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The Upstate Amateur Players Tour kicked off the new 2026 season in high fashion on Saturday, hosting its tournament presented by Spring Park Driving Range at Village Greens Golf Club in Gramling, SC.
The dream for Village Greens Golf Club began in 1969 when a group of men formed the Mountain Valley Development Company. After assembling about 100 acres between Inman and Gramling, Village Greens Golf Course was established.
The group hired local golf course architect Russell Breeden, and grading began under L.L. Hyder Construction of Landrum. With most of the land already cleared, workers planted hundreds of trees to help define the course’s layout. Care was taken to preserve views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which can be seen from nearly every hole—from Glassy Mountain to Chimney Rock and beyond.
More than 40 years later, Village Greens continues to thrive under the ownership of the Gaines and Gramling families. The club remains committed to improving the course while providing golfers with an affordable and enjoyable experience on every round.
Golfers took advantage of a beautiful fall Saturday as they embarked on another season of tournaments with the Upstate Amateur Players Tour. Designed by the players, for the players, the tour offers golfers of all skill levels a chance to compete in one of five different divisions for cash and VISA gift card prizes.
The Upstate Amateur Players Tour has a stellar slate of tournaments set for the new season, traveling the Upstate of South Carolina along with portions of North Carolina and Georgia as well.
Here’s a breakdown of the results from Saturday’s tournament by division:
Division 1 – Jody Clary’s 2026 season got off to an ideal start, firing a round of 73 to win Division 1 on Saturday. The Shelby, NC native bounced back after two early bogies, birding the par-five fifth hole to move to one-over par. Clary finished the round with 13 straight pars, posting an even par 36 on the inward stretch.
Shayne Burger led the division in birdies with four on the day as he carded a round of 74 to finish in second place. Burger shot 40 on the front nine, including back-to-back bridies on the fifth and sixth holes. Burger also birdied the 16th and 17th holes to shoot two-under par, 34 on the back nine.
Brad Johnson finished third with a round of 78, featuring two birdies on the round. Dylan Lancaster and Brandyn Norton rounded out the top five in the division with rounds of 79 in a tie for fifth place.
Division 2 – Eighteen holes of golf proved not to be enough as Logan Pendergrass, Zack Boyd, and Eric Stanwick all carded rounds of 76. In the end, it was Pendergrass who emerged victorious in the playoff. Pendergrass made two birdies in his final four holes to shoot 38 on the back nine and reach the playoff. The Pendleton, SC native made four birdies on the day as he outlasted the crowded field.
Boyd played his best golf on the front nine, birding the par-four fourth hole en route to a round of one-over par, 37. Boyd tied with Stanwick for second place following the playoff. Stanwick also got off to a hot start, using three birdies in his first six holes to shoot even on the front nine.
AJ Lee and Chris Lombardozzi finished tied for fourth place with rounds of 78, missing the playoff by just two strokes. Lee made three birdies during his round as Lombardozzi finished with two on the day.
Division 3 – Five golfers finished within three strokes of the lead as Ronnie Strange walked away with the victory in Division 3 on Saturday with a round of 79. Strange’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-five fifth hole, en route to a round of 39 on the front. Strange added a birdie on the par-four 10th hole, helping secure a one-stroke victory.
Kyle Ramsey finished second, just one stroke behind Strange with a round of 80. Ramsey held the lead in the division after the front nine, using an eagle on the par-five fifth hole to shoot even par, 36.
Dylon Kelly, Eric Sage, and Gregg Pruitt finished tied for third place with rounds of 81, two strokes back. Kelly made two back nine birdies, including one on the par-five closing hole. Sage played his final five holes of the front nine in two-under par to shoot 39 on the front. Pruitt saved his best golf for the back nine, playing the closing stretch in even par with three birdies.
Division 4 – David Croston managed to avoid the big numbers on Saturday, putting together a steady round of 83 to claim the top spot in Division 4. The Franklin, NC native shot 42 on the front nine before playing his first six holes of the back nine in just two-over par. His lone birdie of the day came on the par-five 13th hole.
Billy Trull finished second with a round of 85, two strokes behind. Trull started his round in style with a birdie on the par-five opening hole. Trull made five back-nine pars, as he attempted to climb the leaderboard.
Bruce Shively shot 86 to finish third, followed by Derrick Sage in fourth place with a score of 87. Shivley made seven pars on the day, four of which came on the back nine. Sage’s round was highlighted by a birdie on the par-five opening hole.
Djuan Johnson, Danny Sullivan, and Peter Fahey finished tied for fifth place with rounds of 89.
Division 5 – Bill Turner and Rodney Ferrell found themselves in a two-man race down the stretch on Saturday in Division 5. When the dust settled, it was Turner who claimed the victory by just a single stroke with a round of 91. Turner made five pars on the round, including three on the back nine. His round of 45 on the back featured pars on the 10th, 14th, and 15th holes. Ferrell, who finished runner-up with a round of 92, got off to a solid start, posting a round of 44 that included a birdie on the front nine.
Dick Jenkins, Michael Addison, Bruce Reeves, and Anna Cyphers-Smith tied for third place in the division with rounds of 97. After struggling out of the gate, Addison found his groove on the back nine, making birdie on the par-five 13th hole as he played his final six holes in three over par.
Mid-Am (Net) – The Upstate Amateur Players Tour also held a Mid-Am Net division, claimed by Gregg Pruitt who fired a net round of 70. Pruitt played his best golf on the back nine, posting a net score of 31, helping the Roebuck, SC native win by three strokes.
Weston Brown overcame two bad holes on the front nine to shoot one over par 73 in the net division as he finished second. Brown made three net birdies in his final seven holes to climb the leaderboard.
AJ Lee finished third in the net division with a round of 74, followed by Derrick Sage in fourth with a 75. Bruce Reeves rounded out the top five in the division with a net round of 76.
Senior (Net) – Ronnie Strange’s solid day of golf paid off in a big way as the Spartanburg, SC native carded a net round of 69 to win the Senior Net division. Strange was red-hot from the start, playing his first five holes in four under par with his handicap index. The back nine got off to a fast start as well with three net birdies in the first five holes.
Bruce Shively came home second in the net division with a score of 70. Shively made a charge towards the top of the leaderboard late in his round, making four net birdies in a five-hole stretch as he shot two-under par on the backnine.
Eric Stanwick, Lyle Gumer, Eric Sage, Danny Sullivan, David Croston, Sam Burgess, and Rodney Ferrell finished tied for third place with rounds of 71 to round out the top five.
