E.A. Sports Today

Golf is back

Dalton Chandler shoots 64 in county’s first tournament round of the season, leads ACC Club Championship by 5

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
 
It might have been a while since Dalton Chandler played a round of golf under tournament conditions, but he certainly didn’t forget how to play the game.
 
Playing in the county’s first tournament round of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic, Chandler shot a 6-under-par 64 at Anniston Country Club Saturday to grab the first-round lead of the Walker Reynolds ACC Club Championship.
 
He leads by five shots over Lance Evans, Kevin Daugherty and Jake Goggans. David Sanders holds a seven-shot lead in the Senior Division after a 67.
 
Of course, everybody’s tournament schedule has been turned upside down by the pandemic and Chandler was really looking forward to Saturday.
 
The last time he played in a Calhoun County Golf Tour event he finished T-4 in the County Championship in August. He planned to play on the Tour this year, but the first three events on the schedule were canceled due to COVID-19 and the next two were rescheduled for later in the summer. Even the Sunny King Charity Classic was canceled.
 
Golf was one of the approved activities during the state’s response to the pandemic and Chandler took full advantage of it. He played almost every day until he began focusing on opening a pizza-and-wings restaurant in Lenlock with his father and Sunny King partner Ott. They hope to have Fat Boys open within a month.
 
Chandler played some competitive golf in the run up to Saturday’s tournament, but this was the first round where every hole was putted out and there were times he had to catch himself to avoid a penalty.
 
“I made a joke about it with the guys I played with today,” he said. “It was a golf tournament, the club championship, and you had to putt everything out instead of hitting it inside the leather and picking it up. There were a few times today I was about to scoop my ball instead of spotting it. That’s what I told the guys I played with – it’s been a long time since I didn’t just scoop it up.”
 
Instead, he scooped up the birdies. He birdied two of his first three holes, lipped out a 15-foot birdie putt on 4, hit the flagstick off the tee on 5 and turned in 4-under. He bogeyed 10, then birdied 11, 12 and 17. He saved par on 14 when his drive clipped a tree and he hit driver off the deck to reach the green.

“I played good,” he said. “Really, better than my score.”

Walker Reynolds ACC Club Championship

Championship flight
Dalton Chandler64
Lance Evans69
Kevin Daugherty69
Jake Goggans69
Tyler Putnam70
Chase Hollingsworth70
Freeman Fite71
Ott Chandler72
Ryan Howard72
Matt Hunter72
Tanner Wells73

First flight
Adrian Geeting74
Chandler Wilborn74
Charlie Smith75
Ross Svensen75
Greg Shultz75
Rob Svensen76
Jack Svensen76
Chance Harris76
Brett Key76
Rob Davie76
Caleb Morrow76
Benji Turley77

Second flight
Chase Thomas78
Timmy Woodard78
Grant Jackson79
Taylor Morrow79
Hank Smith80
Ryan Huff80
Wes Couch81
Will Broome81
Trey Stone81
Warren Askew81
Mike Putnam82

Third flight
Amado Ortiz83
Chris Messer83
Taylor Jones84
Andrew Morris84
Kevin Third84
John Lindsey85
Tyler Huckaby85
Graham Morrow88
Will Coker89
Blake Lowery99
Steve Gendron100
Clay Blackwell104

Seniors
David Sanders67
Doug Sears74
Don Springer79
John Carrozza81
Bob Kennamer82
Tom Roberts83
Rick Taylor91
Don Whitlow94

Sunday’s pairings

8 a.m. – Blake Lowery, Steve Gendron, Clay Blackwell
8:10 – John Lindsey, Tyler Huckaby, William Coker, Taylor Jones
8:20 – Chris Messer, Kevin Third, Andrew Morris, Graham Morrow
8:30 – Trey Stone, Warren Askew, Mike Putnam, Amado Ortiz
8:40 – Hank Smith, Wes Couch, Will Broome, Grant Jackson
8:50 – Chrase Thomas, Timmy Woodard, Taylor Morrow, Ryan Huff.
Noon – Tom Roberts, Bob Kennamer, Rick Taylor, Don Whitlow
12:10 p.m. – David Sanders, Doug Sears, Donald Springer, John Carrozza
12:25 – Brett Key, Rob Davie, Benji Turley
12:35 – Rob Svensen, Jack Svensen, Chance Harris, Caleb Morrow
12:45 – Chandler Wilborn, Charlie Smith, Ross Svensen, Greg Shultz
12:55 – Ott Chandler, Tanner Wells, Matt Hunterr, Adrian Geeting
1:05 – Chase Hollingsworth, Tyler Putnam, Freeman Fite, Ryan Howard
1:15 – Dalton Chandler, Jake Goggans, Lance Evans, Kevin Daugherty

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