2024 Rumbling Bald Golf Course Tournament Results

Lake Lure made for the perfect backdrop this past weekend, as the Upstate and Charleston Amateur Players Tours met together to host the two-day Original Southern Regional at Apple Valley and Bald Mountain golf courses as nearly $11,000 was on the line.  

Players from all over the Carolinas converged on Rumbling Bald on Lake Lure that features two courses – Apple Valley and Bald Mountain golf clubs. Apple Valley features one of the rarest layouts throughout the Blue Ridge foothills surrounding Lake Lure. The course is designed by Dan Maples and features several level holes and downhill approach shots.  

Bald Mountain is rated as one of the top courses in North Carolina by Golf Channel’s Golf Advisor and was designed by George Cobb protégé W.B. Lewis. The course features five par threes and five par fives, serving as a nice compliment to Apple Valley Golf Course.  

The Upstate and Charleston Amateur Players Tours travel the Palmetto State, and portions of North Carolina offering golfers of all skill levels a chance to compete in one of ten different divisions. Prizes for each division include cash and VISA gift cards, as the tour also hosts an optional skins game at each tournament.  

This past weekend, the competitors started the tournament with an 18-hole round at Apple Valley on Saturday before Sunday’s final round at Bald Mountain. The weekend of play was highlighted by a hole-in-one by Steven Reeves on the par-three third hole at Apple Valley.  

Here’s a breakdown of the results by each division: 

Division 1 – Locked in a tie after the first round, John Masotti made seven pars in his final nine holes to seal the deal and win Division 1 on Sunday afternoon. Masotti carded rounds of 71 and 73 on the weekend to secure the victory.  

After making three birdies during his round on Saturday Masotti made three more birdies within his first five holes to start Sunday’s round. Jody Clary, who shot 71 to tie for the lead after the first round, finished second with a final round 79.  

Clary was within striking distance after making seven pars on the front nine Sunday but failed to get the putts to fall down the stretch.  

Nicholas Politis finished third, after firing rounds of 83 and 72. Politis started his final round Sunday in style with an eagle on the par-five opening hole. He would take advantage of the par-five seventh hole as well to shoot two under par on the front nine.  

John Schiemer and Cary Taylor tied for fourth place as the players posted rounds of 79-79 and 81-77, respectively.  

Division 2 – Two birdies on his final four holes proved to be the difference for John Wayne Parrish as he claimed the top spot in Division 2 on Sunday with rounds of 75 and 81 over the weekend.  

Parrish birdied his 15^th and 18^th holes on Sunday to overcome a pair of double bogeys down the stretch and secure the victory.  

Parrish cleared second-place finisher Brad Hillman by just one shot. Hillman carded rounds of 79 and 78 to finish runner-up. Hillman led the division with six birdies on the weekend, including two on the back nine as he attempted to climb to the top of the leaderboard.  

Mike Hubert finished in third place with a 163 total for the two rounds, followed by Mitch Howze and Derek Godfrey, who tied for fourth place after shooting 165 for the weekend.  

Senior Division 2 – John Wayne Parrish’s victory in Senior Division 2 was a little less stressful as the Reidsville, NC native swept the division for the weekend.  

Parrish carded rounds of 75 and 81 to win both Division 2 and Senior Division 2. His first round of the weekend at Apple Valley featured an impressive 15 pars and just three bogeys. He finished the back nine of his first round with eight straight pars.  

Mike Hubert finished runner-up after posting rounds of 85 and 78. Hubert found his groove on the front nine on Sunday, parring seven out of the nine holes.  

Mitch Howze finished in third place with a two-day total of 165, followed by Jeff Ferguson and Andy Murrow with totals of 167 in a tie for fourth place.  

Division 3 – Timothy Carswell buckled down when it mattered the most, making pars on each of his final five holes to clear the crowded field of challengers by one shot and win Division 3 this past weekend. Carswell opened the tournament with a round of 82 before shooting 79 to win on Sunday.   

