VALDOSTA — The two best golfers on the Valdosta Country Club course Sunday could be found in the same pairing.

Chris Dixon won the professionals’ division and was the overall low medalist, with a score of 137. He was paired with amateur winner Nate Balanis, who had the second-lowest score with a 139.

All day Sunday, the two of them pushed each other on the course. One would make a birdie, then the other would respond with a birdie on the next hole. Both golfers said it helped to have the other one playing with them.

“Nate Balanis played great. He pushed me a lot today,” Dixon said. “He helped me play better. Nate’s a good player.”

“We pushed each other,” Balanis said. “I’d make a birdie, then he’d answer back. I think we pushed each other all day. I liked it. It was fun.”

In the end, it paid off for both golfers, as they both walked off the course as winners.

This was Dixon’s second Valdosta Open win in four years playing in the tournament. He also has a second-place finish in the event.

“It’s always good to win in your hometown,” Dixon said. “The golf course was in great shape. I usually play well (at Valdosta Country Club). The course doesn’t really suit my game, but I still play well here.”

Dixon, the assistant pro at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, was the first-round leader, after shooting a 68 on Friday. He did that with a new set of irons. On Sunday, he went back to his old clubs, and shot a 69.

“I played with my new set of irons, which I’m not comfortable with. Today, I switched back to my old set. So I had two different iron sets in this tournament,” Dixon said.

Dixon put the tournament away with birdies on the 12th, 14th and 16th holes. The win earned him a $1,400 check, as well as a nice watch donated by Steel’s Jewelry.

Dixon was clearly the top professional in the tournament. His 137 final total was five strokes better than second-place finisher Michael Brice, who shot a 71 both days for a 142. Jon David Kennedy was the only other pro to break par, shooting a 70 Sunday and finishing one stroke behind Brice. Brice earned $900 and Kennedy $700.

Balanis, who played golf at Valdosta High and Valdosta State, and graduated from VSU in May with an accounting degree, is playing well at the right time, as he prepares for the state amateur tournament in July.

“I played well,” Balanis said. “I tried to play my game and not worry about what anyone else was doing. I just tried to make birdies, and not make a lot of mistakes.”

On the front nine, Balanis made four birdies, but also had three bogeys. Guarding a narrow lead, he closed out the win with a strong back nine.