Chandlers find lightning in a bottle to win the Sunny King Classic after sixth playoff hole

Sep. 27—The final to the Sunny King Charity Classic came down to a playoff Sunday. And then another. And another.

Then, after the sun had set and the stars twinkled in the night sky and headlights illuminated the green on the par-3 16th hole at the Anniston Country Club, Dalton Chandler made an eight-foot birdie putt on the sixth playoff hole to win the championship for a second time with his dad, Ott.

"We were hitting at headlights," Dalton said afterward. "I think it was cool (playing in the dark), but it was a lot different. Nobody practices hitting balls in the dark."

A parked show car sitting on the course from Sunny King Ford provided light for the tee box, but once a player took a shot, there was no telling where it was going to go.

"There was so many headlights shining down," Ott said. "We thought we were hitting the right set of headlights — looked like a four wheeler. We were just trying to hit it there. But once you hit it, you can't see where it's going."

The Chandlers, who took a one-stoke lead into Sunday, were playing catchup to Gary "Twig" Wigington and Ty Cole for most of the day, trying to erase their one- or two-shot lead.

Going into the final three holes, Wigington and Cole had a three-shot lead. But, the Chandlers' putts put them in a position to force a playoff. Ott made a birdie on No. 16 while Dalton birdied 17. But, on the 18th hole, Ott drained a 20-foot putt to force the first sudden-death playoff, which took place on 16.

"That was a pretty good putt on 18," Ott said. "That was pretty special. I usually putt pretty good, and this weekend I just made a lot of putts. I can't say I'm pretty good at much, but I'm a pretty good putter."

Both teams made par on the first five playoffs.

Ott modestly said that he doesn't consider himself to be one of Calhoun County's best players, but he knows how to compete with them.

"Anytime you beat Ty and Twig and Jackson (King) and Freeman (Fite) and Brennan (Clay) and Jeremy (McGatha), the top-notch players around here," Ott said. "They all hit the ball longer and play better and play more. I just out-putted them this weekend."

While Ott might not hit the ball longer than his competition, his game on the green keeps him in contention during tournament play.

"I'm not a top-notch player around here; I just happen to catch fire with that putter, and that putter is an equalizer," he said.

But, Ott doesn't take anything away from Cole and Wigington. He knows it's special going up against the best and winning.

"Those boys are really good," Ott said. "They win everything around here. They're the two best players around here. Both of them have been professionals, but have got their amatur status back, and you have to play your butt off to beat them."

The Chandlers shot 18-under Saturday at Cider Ridge, and Ott said that performance is what kept them in contention on Sunday.

"Thankfully, we had a big enough lead going in (to Sunday) on them," Ott said. "We played good, but still had to make a 20-footer on the last hole to make it to the playoffs. We had to dodge a few bullets, and they had to dodge a few bullets there in the playoffs. But Dalton finally made it, and nobody was no happier to see it go in than me."

While this is the sixth Sunny King Classic championship for Ott in 16 years, he said that none of the wins compare to the two he's won with Dalton.

"What an awesome feeling," Ott said. "To win it with your kid, not only once, but twice. It's never been done before, and truthfully, it may never happen again."

He added, "That was absolutely incredible. That was more fun than I've ever had playing golf. Dalton played good, and I was just along for the ride. I enjoyed it."

Dalton shares his father's sentiment.

"It means a lot," Dalton said. "We're not going to get to play together forever. I didn't think we'd get to win another one, but since we did it was cool. It was great."

Ott said the two were practicing at Cane Creek when he thought they might have a chance to win.

"We've been putting a good bit at Cane Creek." Ott said. "I said, 'If you drive the ball good and we putt good, anything can happen.' It showed yesterday, we made every putt we stood over."

Ott, who is 57, knows there is a time when Dalton will have a need to find a new partner for the classic to stay competitive, but for now, he still has some good years in him.

"He's competitive like me, and I'm competitive as hell," Ott said. "I know my days are numbered as far as competing in the championship flight. He's not going to want to play with me in a lesser flight. But I might have another year or two. You never know, we can catch lightning in a bottle."

Wigington and Cole finished second with a score of 176.

Jacob Harper and Kyle Daugherty finished third with a 179. Jeremy McGatha and Brennan Clay finished fourth with a score of 180. Sawyer Edwards and Cameron McCareeth finished fifth with a 184.

Garrett Burgess/Tanner Wells finished sixth with a 185. Matt Rogers/Andrew Brooks finished seventh with a score of 186. Jackson King and Freeman Fite finished eighth with a score of 187.

Ryan Howard/Scott Murphree, Jason Johnson/Landon Straub and Kaine Gibson/William Brown tied for ninth with a score of 189.

In all, the Sunny King Classic raised $130,000 for charity.