Tournament Champions
View Tournament Results
Over $3,600 was on the line as golfers from around the Carolinas converged on Falcon’s Lair Golf Course at Windsor at Walhalla as a part of the Upstate Amateur Players Tour. Tucked away at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Windsor at Walhalla is one of the top-quality clubs in the area.
The club features an 18-hole championship layout built in 1991. The course was designed by Harry Bowers, who managed to capture the beauty of the area while also offering a rewarding round of golf.
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 ten different divisions. During the tournaments, golfers are competing for cash and VISA gift card prizes, along with an optional skins game.
Despite the forecasts predicting rain on Saturday, the golfers managed to avoid the worst part of the bad weather while taking advantage of the opportunity to play Windsor at Walhalla.
Here’s a breakdown of the results from Saturday’s tournament:
Division 2 – Garrett Blyler birdied the par-four closing hole to reach a playoff and win Division 1 on Saturday over Branden Smith. Both players tied after 18 holes with rounds of 79 before Blyler won in the playoff.
Blyler got off to a rocky start before he made birdie on the par-five ninth hole. He found his groove on the back nine, making six straight pars before bogeying the 16th hole and birding the last to shoot even par on the back nine.
Smith made a charge at the end, birding both the 16th and 17th holes to reach the playoff. Nikki Strandell shot 80 to finish third. Matthew Hendon and Adam Moore rounded out the top-five with rounds of 81.
Senior Division 2 – Carlos Mojica played the back nine in just three over par to win Senior Division 2 on Saturday with a round of 82. Mojica’s round was highlighted by a bridie on the par-three 17th hole. Bob Grove finished second in the division with a round of 85. Grove made two back nine birdies as he also shot 39 on the inward stretch.
Division 3 – Darrell Johnson grabbed the lead early in the round with his fast start as the Woodruff, SC native shot 79 to win Division 3 on Saturday. Johnson birdied the par-five third hole, and the par-four eighth hole to climb the leaderboard.
William Buie shot 81 to finish second, followed by A.J. Lee and Matt Houser in a tie for third place with rounds of 82. Buie led the division with three birdies, including two on the back nine.
Lee made the lone eagle of the day on the par-five third hole to kickstart his round. Houser took advantage of the front nine par fives, making birdies to shoot just two-over par on the front nine. David Croston rounded out the top five with a round of 83.
Senior Division 3 – Darrell Johnon’s round of 79 was also good enough to earn him the top honors in Senior Division 3. Johnson overcame a double-bogey on the second hole with a birdie on the par-five third hole en route to a 38 on the front nine.
William Buie’s three birdies on the day helped him finish second as well in Senior Division 3. His round of 81 included two back nine birdies. David Croston carded a round of 83 to finish third. His round was highlighted by a birdie on the par-five ninth hole.
Dan Eastep and Sonny Smith rounded out the division with rounds of 89 and 91, respectively.
Division 4 – Seven players finished within three shots of the lead on Saturday in Division 4 as Rodney Ferrell emerged victorious with a round of 87. Ferrell got his round off to an ideal start with a birdie on the opening hole. Ferrell also made two crucial pars on his final three holes to secure the win.
Charlie Warstler and Kyle Trammell tied for second place, just one shot behind after both players posted rounds of 88. Warstler shot 40 on the front nine, which included seven pars. Trammell made two front nine birdies to get his round started.
Shane Baldwin and Michael Shirley tied for fourth place with rounds of 89, just two shots off the pace. Baldwin birdied the par-five 14th hole on the inward stretch.
Stephen Sauceda and Kip Moore shot 90 to tie for sixth place in the closely contested division.
Senior Division 4 – Kip Moore used five pars on the back nine to win by five shots with a round of 90 on Saturday in Senior Division 4. The Rockmart, GA native felt right at home in the Upstate of South Carolina as he settled into his round on the inward stretch with three pars in his final five holes.
George Bright finished runner-up after carding a round of 95. Bright made the lone birdie of the division on the par-four eighth hole. Martin Brock and Scott Bryant rounded out the division with rounds of 96 and 97, respectively.
Division 5 – Philip Hoang’s birdie on the par-four opening hole was just a sign of things to come as he shot 91 on Saturday to win Division 5. Hoang made two pars on the front nine to go along with the birdie as he shot 47 on the front nine. A stretch of three straight pars on the back nine helped Hoang create separation on the leaderboard en route to victory.
Dick Jenkins shot 95 to finish second. Jenkins made three straight pars as he made the turn. Michael Addison finished third with a round of 96. Addison made three consecutive birdies to close the front nine.
Tim Kunkel and Danny Sullivan tied for fifth place with rounds of 98.
