A sold-out field of 80 players took on Willow Creek Golf Club in Greer, SC on Saturday as a part of the Upstate Amateur Players Tour. The golfer encountered some afternoon storms that prohibited six of the divisions from finishing their round.
Aside from the afternoon thunderstorms that rolled into the Upstate, halting play, the competitors encountered a pristine course settled just off I-85 between Greenville and Spartanburg. Willow Creek features manicured course conditions and challenging design for a fun, player-friendly experience for beginners. Advanced players will enjoy numerous risk-reward opportunities that are sure to provide an exciting, memorable golf experience.
During the round, competitors battled for more than $5,300 in cash and VISA gift card prizes. The Upstate Amateur Players Tour is a golf circuit that travels the Upstate of South Carolina and portions of North Carolina, offering golfers of all skill levels an opportunity to compete. The tour features 10 divisions each tournament, including senior divisions as well.
Here’s a breakdown of Saturday results from Willow Creek:
Division 1 – Greg Moore felt right at home on Saturday as the Greer native birdied three out of his last four holes to win by one shot over Jody Clary. Moore finished with a round of 71, one under par to pace the top division.
Clary found his groove on the back nine with three birdies in a row to begin the inward trek. Clary put together a steady string of nine pars in a row on the front nine.
Jacob Sigmon and Jethro Niemela tied for third place with rounds of 75. Wesley Jones was close behind after posting a round of 76 to finish fifth.
Senior Division 1 – Greg Moore’s one under par round of 71 was also good enough to score the victory in Senior Division 1 on Saturday. Moore had a steady start to his round with an even par 36 on the front nine, which included a birdie and a bogey.
Jacob Sigmon finished runner-up in the division with his round of 75. Sigmon used back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth holes to shoot two under par on the front.
Division 2 – Down the stretch, a great battle emerged between three golfers vying for the top spot in Division 2. In the end, it was Shayne Burger who lifted the trophy with a round of 71, edging his opponents by just one shot.
Burger birdied three of his first five holes, but a double bogey on the second offset the impressive run. On the back nine, Burger birdied three of his final eight holes, including the last, to secure the victory.
Brandt Howard and Derek Godfrey finished tied for second place after both recording rounds of even par, 72. Howard was solid throughout the day with 16 pars on the card to accompany two bogeys and two birdies.
Brandyn Norton and Carlos Mojica rounded out the top five with rounds of 75 and 79, respectfully.
Senior Division 2 – Shayne Burger’s impressive round of one under par earned him the top honors in Senior Division 2 as well on Saturday. Burger navigated his way around the back nine in two under par to seal the deal in the division.
Carlos Mojica finished runner-up with a round of 79. Mojica’s day was highlighted by a birdie on the par-four eighth hole.
Robert Burgess and Phil VanGeersdaelen tied for third with rounds of 82. Doug Dietz rounded out the top five with a round of 97.
Division 3 – Inclement weather brought a premature end to the rounds of the golfers in Division 3. Through twelve holes however, Jake Lancaster was declared the winner as he sat at even par on the day.
Lancaster got off to a hot start with birdies on his first two holes. Just before the horn sounded to suspend play, he birdied the par-five fifteenth hole to get back to level par.
Darrius Prysock and Dylan Helms were close behind, hoping to make a charge on the closing holes. Both players were at two-over par when the players were brought back to the clubhouse.
Mary Graham Forrest and Jim Wiginton wrapped up the top-five.
Senior Division 3 – Three players within two shots of the lead would make for quite the finish. Unfortunately, Mother Nature wouldn’t allow it on Saturday. Jim Wiginton was declared the winner as he was five-over par when play was suspended after fifteen holes.
Wiginton made three birdies on the day, including his last on the eleventh hole, helping him to the victory. Close behind was Tony Koechli and Sonny Smith who finished the day just one shot back. Andy Murrow finished fourth at seven-over par.
Todd Lynch and Russell McDonald rounded out the top-five.
Division 4 – The twelfth hole was as far as the competitors in Division 4 made it on Saturday due to the inclement weather. Lawrence Daniels and David Huff shared the title as both were four-over par when play was suspended.
Daniels had turned his round in the right direction after a rocky start. From the fourth hole on, Daniels played the course in just one-over par. Huff’s day was highlighted by a birdie on the par-four fourth hole.
John Pearson finished third at six-over par. Samrat Sen was right behind at seven-over par as Roy Williams rounded out the top-five.
Senior Division 4 – Lawerence Daniels had just found his groove when the horn sounded to suspend the round on Saturday afternoon. Daniels held a two-shot lead over runner-up finisher John Pearson in Senior Division 4.
Pearson finished at six-over par through twelve holes as he was closely followed by Samrat Sen at seven-over, Roy Williams at eight-over, and Fred Caravalho at nine-over par.
Division 5 – Even after consecutive bogeys to start the back nine, Michael McGill held a comfortable four shot lead when play ended on Saturday afternoon in Division 5. McGill sat at five-over par through twelve holes before thunderstorms hit the Upstate of South Carolina.
Danny Sullivan and Terry Bollenbecker were in pursuit and tied for second place at nine-over par. Billy Odom and George Bright finished at ten-over par to tie for fourth.
Senior Division 5 – Twelve holes left Danny Sullivan and Terry Bollenbecker tied atop Senior Division 5 as both players sat at nine-over par when play was called for the day. Sullivan shot 42 on the front nine to start his day as Bollenbecker held a two-shot lead going to the back nine.
Billy Odom and George Bright were both ten-over par through twelve holes to finish in a tie for third place. Bobby Lewis and Tim Kunkel tied for fifth at fourteen-over par.