2025 Upstate – Riverbend Golf Club Results

The Upstate Amateur Players Tour stepped just across the state line on Saturday, hosting its tournament at River Bend YMCA Golf Course in Shelby, NC. The tournament featured plenty of close competition and excitement as well, as Michael Mullins made a hole-in-one on the par-three 12^th hole in Division 2.  

The golfers found a picturesque layout nestled in Clevland County at River Bend, as it remains one of the best kept secrets in the area. The course features some of the best MiniVerde greens in the region, along with Bermuda fairways. Opened in 1966 by Bob and Paul Porter, the River Bend YMCA Golf Course is one of the few YMCA owned golf courses in the United States, resting its ideals and mission on values of character building and self-potential.  

The Upstate Amateur Players Tour travels the Upstate of South Carolina, and portions of North Carolina, offering golfers of all skill levels an opportunity to compete for cash and VISA gift card prizes. With ten different divisions, including senior divisions as well, the tour has become a favorite of golfers throughout the area. 

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

Division 1 – Randy Hodges steady day of golf landed him the top spot in Division 1 as the Monroe, NC native shot 77 to win by six on Saturday. Hodges made seven straight pars to open his round. Hodges made his lone birdie of the day on the uphill par-four 13^th hole as he carded a round of 39 on the back.  

John Schiemer shot 83 to finish second, bouncing back from a tough start on the front nine. Schiemer played his final six holes in even par, including a pair of birdies on the long par-five 15^th hole and the par-three 16^th hole. William Werner finished third with a round of 85, highlighted by a birdie on the par-four seventh hole. Werner used the birdie to move back to even par through his first seven holes to tie Hodges.  

Division 2 – Josh Johnston emerged from a crowded field of challengers to win Division 2 on Saturday with a round of 74. Johnston shot one under par on the back nine, using birdies on the 13^th and 15^th holes to climb the leaderboard and secure the victory by just one stroke.  

Judd Dye was close behind in second place, posting a round of 75. Dye also shot 35, one under par, on the back nine, making consecutive birdies on the 12^th and 13^th holes. Dye also made five straight pars to close the day.  

Terry Upright and Scott Nichols shot 77 to tie for third place. Upright made birdie on the par-three third hole as he shot just two over par on the front nine.  Nichols made two back nine birdies to shoot 37 on the closing stretch. Nichols took advantage of the short par-four 11^th hole and the par-four 13^th hole.  

Brayden Anderson rounded out the top five in the division with a score of 79. Anderson played his last six holes in two under par, making birdies on the 15^th and 17^th holes.  

Senior Division 2 – While Scott Nichols came up just short of the victory in Division 2, his round of 77 was enough to earn the top spot in Senior Division 2. Nichols made three birdies on the day, two of which came in a three-hole stretch on the back nine as he shot 37 on the inward nine.  

Jeff Ferguson finished second after posting a round of 80. After a tough start, Ferguson played his last seven holes on the front nine in just one over par, aided by a birdie on the par-five sixth hole.  

JB Anderson and Michael Mullins finished tied for third place with rounds of 82. Anderson made his lone birdie of the day on the par-four ninth hole as Mullins’ round was highlighted by a hole-in-one on the 12^th hole. The hole-in-one helped Mullins shoot just one over par, 37, on the back nine. Jason Breedlove rounded out the top five in the division with a round of 83 in fifth place.  

Division 3 – Eighteen holes of golf proved not to be enough as a playoff was needed to break the tie between Joshua Partridge and Jeff Pauley as both players carded rounds of 78. In the end, it was Partridge who emerged victorious.  

After a slow start on the front nine, Partridge found his groove on the back, playing the closing stretch in just one over par, 37. The Augusta, GA native birdied the par-five 15^th hole en route to his victory.  

Pauley erased two bad holes with two birdies on the front nine, as he took advantage of the third and fourth holes. Pauley added another birdie on the par-four 17^th hole to reach the playoff against Partridge.  

Weston Brown finished third with a round of 79. The Gaffney, SC native made two birdies on the day, the last of which came on the par-five 15^th hole.  

Marc Janse van Rensburg shot 80 to finish fourth as his round was highlighted by two back nine birdies. Charles Mines finished fifth with a round of 81.  

Senior Division 3 – Although Jeff Pauley fell short in the playoff in Division 3, no extra golf was needed in Senior Division 3 as the Mill Springs, NC native took the top spot with his round of 78. Pauley made three birdies on the day, two of which came on the front nine. He played the back nine in just one over par, including a birdie on the short par-four 17^th hole.  

Charles Mines finished second, three shots back with a round of 81. Mines made 11 pars on the day, including four in his first five holes of the back nine. Myron Samuels finished third after carding a round of 83.  

Samrat Sen and Sonny Smith tied for fourth place with scores of 85 as Sen’s round was highlighted by a birdie on the par-four ninth hole.  

Division 4 – Justin Sartain outlasted a crowded field of 18 competitors in Division 4 to win with a round of 81 on Saturday. Sartain made two birdies on the day, the last of which came on the par-four 13^th hole. 

Frank Felsburg finished second, firing a round of 83. Felsburg made birdie on the par-three third hole as he shot 42 on the front nine. Kyle Trammell finished third with a round of 84, featuring two birdies. Trammell took advantage of the dog-leg right par-five 10^th hole, making birdie en route to a round of 41 on the back nine.  

Tony Pharr and Robert Gibson rounded out the top five in fourth and fifth place with rounds of 85 and 86, respectively.  

Senior Division 4 – Frank Felsburg proved to be the class of the field in Senior Division 4, posting a round of 83 to win by two strokes.  Felsburg shot 41 on the back nine, including five pars. His lone birdie of the day came on the par-three third hole.  

Tony Pharr shot 85 to finish second. Pharr shot 40 on the front nine, including a birdie on the par-three fifth hole. Robert Gibson finished third with a score of 86, followed by Calvin Carter and Scott Bryant in a tie for fourth place with rounds of 89. 

Division 5 – Michael Addison pared three of his last four holes, securing his victory with a round of 84 in Division 5. Addison found his groove early on the front nine, playing a four-hole stretch in one under par with a birdie on the par-five sixth hole.  

Wyatt Fulbright finished second with a round of 87. Fulbright made eight pars on the day, including five pars in his first seven holes on the back nine.  

Bill Turner and Tim Kunkel tied for third place with rounds of 91. Turner’s round was highlighted by a birdie on the par-three 16^th hole. Tim Deyton led the division in birdies and shot 92 to finish fifth. Deyton made his final birdie on the par-five 10^th hole to kick start his back nine.  

Senior Division 5 – There was no separation between Bill Turner and Tim Kunkel after 18 holes of golf, as both players carded rounds of 91, leading to a playoff. In the end, it was Turner who emerged victorious in Senior Division 5. Turner made his lone birdie of the day on the par-three 16^th hole as Kunkel found his groove on the back nine with five pars.  

Vern Verna finished third with a round of 98, followed by Dick Jenkins in fourth place with a round of 101. Sam Burgess rounded out the top five in the division in fifth place with a score of 105.