2024 Deer Brook Golf Club Tournament Results

After a week of rain and clouds, golfers on the Upstate Amateur Players Tour enjoyed beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures during Sunday’s tournament held at Deer Brook Golf Club in Shelby, NC.  

Built in the late 1990s, Deer Brook is located north of Shelby, NC and features an 18-hole championship layout with a beautiful and expansive clubhouse.  

The course is highlighted by its 419 grass fairways that provide a good lie every time. The large, bent grass putting surfaces include a lot of undulation, requiring players to be precise with their approach shots.  

While the front nine offers room off the tee, golfers are encountered with the most difficult tee shot on the course to begin the back nine. It sets the stage for a grand finish that includes a picturesque par-five with water protecting the right side of the fairway and the front of the green. The eighteenth is one of the best finishing holes around, requiring a properly placed tee shot before a challenging approach shot to the green.  

The Upstate Amateur Players Tour travels the Upstate of South Carolina, and portions of North Carolina, giving golfers of all skill levels a chance to compete in one of ten different divisions. The tour features cash and VISA gift card payouts, along with an option skins game at each tournament.  

Here’s a breakdown of the results from Sunday’s tournament by division: 

Division 1 – Jody Clary felt right at home on Sunday, firing a round of two-under par 70 to win Division 1. The Shelby, NC native shot a bogey free, two under par on the front nine before shooting even par on the back.  

Greg Moore finished runner-up with a round of 72. Moore tried to make a late charge, playing his final three holes in one under par with two birdies.  

Dan Constantino shot 73 to finish third as his round included five birdies. Constantino made birdie on the difficult par-five 10th hole before taking advantage of both par threes on the back nine with birdies on Nos. 12 and 14.  

Brandt Howard shot 77 to finish fourth, followed by Christopher White in fifth with a round of 78. 

Senior Division 1 – While Greg Moore’s even par round of 72 came up just short in Division 1, his effort was good enough to take the top spot in Senior Division 1. Moore shot even par on the front nine after making birdie on the par-four seventh hole. A pair of birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 gave Moore a two-shot cushion going to the last hole.  

Dan Constantino finished runner-up, just one-shot back after posting a round of 73. Constantino made his final birdie of the day on the par-five 17th hole to move to one under par on the back nine.  

Brandt Howard finished third with a round of 77, followed by Stuart Smith, who shot 79 to finish fourth.  

Division 2 – Judd Dye kept his card fairly clean, allowing him to outlast a crowded group of 30 challengers to win Division 2 with a round of 73. Dye made two early bogeys to fall to two over par before making consecutive birdies on Nos. 7 and 8. Dye also made birdie on the par-four 11th hole.  

Jeff Ferguson and Charles Devenney tied for second place, just one shot behind Dye as both players carded rounds of 74. Ferguson had a stellar finish to his round, birding the final two holes to shoot one under on the back nine. Devenney shot one under on the front nine with a birdie on the par-three sixth hole and eight pars.  

John Barbrey shot 77 to finish fourth, followed by a seven-way tie for fifth place with rounds of 79, including: Bobby Ream, Joe Tucker, Darrell Johnson, Robert LaCombe, Michael Mullins, Anthony Pecora, and Chris Lombardozzi.  

Senior Division 2 – Eighteen holes of golf proved to not be enough to determine a winner in Senior Division 2 on Sunday, as Robert LaCombe emerged victorious when the dust settled. Five golfers shot 79 to tie for the lead, including: LacCombe, Bobby Ream, Joe Tucker, Darrell Johnson, and Michael Mullins.  

LaCombe took advantage of the par-five 17^th hole by making birdie to climb into a tie for the lead before winning in the playoff. Ream had a steady day that included a birdie on the par-five eighth hole, as his back nine included six pars and just three bogeys.  

Tucker finished his round out in style, playing his final five holes in one under par to shoot 39 on the inward stretch. Johnson closed his round with six consecutive pars to climb the leaderboard into a tie for first place.  

Michael Mullins made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 to reach the top of the leaderboard as well, before finishing tied for second after the playoff.  

Division 3 – Ronnie Strange positioned himself nicely with a two over par round of 38 on the front nine, setting the stage for his victory in Division 3 on Sunday with a round of 76. Strange made birdie on the difficult par-five 10^th hole as he managed to win by just one stroke.  

Jesse Johnson finished runner-up after posting a round of 77. Johnson’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-five eighth hole in route to shooting even par 36 on the front nine.  

Bobby Chandler finished third with a round of 80, followed by Scott Dixon and Joseph Lee fourth and fifth place, as the two carded rounds of 81 and 82, respectively. 

Senior Division 3 – Ronnie Strange made it a clean sweep on Sunday at Deer Brook as his round of 76 was also good enough to claim the top spot in Senior Division 3. Strange found his stride at the turn, playing the first six holes of the back nine in one under par.  

Jesse Johnson was close behind in second place, carding a round of 77 to finish just one shot back. Johnson played his final four six holes on the front nine in one under par, including an eagle and a birdie to climb into the lead before the back nine.  

Bobby Chandler shot 80 to finish third, followed by Scott Dixon in fourth after posting a round of 81. Joseph Lee rounded out the top five in the division with a score of 82. 

Division 4 – Michael Shirley made four pars in his final five holes to solidify his position atop the leaderboard in Division 4 with a round of 80. Shriley won by two shots over runner-up Lawrence Daniels.  

Daniels made a late charge with a birdie on the par-five 17^th hole but could not draw any closer to the leader. Samrat Sen shot 85 to finish third, followed by Jimmie Chapman with an 87 in fourth place.  

George Bright, Scott Bryant, Geof Smith, and Thomas Gibson all shot 88 to tie for fifth place in the division.  

Senior Division 4 – While Lawrence Daniels came up a few shots short of the victory in Division 4 on Sunday, the Pauline, SC native’s round of 82 was enough to claim the top spot in Senior Division 4.  

Daniels finished his round off in style with two pars and a birdie within the final three holes. Samrat Sen finished runner-up with a round of 85, followed by Jimmie Chapman in third with a score of 87. 

George Bright, Scott Bryant, Geof Smith, and Thomas Gibson all tied for fourth place with rounds of 88. 

Division 5 – Four pars on his final nine holes was enough to earn Steve Kwon the victory on Sunday with a round of 92. Kwon made consecutive pars on Nos. 15 and 16 to solidify his position atop the leaderboard.  

Rivia Brown shot 93 and finished second, followed by Dick Jenkins in third with a round of 95. Kyle Macklin shot 96 to finish fourth, followed by Deno Contos and Bill Turner in a tie for fifth place with rounds of 97. 

Senior Division 5 – Rivia Brown outlasted the competition in Senior Division 5 on Sunday, carding a round of 93 to win the division by two strokes.  

Dick Jenkins finished runner-up with a round of 95, followed by Bill Turner in third with a round of 97. Vern Verna and Tim Kunkel rounded out the top five with scores of 100 and 101, respectively.