SKCC booming
- Updated: August 15, 2024
Area’s long-standing signature charity golf tournament filled up in less than two hours, has waiting list of teams hoping for a spot.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
The 2024 Sunny King Charity Classic field filled in less than two hours.
Organizers maximized the field at 210 two-person teams. The waiting list stands at 45, tournament co-chair Brett Key said.
“This thing goes pretty well every year,” Key said. “I guess since the move to September, the biggest issue is we don’t have enough room anymore.
“The first year after COVID (2020), it was completely full in two days. This year, based on my conversations with Brian Howell, who’s handling tee times and the online registration, we were already on a waiting list within the first two hours.”
The 45th SKCC will play out Sept. 13-15 at Anniston Country Club, Cider Ridge and Silver Lakes.
Registration went live July 3, and the field filled quickly. The first team to register was Matt Whitaker/Joey Stewart.
Registered teams including defending champions Jesus Montenegro/Layton Bussey.
Likely top challengers include former Donoho School teammates Jacob LeCroy/Harrison Hughston, the last two winners of the Wilfred Galbraith Invitational at Anniston Country Club, which is where the SKCC’s top teams play on the final day. They won a state championship and produced a runner-up finish at Donoho.
The long-time tandem of Brennan Clay/Jeremy McGatha stand first and fifth in the county standings. They tied with Freeman Fite/Jackson King for second in the 2023 SKCC and finished as runners up on a scorecard playoff.
Perennial contenders Ty Cole/Gary Wigington return seeking their fifth SKCC title together. Cole just finished as runner up in the Alabama Golf Association’s State Match Play championship last week, and Wigington stands second in the Calhoun County Golf Tour points standings.
Wigington has played on the winning team nine times, five times with Randy Reaves.
Tanner Wells, who teamed with LeCoy to win the inaugural Ted’s Charity Invitational in July, will team with one of LeCroy’s University of South Alabama teammates, Jordan Plunkett, in the SKCC.
Taylor McCollum, who led this year’s Wilfred Galbraith through two rounds, will team with Garrett Burgess, who coached LeCroy and Hughston at Donoho and teamed with Cypress Hathorn to win the 2013 SKCC.
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