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Calhoun Journal
Etowah Open
By East Alabama Sports Today,
2024-07-22
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.
Zach Contris teeing off. (Submitted photo)
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
CHAMPIONSHIP A FLIGHT
PLAYER
RD. 1
RD. 2
TOTAL
Zach Contris
63
63
Tee Brown
67
67
J.B. Bailey
67
67
Brennan Clay
69
69
Chad Hare
69
69
Clay Calkins
69
69
Corey Watson
69
69
Billy Thompson
70
70
Nick Ledbetter
70
70
Chad Calvert
70
70
Scott Smith
70
70
Gary Wigington
71
71
CHAMPIONSHIP B FLIGHT
Jeremy McGatha
72
72
Chris Sprayberry
72
72
John Rollins
72
72
Devon Downs
72
72
Chris Sanford
72
72
Dylan Jackson
73
73
Caden Wood
73
73
Robert Fleming
73
73
Grant Hockman
73
73
Jeremy Burns
73
73
Randy Lipscomb
74
74
Bumper Jones
74
74
J.D. Berndt
74
74
Jeff Noah
74
74
FLIGHT 1
Craig Colvard
73
73
Neal Keener
74
74
Matt Rogers
75
75
Andrew Brooks
76
76
Jay Boatwright
76
76
Jeff McRae
76
76
Hunter Fordham
76
76
Luke Haynie
77
77
Lee Vinson
77
77
Robin Wood
77
77
Maverick Smith
77
77
Jason Shields
77
77
Craig Graves
78
78
Mark Sawyer
78
78
FLIGHT B
Blake Grisham
79
79
Don Sutton
79
79
Steve Teague
79
79
Scott Moates
79
79
Tyler Tidmore
79
79
Bob Eaton
80
80
Phillip Eades
80
80
Michael McDowell
80
80
Greg Hare
80
80
Dre Davenport
80
80
Jared Chapman
80
80
Sam Bone
81
81
T.J. Daugherty
82
82
Eric Ray
82
82
Bill Gilchrist
82
82
FLIGHT 3
Paul Allen
83
83
Benji Turley
83
83
Jason Gilley
84
84
Lamar Carter
84
84
Stanley Hawkins
84
84
Joey Miller
84
84
Tim Fulmer
84
84
Craig Kiker
84
84
Pat Patterson
85
85
Alexander Allen
85
85
Greg Davenport
85
85
Adam Fuller
86
86
Mike Underwood
86
86
FLIGHT 4
Casey Downs
87
87
John Estes
88
88
Shane Chappel
88
88
Jesse Rawls
89
89
Russell Spencer
89
89
Jay Shields
89
89
Alex Grisham
90
90
Billy Page
91
91
Hunter Clough
92
92
Dani Bone
100
100
Leon Gladden
103
103
Gary Singleton
105
105
Beau Billingsley
105
105
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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