2025 Reems Creek Golf Club Tournament Results

The Upstate Amateur Players Tour traveled to North Carolina this past weekend, as the tour’s tournament at Reems Creek Golf Club featured a competitive field and plenty of sunshine for an ideal day on the course.  

Nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, just a short 10-minute drive from downtown Asheville, Reems Creek Golf Club offers golfers a picturesque and challenging mountain course that has become a favorite among locals and visitors alike. 

Known for its tranquil setting and breathtaking views, Reems Creek combines natural beauty with strategic design to create an unforgettable golfing experience. The par-72 layout winds through rolling hills and wooded terrain, presenting players with dramatic elevation changes on nearly every hole. These undulating fairways and sloped greens force golfers to make careful club selections and emphasize shot placement over power. 

The course, which has consistently earned 4-star ratings in Golf Digest’s prestigious “Places to Play” guide, is praised for its playability, scenery and maintenance. Many of the par-4s are considered true target holes, requiring precision and thoughtful course management. Water hazards and bunkers are strategically placed to add both challenge and visual appeal without overwhelming the average player. 

The Upstate Amateur Players Tour travels the Upstate of South Carolina, along with portions of North Carolina and Georgia as well, offering golfers of all skill levels a chance to compete for cash and VISA gift card prizes. The tour offers competitors a chance to some of the best courses in the area while enjoying the camaraderie of the fellow golfers.  

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

Division 1 – Jethro Niemela made seven birdies on the day, proving to be enough as the Woodruff, SC native carded a two-under par round of 69 to claim the top spot. Niemela made four birdies on the front nine, including birdies on the eighth and ninth holes. Niemela erased three back-nine bogeys with three more birdies.  

DJ Freese, Christopher White, and John Schiemer tied for second place, close behind Niemela as all three golfers posted rounds of even-par, 71. Freese made six birdies on the day, including three in his final four holes to climb the leaderboard.  

White got off to a red-hot start, making birdie on the first hole before eagling the par-five third hole en route to a round of one-under par on the front. Schiemer was steady on the front nine, making three birdies and six pars.  

Scott Weber rounded out the top five in the division with a round of 72, which included four birdies.  

Division 2 – Ten golfers finished within five strokes of the eventual winner in Division 2 as when the dust settled, it was Matthew Hendon who claimed the victory with a round of 74. Hendon made two birdies on the front nine to shoot even par. Despite a tough start to the back nine, Hendon made birdie on the par-five 18^th hole, proving to be the difference in his one-stroke victory.  

JB Anderson and Zack Boyd were close behind in second place, posting rounds of 75. JB Anderson made two birdies in a three-hole stretch on the back nine as Boyd made two of his birdies early in the round, moving to two-under par with his second birdie of the day on the par-four fifth hole.  

Richard Crawford, Scott Stevenson, and Mitch Howze shared a tie for fourth place with rounds of 76. Crawford found his groove on the back nine, playing his final seven holes in one-under par. Stevenson bounced back from a tough front nine to post even par on the back, featuring two birdies. Howze made 13 pars on the day as his lone birdie came on the par-five third hole.  

Senior Division 2 – Matthew Hendon made it a clean sweep of the weekend with his round of 74, claiming the top spot in Senior Division 2 as well. The Greer, SC native made two front nine birdies to position himself for the back nine. Hendon added the exclamation point on the 18^th hole, making birdie to secure a one-stroke victory.  

JB Anderson finished runner-up with a round of 75. Anderson birdied the par-five third hole before paring five of his final six holes on the front nine. He offset a double-bogey on the 10^th hole by making birdies on the 12^th and 14^th holes.  

Mitch Howze came home third with a round of 76. Howze’s highlight of the round came on the par-five third hole. Dan Eastep and Jeff Ferguson rounded out the top five with rounds of 78 and 79, respectively.  

Division 3 – Chase Davies’ run to the finish included three birdies in his final six holes, posting a round of 72 to win Division 3 on Saturday. Davies birdied the 13^th, 15^th, and 18^th holes as he shot one over on the back nine.  

Weston Brown and Jeff Pauley were close behind in second place, posting rounds of 74. Brown found his groove on the back nine, making six pars, a birdie, and just two bogeys to climb to second place. Pauley kept his scorecard clean throughout the day, making eagle on the par-five third hole before making seven pars on the back nine.  

Cody Markovich finished fourth with a round of 76, followed by Kyle Ramsey and Tristan Lehtonen in a tie for fifth place with rounds of 77.  

Senior Division 3 – While Jeff Pauley came up just short in Division 3, his round of 74 was enough to claim the top spot in Senior Division 3. The Mill Springs, NC native offset two front nine bogeys with his eagle on the par-five third hole. His back nine featured seven pars, including six in a row to close the round and secure the victory.  

Mark Stroupe finished second with a score of 78. Stroupe attempted to make a back nine charge, birding the 15^th and 18^th holes. Lyle Gumer finished third with a round of 83, which included two birdies.  

Ronnie Thornton and Sonny Smith rounded out the top five in the division with rounds of 86 and 87, respectively.  

Division 4 – Jeff Best lived up to his name Saturday, proving to be the class of the field on Saturday with a round of 79 to secure the top honors in Division 4. Best made two front nine birdies, taking advantage of the par-five third hole and the par-three sixth hole.  

Robert Gibson finished second with a round of 82, three strokes behind. Gibson’s highlight of the round came on the par-three 14^th hole where he made birdie. Kyle Trammell finished third with a round of 83, followed by David Croston in fourth with a score of 84.  

Zach Hutchinson rounded out the top five in the division with a round of 84.  

Senior Division 4 – Jeff Best made it a clean sweep as his round of 79 also earned him the top honors in Senior Division 4. Best made two birdies on the day, including his first on the par-five third hole. The Hendersonville, NC native shot 38 on the front nine, positioning himself atop the leaderboard.  

Robert Gibson finished second in the division with a round of 82. David Croston posted a round of 84 to finish third, followed by Peter Fahey in fourth place after posting a score of 88. Fahey got off to a solid start, playing his first six holes in just one-over par, including a birdie on the par-five third hole.  

Dexter Winfield rounded out the top five in the division with a score of 90. 

Division 5 – Bruce Hutchinson and Tim Kunkel were involved in a tight battle down the stretch, as in the end, it was Hutchinson who had just enough to win with a round of 88. Hutchinson made two pars in his final four holes, proving to be the difference in his one-stroke victory.  

Kunkel came home second with a round of 89, highlighted by his birdie on the par-five third hole. Kunkel shot 43 on the front nine to open his round.  

Bill Turner finished third with a round of 93 as Dick Jenkins finished fourth with a score of 95. Jenkins made his lone birdie of the day on the third hole. Vern Verna completed the top five in the division with a round of 97.  

Senior Division 5 – The same battle that played out in Division 5 also took center stage in Senior Division 5 as Bruce Hutchinson scored the narrow victory with a round of 88. Hutchinson made three pars on his final nine holes, two of which came in the last four holes.  

Tim Kunkel finished second with a round of 89, featuring a birdie on the third hole to get his round going. Bill Turner finished third with a round of 93, followed by Dick Jenkins in fourth place with his round of 95. Vern Verna rounded out the top five, carding a round of 97 that included two back nine pars.