2025 Upstate Deer Brook Golf Club Tournament Results

The Upstate Amateur Players Tour traveled across the North Carolina state line to Deer Brook Golf Club for its second to last tournament of the 2025 season. Golfers enjoyed a beautiful day for golf, with mild temperatures compared to the normal August heat.  

Located on the outskirts of Shelby, NC, Deer Brook Golf Club opened in the late 1990s as a 18-hole championship layout. Over the years, Deer Brook has hosted professional and junior tournaments, and has become a local favorite in Cleveland County, known for its stellar conditions and challenging green complexes.  

Deer Brook features pristine 419 grass on the tees and fairways, creating the truest and purest feel around. The course also still maintains bent grass, and features many difficult slopes, putting extra emphasis on keeping the ball below the hole.  

Saturday’s tournament drew a large crowd, as golfers took advantage of the opportunity to play Deer Brook while also competing for cash and VISA gift card prizes. The Upstate Amateur Players Tour travels the Upstate of South Carolina, offering golfers of all skill levels a chance to compete in one of ten different divisions. The tour also features an optional cash skins game each week as well.  

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

Division 1 – Shelby, NC native Rick Milligan made himself right at home Saturday, firing a round of 70, two-under par, to clear the field by three strokes. After shooting two-over on the front nine, Milligan found his groove on the back, birding the 10^th and 11^th holes before closing with three straight birdies on holes 16-18.  

Seth Hawkins finished second with a round of 73. Hawkins shot one-under par on the back nine, taking advantage of the 16^th and 17^th holes where he made birdie. John Masotti and Jody Clary tied for third place with rounds of 75.  

Randy Hodges rounded out the top five with a score of 75.  

Senior Division 1 – While Randy Hodges came up just short of the top prize in Division 1, his round of 75 was enough to take home the top spot in Senior Division 1. Hodges settled into his round with a birdie on the par-five eighth hole to shoot 38 on the front nine. Hodges made his final birdie of the day on the downhill, par-four 16^th hole en route to a round of 37 on the back nine.  

Stuart Smith finished second with a round of 79, highlighted by a birdie on the par-three 12^th hole as he shot 37 on the back nine.  

Division 2 – Dean Crouch was the class of the field in Division 2 on Saturday, putting together a stellar round of one-under par, 71 to win by seven strokes. Crouch birdied the downhill par-three third hole and made eight pars on the front nine to shoot one under.  

His back nine scorecard was rather clean as well, with his only blemish of the day coming on the par-four 18^th hole. Crouch birdied the first hole of the back nine, taking advantage of the uphill par-five 10^th hole.  

AJ lee, Terry Upright, Travis Wartluft, and Chris Joyner tied for second place as all four golfers posted rounds of 78. Lee overcame a tough start with consecutive birdies on the seventh and eighth holes. Upright’s round was highlighted by a birdie on the difficult par-four fourth hole.  

Wartluft placed himself in position with a round of 38 on the front nine. The Lake Wylie, SC native birdied the fifth and eighth holes to move to even par, before a double bogey on the dogleg right par-four ninth hole. 

Joyner bounced back from a double bogey on the 11^th hole with a birdie on the 12^th en route to a round of 38 on the back nine to finish tied for second place.  

Senior Division 2 – Dean Crouch made it a clean sweep of the weekend as his round of 71 was also enough to claim the top spot in Senior Division 2. Crouch made two birdies on the day and just one bogey, keeping himself steady throughout the round.  

Travis Wartluft finished runner-up with a round of 78. Wartluft carded a round of 38 on the front nine, including a pair of birdies. Much Howze finished third with a score of 79, as he added the exclamation point to his round with a birdie on the difficult par-four closing hole. 

 Juan Sedano and Mark Ballew finished tied for fourth place with rounds of 80 as both players made two birdies during the round.  

Division 3 – Eighteen holes of golf proved not to be enough as Sonny Smith and Cody Markovich found themselves tied with rounds of 80. In the end, it was Smith who emerged victorious in the playoff.  

Smith got off to a solid start Saturday, making pars on his first five holes before birding the par-five eighth hole. Markovich made a back nine charge, birding both the par-five 10^th and par-five 17^th holes to reach the playoff with a round of 38 on the back nine.  

Marc Janse van Rensburg and Tyler Phillips tied for third place with rounds of 81. Van Rensburg made birdie on the par-four seventh hole en route to a round of 41 on the front nine. Phillips made his lone birdie of the day on the downhill par-four opening hole. 

Gary Nivens rounded out the top five in the division with a round of 83, featuring a pair of birdies, coming on the eighth and 10^th holes. 

Senior Division 3 – Sonny Smith’s victory in Senior Division 3 came with a little less stress as the Lyman, SC native’s round of 80 cleared the field by three strokes. Smith made just one birdie on the day but stayed away from the big numbers. He played his first eight holes in even par, aided by a birdie on the par-five eighth hole. 

Gary Nivens finished runner-up with a round of 83. Nivens settled into his round with a two birdies in a three-hole stretch, taking advantage of the eighth and 10^th holes to battle back towards the top of the leaderboard.  

Tommy Boyter finished third with a round of 84, followed by Ronnie Strange in fourth place after posting an 85. Mark Stroupe rounded out the top five in the division with a score of 87.  

Division 4 – John Beck birdied two out of his last three holes, proving to be the difference in his two stroke victory after posting a round of 81. Beck shot 41 on the front nine before finding his groove late in the round. The Forest City, NC native birdied both the 16^th and 17^th holes to climb the leaderboard, and eventually win Division 4.  

Dexter Winfield finished second with a round of 83. Winfield played his last six holes in just two over par, including five pars. Ryan Riffle finished third with a round of 85. Riffle led the division in birdies with four on the day, including three on the front nine.  

Frank Felsburg finished fourth with a round of 86, followed by Jason Upright in fifth place with a score of 87.  

Senior Division 4 – Dexter Winfield came up just two shots short of the victory in Division 4, but that was not the case in Senior Division 4 as the Shelby, NC native claimed the top spot with a round of 83. Winfield made eight pars on the day, five of which came on the back nine as he closed out his victory.  

Frank Felsburg finished three strokes behind with a round of 86. Felsburg’s lone birdie of the day came on the par-three third hole, helping the Flat Rock, NC native settle into his round. Fred Carvalho finished third with an 89, followed by Scott Bryant in fourth with a score of 92. Tracy Franklin completed the top five in the division after posting a round of 94. 

Division 5 – Larry Lee was the class of the field in Division 5 as the Gaffney, SC native posted a round of 88 to win by six strokes. Lee made birdie on the difficult par-four fourth hole en route to a round of 45 on the front nine before posting a round of 43 on the back nine to secure the victory.  

Eric Barnes and Michael Addison tied for second place with rounds of 94. Barnes pared two of his final four holes to secure a tie for second as Addison made three back nine pars.  

Michael McGill finished fourth with a round of 96, followed by Vern Verna and Rodney Ferrell in a tie for fifth place with scores of 97. 

Senior Division 5 – Larry Lee made it a clean sweep of the weekend as his round of 88 was also enough to claim the top spot in Senior Division 5. Lee managed to avoid the big numbers on the back nine, carding a round of 43 on the inward stretch that featured pars on his final two holes.  

Vern Verna finished second with a round of 97, as his round was highlighted by a birdie on the par-four seventh hole. Tim Kunkel finished third with a round of 98, followed by Dick Jenkins and Sam Burgess in a tie for fifth place with rounds of 100.