Senior champs
- Updated: November 25, 2015
Ott Chandler shoots 72 in Senior Division, Doug Bragg fires 66 in Super Seniors
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Every day he’s on the golf course is a good day to Ott Chandler, but the last two days after been particularly enjoyable.
On Tuesday Chandler scored an eagle from the fairway and his 19th career hole-in-one on back-to-back holes on the back nine at Pine Hill Country Club. He returned to the course Wednesday and won his first Calhoun County Senior Championship.
Chandler, 51, shot even-par 72 and won the senior title he let get away last year in a playoff by two shots over Clay Calkins and Chip Howell.
“These last two days have been awesome,” said Chandler, a three-time county champion.
Doug Bragg beat his age by six, shooting 6-under 66 — with two early bogeys — to win the Super Senior crown by four over Norris Ray, Jerry Irwin and Robbie Robertson.
He bogeyed, but bounced back with an eagle at 2 and shot 34 on the front. He had four birdies on the back.
“I played good for me,” Bragg said. “I play this course good anyway. I’ve been playing out here 45-50 years.”
Chandler’s round Wednesday included only one birdie and one bogey, but he held onto the lead throughout the back nine.
Howell was 3-over through four holes, but came all the way back to the point he had an eagle putt for a share of the lead on 17. The putt stayed out, then his last best hope of catching the leader was dashed when the birdie putt lipped out violently.
“I was playing the course,” Howell said regarding his position. “I knew I was tied with Clay at the time and that would’ve gotten me back to 1-over, which I thought certainly would’ve been close, with just a two-putt birdie. I hadn’t played much. It was fun.”
Calkins, meanwhile, turned in even par, but just couldn’t get anything to drop on the back nine. He took second place on a scorecard playoff by virtue of a par on 16.
“It was just one of those days,” he said. “I think I had six good looks on the back and didn’t make any of them.”
Among the Super Senior contenders, Robertson had his round to 5-under through 14 holes before stumbling coming home. Ray had it to 3-under through 15, but double bogeyed the par-3 16th and needed a birdie at 18 to pull into the tie for second and win the scorecard playoff. Irwin was 3-under through 16 and bogeyed 17.
“I had it going, but just didn’t keep it going,” Irwin said.
A year ago, in his first year eligible for the County Senior, Chandler let a two-shot lead slip away on the final hole, then lost to David Sanders in a playoff. He said Wednesday’s victory “took some of the sting” out of last year’s disappointment.
“I didn’t play well today,” he said. “I drove the ball bad, but I chipped the ball good and made all my short putts. It could’ve been 6-under-par or 4-over par; I got up-and-down from a lot places. It wasn’t like any display of iron perfection … but it turned out all right.”
Chandler’s eagle and ace the day before came with the same club. He holed out a 7-iron from 157 yards on No. 13 — a hole he says he “hardly ever even pars” — then took a little off the 7 to ace 14 from 154 yards.
Speaking of eagles, Jim Thomas scored one on the par-5 sixth in the Senior Division.
CALHOUN COUNTY SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
At Pine Hill CC
Senior Division
Ott Chandler 35-37—72
Clay Calkins 36-38—74
Chip Howell 38-36—74
David Martin 40-41—81
Rickey Hurst 42-40—82
Carter Gable 38-45—83
David Stephens 41-43—84
Doug Praytor 42-43—85
Jimbo Phillips 40-45—85
Blake Studdard 38-48—86
Tim Craft 42-46—88
Jim Thomas 41-50—92
Super Senior Division
Doug Bragg 34-32—66
Norris Ray 34-36—70
Jerry Irwin 34-36—70
Robbie Robrtson 32-38—70
Mike Hammonds 40-32—72
Doug Sears 39-36—75
John Wood 37-39—76
Sidney McFall 40-37—77
Lois Carter 39-39—78
Rick Taylor 39-39—78
Terry Brooks 40-39—79
Horace Rosamond 44-39—83
Randall Doss 43-43—86
Paul Dorsey 45-41—86
Ron Borchelt 44-44—88
Wayne Welch 43-45—88
Dan Turpin 47-47—94
Leaders Scorecards
Senior Division (white tees)
Player 453 345 444 36 444 435 345 36 72
Chandlr 453 344 444 35 444 436 345 37 72
Calkins 463 345 434 36 454 535 345 38 74
Howell 554 444 345 38 443 534 445 36 74
Super Senior Division
Player 453 345 444 36 444 435 345 36 72
Bragg 533 344 354 34 433 435 235 32 66
Ray 454 244 434 34 444 425 544 36 70
Irwin 543 344 434 34 344 435 355 36 70
Robrtsn 353 244 344 32 344 436 446 38 70
This story will be updated.
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