Calhoun County, AL Wigington wins Calhoun County Match Play championship. Wigington displays typical performance in the final stages of the season, winning his 2nd Calhoun County Match Play champion in row. securing sixth overall.
By Joe Medley
Gary Wigington was the alpha and omega of 2023’s Calhoun County Golf Tour, winning the final and first tournaments.
Did you win the final event? That’s Wigington in good form for the final stretch of the season.
He completed his sweep in the County Match Play Championship with three and two wins on Andrew Brooks on Sunday at Anniston Municipal Golf Course.
Wigington defeated John Rollins 5 & 4 in the semi-finals on Sunday, won his second time as a match-play champion and claimed the tournament for his 6th time overall. This comes on top of a solid performance at the State Mid-Amateur championship, where Wigington placed 12th place and was the top among the area golfers who played.
“I’m performing better than I’ve been all year,” he said. “For whatever reason at the close season, everything begins to come around once everything is close to being over.”
Wigington was the winner of Wigington the County Match Play in 2022 and also won in the year following placing third on the table. He was ranked as the no. 2 seed in the tournament.
No. 1 seeds Jeremy McGatha, who finished second behind Ty Cole on the Tour was beaten by Brooks 7 and 6 in the semifinals on Sunday.
Wigington as well as Brooks both took home Tour points this season. Wigington started the season winning in Silver Lakes, and Brooks took home the title the event at Cane Creek.
Four of the Match Play semifinalists won a Tour points event in 2023. McGatha took home four times the County Championship, and Rollins was the first to win a Tour victory, in Pine Hill.
They formed a great semifinal team in what is essentially the postseason’s all-star tournament, which features the best 16 Tour players who have qualified to participate.
Brooks The No. 4 seed and the sixth-place winner on Tour points, produced the only upset of the Match Play by seeding when he defeated McGatha in the semis.
“Jeremy wasn’t at his best,” Brooks said. “I did a good round, and didn’t make any mistakes. I was four under during 13 or 14 and the match was finished.
“I told him that we’re good friends, I’d always love to see him at his absolute best.”
Sunday’s final was an up-and-down contest over nine holes. Wigington took four victories on his first nine holes and Brooks was victorious with three.
They played to No. 1o, with Wigington in the lead, and he won the following two holes to establish a gap. Wigington put up a birdie on hole 10 and Brooks missed 11.
Brooks birdied 13 to close in just two. They both birdied 14 before they parred 15 before Brooks put 16 in the bog to finish the match.
“I performed fairly well, however I made three bogeys,”” Brooks said. “You don’t have the ability to get three bogeys when playing an experienced player. It’s like three gifts.”
Wigington was 5 under, with birdies on the final 16 holes and never lost a lead after finishing 1 up Brooks Bogeyed the No. 6.
“He did a great job. He did really well,” Wigington said. “It was a very strong turn to get him. I needed to make sure I hit it well.”