Jesse Johnson was close behind in second place after carding rounds of 82 and 80. Johnson used a birdie on the par-four eighth hole to move to just two over par on his front nine Sunday.  

A.J. Lee finished third, posting rounds of 79 and 84. Lee climbed into the lead during the first round, using a birdie on the par-three eighth hole to move to just one over par early on Saturday.  

Tommy Boyter and Dan Eastep rounded out the top-five in the division with two-day totals of 164 and 165, respectively.  

Senior Division 3 – Timothy Carswell made it a clean sweep on Sunday as he also earned the top honors in Senior Division 3 with rounds of 82 and 79 over the weekend. Carswell’s first round at Apple Valley was highlighted by a birdie on the par-five sixth hole. 

Jesse Johnson fell just one shot short of the victory, as he finished second with rounds of 82 and 80. Tommy Boyter finished third after rounds of 81 and 83, which featured a pair of birdies.  

Dan Eastep finished fourth with rounds of 81 and 84, followed by a three-way tie for fifth place as Jeff Pauley, Steve Easler, and Wayne Blyler all posted two-day totals of 169. 

Division 4 – Down the stretch of the back nine of Bald Mountain, Division 4 became a two-horse race. When the dust settled, it was Charlie Warstler taking home the top prize with rounds of 83 and 87.  

Warstler grabbed the lead during Saturday’s round as he made two back-nine birdies to climb the leaderboard. On Sunday, however, it was second-place finisher Michale Shirley’s turn to make a run.  

The Hendersonville, NC native rebounded from an opening round 93 to shoot 78 on Sunday. His front nine on Sunday featured four birdies as he quickly rocketed up the leaderboard. Warstler and Shirley’s battle on the back nine played out to the last hole, as Shirley could not complete the comeback effort.  

Steven Beckstead finished third with a two-day total of 175, followed by Ronnie Thornton who carded rounds of 85 and 92. A three-way tie for fifth place included Robert Gibson, Mike Howell, and Rodney Oden as all three players shot 182 for the two-day tournament.  

Senior Division 4 – While Ronnie Thornton came up just short of the top prize in Division 4 this past weekend, the Locust, NC native’s rounds of 85 and 92 were enough to earn the top honors in Senior Division 4.  

Thornton’s 85 on Saturday was highlighted by a birdie on the par-three third hole as he created a six-shot cushion going into the final round on Sunday.  

Robert Gibson and Mike Howell tied for second place. Gibson carded consecutive rounds of 91 as Howell shot 92-90 on the weekend.  

Thomas Hart and Gene Mason both shot 193 for the two-day tournament to finish tied for fifth place.  

Division 5 – Thirty-six holes of golf proved not to be enough as a playoff was needed to declare a winner in Division 5 this past weekend. In the end, it was Steve Kwon who claimed the top spot with rounds of 96 and 94.  

Kwon found himself tied with Jim Prichett, who shot 94-96 on the weekend, after the play concluded on Sunday afternoon. Kwon’s weekend was highlighted by a birdie on the par-four 11^th hole during Sunday’s round.  

Prichett made his lone birdie of the weekend on the par-five sixth hole on Sunday as he attempted to stave off the charge of Kwon.  

Dick Jenkins finished third after posting rounds of 96 and 95, followed by Steven Reeves in fourth place with a two-day total of 192. Bill Turner rounded out the top-five with a two-day total of 195. 

Senior Division 5 – While Jim Pritchett lost in a playoff in Division 5, his rounds of 94 and 96 earned him the top honors in Senior Division 5 over the weekend. Pritchett defeated Dick Jenkins by just one shot, and Jenkins carded rounds of 96 and 95. 

Steven Reeves finished third with rounds of 98 and 94, followed by Bill Turner and Tim Kunkel in a tie for fourth place with rounds of 97-98 and 94-101, respectively.