E.A. Sports Today

SKCC new date

Proximity to July 4 prompts Sunny King Charity Classic officials to move the 40th Classic to latest start in 11 years

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

This year is one of those rare occasions when the Sunny King Charity Classic will move away from its traditional post-July 4 weekend start, giving the event its latest starting date in 11 years.

Because of where July 4 falls on the calendar this year in relation to the weekend and to avoid holiday-related scheduling conflicts, this year’s 40th SKCC will be played July 13-15, tournament officials have confirmed.

It would have been played July 6-8.

Under ordinary circumstances the event would start the Friday after July 4, but since the holiday falls on a Wednesday this year organizers bumped it back a week.

It will be the latest start for the Classic since 2007 when it opened July 27 to accommodate the refurbishment of the greens at Anniston Country Club.

Under ordinary circumstances it did start as late as July 11 as recently as 2014.

The tournament did have a July 6 start in 2012.

No other changes in the tournament have been announced.

The event will be played in the scramble, scamble, best ball format at Silver Lakes, Cider Ridge GC and Anniston CC. Gary Wigington and Ty Cole are the two-time defending champions.

Wigington became the winningest player in the tournament’s history last year when he claimed his seventh King crown with a record-tying close with Cole for a four-shot victory over P.J. Shields and Jaylon Ellison. The next carrot in front of him is becoming the only player to win it three years in a row twice.

Wigington and Randy Reaves won the tournament three years in a row between 2000 and 2002. Eric Hamilton and Patrick Cushman also won it three years in a row between 1994 and 1996.

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