Tournament Champions
A sold-out field of 76 golfers was treated to the picturesque Cateecheee Golf Club in Hartwell, Georgia, on Saturday as a part of the Upstate Amateur Players Tour. The tour travels the Upstate of South Carolina, and portions of North Carolina and Georgia, offering golfers of all skill levels a chance to compete for cash and VISA prizes.
On Saturday at Cateecheee, more than $5,400 worth of prizes were dispersed to the winners of all ten divisions, and those who won in the skins game as well.
Opened in 1997, Cateecheee Golf Club is carved from over 400 acers of forest, incorporating beauty along with a challenging golf experience. The elevated tees, natural vegetation and wildlife, thick and generously sculpted fairways, and pristine bent grass green, not only make Cateechee one of the finest golf courses in the region, but also creates unique and challenging playing conditions.
Here’s a breakdown of the results from each division:
Division 1 – Jody Clary staved off a late charge from Brandyn Norton to win Division 1 on Saturday with a round of 74. Clary edged Norton by just one shot. Norton used four consecutive birdies on the back nine to battle back into contention before running out of holes.
Charles Hartley finished third with a round of 76, followed by Taylor Gove and Brandon Pearson, who finished in a tie for fourth place after carding rounds of 78.
Senior Division 1 – Charles Hartley got off to a hot start on Saturday, shooting one under par on the front nine en route to a round of 76 to win Senior Division 1. Hartley birdied the third and sixth holes to get to one under on the front nine.
Brandt Howard shot 83 and finished second, followed by Matthew Bollinger, who shot 87 to finish third.
Division 2 – Five golfers finsiehd within five shots of the winner in Division 2 on Saturday, as Tony White came out on top after shooting 79. White started his round in style with an eagle on the par-five third hole.
Matthew Hendon finished just one shot back of White, carding a round of 80 to finish runner-up. Ryan Marks shot 81 and finished third as Bob Grove posted a round of 83 in fourth place. Craig Thigpen and Ronald White rounded out the top-five, both shooting 84.
Senior Division 2 – The battle between Tony White and Matthew Hendon also played out in Senior Division 2 on Saturday, as White took home both top spots. White’s round of 79 earned him the honors, followed by Hendon and Bob Grove, who shot 83 to finish third.
Ronald White and Mike Hubert rounded out the top-five with rounds of 84 and 85, respectively.
Division 3 – David Biggs had no problems handling a large group of competitors in Division 3 on Saturday as the Evans, GA, native made two birdies en route to shooting 73 and winning the division. After a pair of bogeys to open the day, Biggs played the final seven holes on the front nine in one under par.
Darrell Johnson finished runner-up, nine shots behind Biggs after posting a round of 82. Blake House shot 84 to finish third as Shawn Powers and Doug Dietz shot 85 to finish in a tie for fourth place.
Senior Division 3 – Darrell Johnson’s steady start to the round paid large dividends in the end as the Woodruff, SC, native claimed the top spot in Senior Division 3 on Saturday with his round of 82. Johnson was three shots clear of the nearest challenger.
Shawn Powers and Doug Dietz finished in a tie for second after both players shot 85. Powers parred five of his first nine holes before birding the 10th hole. Mark Stroupe and Myron Samuels rounded out the top-five with rounds of 88.
Division 4 – While Division 4 was unable to compete their round on Saturday afternoon due to darkness, John Pearson was declared the winner as he sat at 72 strokes through 16 holes. Pearson was just finding his groove as the tournament was called due to the lack of light. Pearson parred his first six holes on the back nine before bogeying the 16th hole, his final one of the day.
Thomas Gibson finished runner-up, three strokes behind Pearson. Gibson’s round was highlighted by a birdie at the par-five fifth hole. Kyle Trammell finished third with 76 strokes through 16 holes. Jonathan Gundana shot 78 on 16 holes to finish fourth.
Kip Moore and James Gravely finished in a tie for fifth place as both golfers sat at 81 strokes through 16 holes.
Senior Division 4 – John Pearson’s round was also enough to claim the top spot in Senior Division 4 on Saturday. Pearson’s score of 72 through 16 holes was three shots better than Thomas Gibson, who finished runner-up.
Kip Moore and James Gravely tied for third place with 81 strokes through 16 holes. Scott Bryant started his day off in style with a birdie on the first hole en route to a fifth-place finish.
Division 5 – Four pars in her first seven holes were enough for Jan Kendrick to take the top spot in Division 5 on Saturday. Though the division only got 16 holes of the round in, Kendrick was declared the winner as darkness brought a premature ending to the tournament.
Kendrick shot five over par on the front nine and finished with 76 strokes through 16 holes. Warren Sullivan finished as the runner-up with 80 shots through 16 holes. Sullivan parred three of his final seven holes to secure the second-place finish.
Danny Sullivan shot 82 through 16 holes and finished third, followed by Jerry Price in fourth and Dick Jenkins in fifth place.
Senior Division 5 – Jan Kendrick’s round of 76 through 16 holes was also enough to win the top spot in Senior Division 5 on Saturday. Kendrick beat Danny Sullivan by six shots for her second division win of the day. Sullivan finished runner-up, followed by Danny Sullivan in third and Dick Jenkins in third place.
Tim Kunkel rounded out the division with 90 strokes through 16 holes, finishing fourth.