The Times Athlete of the Week: Ottawa’s Chandler Creedon likes his team, Chicken McNuggets, Hawaii

Capturing 84.4% of votes cast online, Ottawa boys golf’s Chandler Creedon was The Times Athlete of the Week, sponsored by SOCU.

The Pirates entered sectional competition off winning the championship at the Class 2A Sycamore Regional, where Creedon topped teammate Drake Kaufman in a playoff for the individual title.

Creedon won on a ballot that also included runner-up Jorge Lopez (Ottawa boys soccer), Sundara Weber (Sandwich girls cross country) and Kiara Wesseh (Newark girls volleyball).

Next week’s ballot will be online Monday and accessible via Facebook (The Times Sports) and Twitter (@jtpedelty), with voting going through midday Wednesday.

Here is a Q&A with this week’s winner:

Do you have any nicknames?

ChanMan.

The Ottawa High School golf program has been a monster for a few years now. What was it like when you first joined the high school team, and how is it now that you’re one of the veteran guys?

Every year that I’ve played, it doesn’t matter who’s on the team, we’ve always had a really close-knit, fun group that is supportive of each other.

What was it like going into a sudden-death playoff against a teammate with a regional title on the line?

I didn’t feel a lot of pressure since I was playing against a teammate. It felt like we were just golfing together at practice. Drake is an amazing golfer, and that day our team was golfing so well that it could have been any one of us. I was fortunate it was me.

The team just missed on qualifying for the IHSA State Finals. What do you need to do to take that next step next season?

Play a lot of golf and constantly work on improving my game. It starts now, not next August.

You’re going out to dinner to celebrate a great round. Where do you go and what do you order?

McDonald’s, 10-piece Chicken McNuggets.

If you could go anywhere in the world on an all-expenses-paid, two-week vacation, where would you pick, and why?

Hawaii to surf and golf and have non-alcoholic pina coladas.

What was your favorite childhood book?

“Nate the Great.”

What are your favorite golf courses you’ve played?

Olympia Fields, Geneva National, Cimarron, Arrowhead and, of course, Deer Park Golf Club.

What course do you wish you could play that you haven’t yet?

Michael Jordan’s course, Grove 23.

Is there a fact about you that might surprise people who only know you through sports?

I love to cook. I make the world’s best port chops!

Do you have any college plans? If so, do they involve sports?

Wherever I go, there will be a golf club in my hand.