Local golf: Clarence Darrington’s ace not quite enough for his dogfight team

A hole-in-one at Lagoon last Thursday did a lot for Clarence Darrington, but it did not help his team win the Montgomery Golf Association dogfight that day.

Darrington, using a 6-iron, holed his Titleist Pro V1 ball from the tee on No. 16 as playing partners Neal Manning, Roy Collins and Rick Keaton watched. It was his fourth career hole-in-one.

The ace zoomed Darrington’s individual score from plus-1 to plus-17, and that was good enough to take individual most-over honors.

But Arrington’s team, including also Steve Autrey, Joe Howard and Richard Oda, came in second with a total of plus-16. The foursome of Ralph Rucker, Carl Stevenson, Jodie Dunlap and John Pulaski took first place with a plus-24.

There was a two-way tie for third place. The foursome of Lyndol Williamson, Butch Gillespie, Johnny Davis and Roger Beverly posted a plus-15, as did the team of Manning, Ben Johnson, John Robinson and Bert Estes; 60 played.

MGA also had a dogfight on Tuesday at Prattville Country Club. Next up are dogfights on Thursday, April 26, at Quail Walk in Wetumpka; Monday, April 30, at Cambrian Ridge; and Thursday, May 3, at The Pines in Millbrook.

Tee times are from 7-10:30 a.m.

NOTEBOOK 

• The 15th annual Huntingdon College Gridiron Classic will be played at Wynlakes on Monday, June 11. Entry fees are $500 for teams and $125 for individuals. Proceeds support the Huntingdon football program. Lunch, range balls and an awards reception are included. Registration and lunch begin at 11 a.m.; shotgun start is at 1 p.m. 

For entry forms and sponsorship information, contact Mike Turk at 334-833-4322 or email him at mturk@huntingdon.edu.

• Online registration for Drive, Chip and Putt qualifying is underway.

Alabama golfers can qualify at sites outside the state, but there are four local qualifiers in Alabama: June 2 at Silver Lakes (Glencoe); June 5 at Bent Brook (Bessemer); June 10 at Hampton Cove (Owens Cross Roads); and June 16 at Magnolia Grove (Mobile).

Those in Alabama who advance through local qualifiers will compete in a subregional at Capitol Hill in Prattville on Aug. 5

DOGFIGHTS

• Sarah Lund, at plus-11, won the Montgomery Women’s Golf Association dogfight at Arrowhead last Thursday. Mitzi McLaurine was next at plus-10, followed by Denise Thompson at plus-8 and Nita Caviness and Charlie Lassiter at plus-6. MWGA’s Spring Fling tournament will be at Cypress Tree this Thursday.

• The Central Alabama Golf Association (CAGA) played Cambrian Ridge in Greenville on Monday, April 9, and Billy Kelley, Tom Watson and Raymond Cooper teamed up for a plus-14 to win first place. There was a two-way tie for second at plus-10 between the teams of Thom Baxter/Louie Wilson/Larry Cornwell and Mack Hataway/Bob Forshey/John Robinson.

Most Over honors at plus-13 went to Tom Watson. CAGA plays Thursday at Stillwaters in Dadeville and Monday, April 23, at Indian Pines in Auburn.

The complete 2018 schedule is available at www.CAGAGolf.com. Interested players can also contact the CAGA administrator at caga.dogfight@gmail.com for additional information about the association.

CALENDAR

• The Boys and Girls Clubs of the River Region will host their 28th annual Charity Golf Classic on Wednesday, May 16, at Wynlakes. The Robert C. Ward Jr. Memorial Spring Charity Tennis Classic will be held the same day. For more information, contact the Boys and Girls Clubs at  334-832-4288m or email: lgiles@bgcriverregion.org.

• Registration is underway for the first two Alabama Golf Association tournaments of 2018.

The 36th Alabama State Four-Ball Championship will be played April 26-29 at Indian Hills in Tuscaloosa.

The 21st Alabama State Senior Amateur Championship is scheduled for May 18-20 at Moore’s Mill Club at Auburn. Entry fee is $250 and entries close on May 8.

The first AGA women’s event is the 28th Alabama Women’s Stroke Play Championship at Canebrake Club in Athens. It’s scheduled for June 20-22.

Entry fee is $250. Registration opens April 23 and closes June 12.

There are three events remaining on the Montgomery Local Tour’s spring season of U.S. Kids Golf: Saturday at Cottonwood; April 28 at Quail Walk (last day to register: Monday, April 23); and May 5 at Lagoon (last day to register: April 30).

For more information or to register for an event, contact Quincy Leonard at 334-721-4536; or email him at quincyleonard@leogolfacademy.com.

• To submit items for this golf notes column, email the information to tank4265@yahoo.com or to sports@montgomeryadvertiser.com.