2024 Upstate South Carolina Local Finals at Willow Creek

The Upstate Amateur Players Tour concluded its 2024 season with a two-day tournament over the weekend at Willow Creek Golf Club in Greer, SC, capping what has been an ultra-successful year for the competitors on the tour.  

Competitors on Saturday and Sunday 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. 

The Upstate Amateur Players Tour travels the Upstate of South Carolina and portions of North Carolina offering golfers of all skill levels a chance to compete in one of ten different divisions. This past weekend’s tournament was a culmination of the past nine months of golf, as the tour will soon begin a new season schedule.  

Here’s a breakdown of the results from Saturday’s season finale tournament: 

Division 1 – Jody Clary built a five-shot lead after the first round, and replicated his round of 71 on Sunday to win Division 1 over the weekend. Clary recorded eight birdies during the 36-hole event, including two on his closing nine holes Sunday.  

Kurt Waldthausen finished runner-up, carding a round of 71 on Sunday to match Clary, while his Saturday round of 76 left him four shots behind when the dust settled Sunday afternoon. Waldthausen made a back nine charge Sunday, birding three of his final nine holes.  

Shayne Burger carded rounds of 76 and 77 during a steady weekend to finish in third place, followed by Nicholas Politis in fourth with rounds of 84 and 76.  

Chris Kemp posted rounds of 82 and 84 to finish in fifth place.  

Senior Division 1 – Shayne Burger’s rounds of 76 and 77 were enough to claim the top spot in Senior Division 1 over the weekend. Burger made three birdies on his closing nine holes Sunday to shoot just one-over par on the inward stretch.  

Division 2 – Scott Weber stayed away from the big numbers as his steady weekend of golf featured rounds of 74 and 73, earning him the top spot in Division 2. Weber built a three-shot lead after the first round, using a birdie on the par-five 15^th hole to shoot even par on the back nine. On Sunday, Webber’s steady play continued as he made two birdies on the opening nine holes.  

Mitch Howze finished runner-up with rounds of 77 and 76 on the weekend. Howze played his final nine holes in two over par, with eight pars on the closing stretch.  

John Barbey finished third with rounds of 81 and 75. Barbey rebounded nicely on Sunday, making two birdies on the front nine to shoot two under par on the outward stretch.  

Bob Grove posted rounds of 80 and 77, finishing in the fourth position. Logan Pendergrass and Adam Moore rounded out the top five with rounds of 82-77 and 85-74, respectively.  

Senior Division 2 – While Mitch Howze’s rounds of 77 and 76 fell just short of the top prize in Division 2, his impressive play was enough to claim the top spot in Senior Division 2. Howze bounced back from a pair of double bogeys on front nine with two birdies on Saturday, setting the tone for the rest of the tournament. On Sunday, Howze found his groove on the back nine, paring all but one of the final nine holes.  

Bob Grove finished second in the division after carding rounds of 80 and 77. Grove made three birdies in his opening round, including one on the closing par-five 18^th hole. Darrell Johnson finished third with rounds of 82 and 79, followed by Andy Murrow in fourth with scores of 83 and 81.  

Matthew Hendon rounded out the top five, posting scores of 80 and 85 on the weekend.  

Division 3 – Down the stretch on Sunday, Wayne Blyler knew he had little room for error with challengers chasing close behind. The Gray Court, SC native delivered, however, making seven pars on the closing stretch to solidify his victory in Division 3 over the weekend.  

Blyler posted rounds of 77 and 78 to win by three strokes over second-place finisher Charlie Warstler. Blyler birdied two of his final three holes on the front nine Sunday, setting the stage for an impressive run of pars to the finish.  

Warstler carded consecutive rounds of 79 during his consistent weekend at Willow Creek. His highlight of the round on Saturday came on the par-four 14^th hole where he made birdie. Warstler also played well down the stretch Sunday, making seven pars in his closing nine holes.  

Senior Division 3 – Wayne Blyler made it a clean sweep over the weekend, as his rounds of 77 and 78 proved to be enough to win Senior Division 3 as well. Blyler made two birdies in his closing round, as they came late on the front nine. The birdies were followed by a string of four straight pars before he finished with a two over par round of 38 on the back nine.  

Jim Robson finished in second place with rounds of 86 and 74. Robson made three front nine birdies on Sunday to shoot one under par on the outward nine. Another birdie came on the par-four 11^th hole for Robson as he closed the weekend with a strong round.  

Dan Eastep finished third with rounds of 82 and 80. John Pearson and Jeff Pauley tied for fourth place with rounds of 89-79 and 80-88, respectively. 

Division 4 – Five golfers finished within three shots of the lead over the weekend in Division 4, as it was Justin Sartain who emerged victorious with rounds of 89 and 90. Sartain made two birdies in his opening round on Saturday, taking advantage of the par-five opening hole and the par-four 10^th hole. His round on Sunday included a birdie on the first hole before making some crucial putts down the stretch.  

Daniel Cash finished runner-up just one shot back after shooting rounds of 86 and 94. Cash used a steady opening round on Saturday that included four pars on the front nine to build a three-shot cushion going to the final round.  

Scott Bryant, Kenny Brown, and Billy Trull finished in a tie for third place to round out the top five in the division. Bryant posted rounds of 94 and 88 as Brown and Trull both shot rounds of 92 and 90. 

Senior Division 4 – While Daniel Cash watched his three-shot lead slip away on Sunday in Division 4, the Greenville, SC native did cling to his lead in Senior Division 4 as he won the top prize over the weekend. Cash opened the tournament with a round of 86 before finishing with a score of 94 on Sunday.  

Cash got off to a good start in his final round, birding the first hole before making three straight pars to settle into the round. Two crucial pars on the back nine proved to the difference on the leaderboard.  

Scott Bryant and Billy Trull finished tied for the runner-up position with rounds of 94-88 and 92-90, respectively. Robert Gibson posted rounds of 93 and 91 to finish fourth, followed by Jimmy Sullivan in fifth with rounds of 94 and 91. 

Division 5 – Dick Jenkins positioned himself nicely with a round of 88 to begin the tournament, as he managed to hang on down the stretch to win Division 5 over the weekend. Jenkins followed his round of 88 on Saturday with a score of 96 on Sunday.  

Jenkins made a living on the par threes during the first round, making two birdies to give himself a three-shot lead going to the final round.  

Warren Sullivan shot 91-95 to finish second. After a tough start on Saturday, Sullivan found his groove on the fourth hole, playing the rest of the front nine in just one over par with a birdie on the par-four sixth hole. Sullivan made three pars down the stretch Sunday but fell just short of the top spot.  

Marty Brock shot 91-96 to finish in third, followed by Thomas Lanford with rounds of 97 and 96 to finish fourth. Michael Addison shot 99 and 95 to round out the top five in the division.  

Senior Division 5 – Dick Jenkins battle for the victory in Senior Division 5 was a little less stressful on Sunday, as the Marion, NC native’s rounds of 88 and 96 took the top honors. Jenkins took advantage of his solid play on Saturday, setting himself in position atop the leaderboard with a three-shot lead.  

Marty Brock finished in second place with rounds of 91 and 96. Brock made four back nine pars on Sunday as he attempted to make a charge up the leaderboard.  

Thomas Lanford finished third after posting rounds of 97 and 96. Tim Kunkel (93-102), Danny Sullivan (102-93), and Vern Verna (100-95) finished tied for fourth place to round out the top five.