Etowah Open

Glencoe, AL – Former Hokes Bluff High, Jax State golfer Contris shoots 8-under-par 63, leads by four strokes going into Sunday’s final round.

By Joe Medley

The 2024 Calhoun County Golf Tour appears well on its way to its sixth winner in six points events, and Zach Contris could get his first Tour victory.

The former Jacksonville State University shot an 8-under-par 63 on a rainy Saturday on The Links at Briarmeade and holds a four-stroke lead over Tee Brown and J.B. Billingsley.

Tour points leader Gary Wigington shot a 71. John Rollins, just 20 points back in second place, shot a 72.

Contris, a Hokes Bluff High graduate who finished his collegiate playing career in 2015, is pursuing professonal golf and rarely plays in amateur events. He typically plays Calhoun CountyTour events at Silver Lakes, his home course. He last played in the Etowah Open five years ago.

The special-education teacher at Floyd Elementary could get his first Tour victory.

“These guys, I’ve played in a few events against them, and they usually beat me up a little bit,” Contris said. “It would be nice to actually get a win against them, for sure.”

Contris, known for packing distance off the tee into a small frame, set the tone for his day with a 30-foot birdie putt in a downpour on No. 2. It was the first of his eight birdies on the day, four in the rain on the front nine and four in better conditions on the back.

He missed a 3-footer on 10 but answered with a string of birdies on 12, 13, 14 and 15.

“I struck the ball well all day,” he said. “I kept my driver within range of the green, and really, just my putter got hot and just rolled in a few putts.

“The greens were rolling really good. I was really impressed with just how how pure the ball was rolling. I don’t think any of my putts bounced off line any. That gives you confidence out there.”

First-round scores

Sunday tee times

8 a.m.: Beau Billingsley, Jesse Rawls, Gary Singleton, Dani Bone.
8:10 a.m.: Billy Page, Alex Grisham, Jay Shields, Hunter Clough.
8:20 a.m.: Russell Spencer, Casey Downs, John Estes, Shane Chappel.
8:30 a.m.: Pat Patterson, Mike Underwood, Adam Fuller.
8:40 a.m.: Jason Gilley, Alexander Allen, Greg Davenport.
8:50 a.m.: Tim Fuller, Craig Kiker, Lamar Carter.
9 a.m.: Joey Miller, Stanley Hawkins, Paul Allen, Benji Turley.
9:10 a.m.: Michael McDowell, Eric Ray, T.J. Daugherty.
9:20 a.m.: Dre Davenport, Bill Gilchrist, Phillip Eades.
9:30 a.m.: Bob Eaton, Greg Hare, Don Sutton, Jared Chapman.
9:40 a.m.: Tyler Tidmore, Blake Grisham, Steve Teague, Scott Motes.
9:50 a.m.: Robin Wood, Mark Sawyer, Craig Graves.
10 a.m.: Jason Shields, Lee Vinson, Maverick Smith.
10:10 am.: Hunter Fordham, Jeff McRae, Jay Boatwright, Andrew Brooks.
10:20 a.m.: Luke Haynie, Matt Rogers, Craig Colvard, Neal Keener.
10:50 a.m.: J.B. Berndt, Bumper Jones, Randy Lipscomb.
11 a.m.: Jeremy Burns, Dylan Jackson, Jeff Noah.
11:10 a.m.: Jeremy McGatha, Grant Hockman, Robert Fleming, Caden Wood.
11:20 a.m.: Devon Downs Chris Samford, Chris Sprayberry, John Rollins.
11:40 a.m.: Billy Thompson, Chad Calvert, Nick Ledbetter, Gary Wigington.
11:50 a.m.: Corey Watson, Clay Calkins, Scott Smith, Chad Hare.
Noon: Zach Contris, J.B. Bailey, Tee Brown, Brennan Clay.

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