benefiel, Scott Jimmerson
8:24 a.m. John Lindsey, Lucas Boozer, Keith Hutcheson
8:36 a.m. Sean Kline, Heath Waldrop, Kolby Slick, Mark Gaines
8:48 a.m. Zach Limberis, Christopher Sprayberry, Chase Arnold, Kenneth Willingham
9 a.m. Chance Haywood, Mark L Cotton, Taylor Jones, Taylor Vera
9:15 a.m. Houston Black, Matt Greer, David Coffee, Chase Thomas
9:30 a.m. Andrew Gunnels, Matt Hartdegen, Trey Stone, Henry Pritchett
9:45 a.m. Eric Stringer, Trey Hopper, Carson Chandler, Jimmy Ulrey
10 a.m. Kyle Glover, Austin Elliott, Greg Rainey, Joe Hedgepath
10:15 a.m. Rusty Whitlow, Tyler TenEyck, Caleb Morrow, Corey Mize
10:30 a.m. Will Broome, Eric Lett, Billy Thompson, Graham Morrow
10:45 a.m. Charlie Smith, Ted Heim, Dru Davenport, Bradley Elliott
11 a.m. David Smith, Clay Calkins, Mike Wiedmer, Brian Woodfin
11:15 a.m. Ryan Powers, Cain Hollingsworth, Jack Svensen, Taylor Morrow
11:36 a.m. Keaton Borrelli, David Kyatt, Cameron Hurst
11:48 a.m. Ryan Huff, Kenny Wright, Matt Hunter, Andrew Morris
Noon Vance Lewis, Tanner Wells, Greg Shultz, Will Reaves
12:15 p.m. Jeremy McGatha, Chad Key, Matt Rogers
12:30 p.m. Hank Smith, Rob Svensen, Mark Durden
12:45 p.m. Chris Cox, Andrew Brooks, Jonathan Pate, Chip Howell
1 p.m. Jeff Chapman, Jonathan Bailey, Scott Martin, Timmy Woodard
1:12 p.m. Chandler Wilborn, John Rollins, Landon Straub, Gary Wigington
1:24 p.m. Garrett Burgess, Jaylon Ellison, Brennan Clay, Ott Chandler
1:36 p.m. Jacob LeCroy, Ty Cole, Freeman Fite, Trey Rouse

 

Jacob LeCroy (right) and Ty Cole (left) shake hands as Freeman Fite looks on after completing second-round play Saturday in the Wilfred Galbraith Invitational at Anniston Country Club. (Photo by Joe Medley)
Jacob LeCroy (right) and Ty Cole (left) shake hands as Freeman Fite looks on after completing second-round play Saturday in the Wilfred Galbraith Invitational at Anniston Country Club. (Photo by Joe Medley)