Gannon leads locals after final day

It certainly didn’t come easy, but this time David Gannon didn’t let the final hole taint his round.

Gannon worked out of trouble off the tee to drop a 5-foot par put and finish at even-par 70 to lead the Wiregrass golfers and finish fifth overall with a three-day 214 in the 15-18 age division of the 60th Annual Press Thornton Future Masters on Saturday.

Gannon (73-71-70) struggled on his final hole during the first two rounds on the Dothan Country Club course — making double-bogey each day.
When he hit into the right rough on his No. 18 tee shot on Saturday, Gannon feared the worst.

“It was in the back of my head the whole time I was coming up to 18,” Gannon said of the previous days. “I told myself to make a good chip and make a good
putt.”

Gannon hit his second shot short of the green, then chipped up within 5 feet of the hole. He then drained the putt, and gave a little fist pump.

“It was a little slippery, but it dropped in the bottom of the cup,” he said.

Starting on the front nine, Gannon made bogey on No. 2, then birdied Nos. 4 and 5 before a bogey on No. 6 to make the turn at even par. On the back nine,
Gannon made birdie on No. 10 and bogey on 12 before going par the rest of the way.

“I’m pleased with my putting,” Gannon said. “Of course I could have made a few more birdie putts.

“I thought the pins were actually harder today. I did put myself in good position to make some putts.

“I made a good par on No. 13, and then on 18.”

Ryan Benton was next in line of the four Wiregrass golfers who made the cut following Friday’s round.

Benton, 15, duplicated his second round score on Saturday with a 3-over 73. He had a three-day 217 (71-73-73).

After dropping a nice par putt on his final hole, Benton got a nice round of applause from the local fans and flashed a wide smile.

“About the same as yesterday,” Benton said. “I just couldn’t get any birdie putts to fall.

“Doubles (double bogeys) killed me.”

Benton had a double-bogey on his third hole, birdied 4, bogeyed 5 and 7 and birdied 8 during an up-and-down front nine. Other than a bogey on 12, he played
par golf on the back nine.

“I hit the ball well, and I’m fairly happy with how I did,” Benton said of his first chance in the 15-18 division. “I’m looking forward to next year. I know I can play
better.”

New Brockton’s Steven Smith shot a final round 73 to finish at 220 (72-75-73).

He struggled early with bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5. On the back nine, he birdied No. 12 but then had bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15.

On 18, Smith dropped a beautiful 15-foot putt to save par. His third shot was chipped onto the fringe of the green before he drained the long putt.

“I putted a lot better than yesterday,” Smith said. “A lot of the pin placements were very difficult. I just felt like I was more confident with those putts.”

Ozark’s Cole Claassen came in at 3-over 73 to finish at 224 (77-74-73) to improve each round.

Starting on the back nine, Claassen made the turn at 1-under after a birdie on No. 14, but found trouble on his final nine with a double-bogey on 3, and bogeys
on Nos. 5, 6 and 8. He did make birdie on No. 4.