The Upstate Amateur Players Tour traveled to Weaverville, NC on Saturday for a tournament at Reems Creek Golf Club. Fifty-six players teed it up across ten different divisions as more than $3,000 in cash and VISA gift cards were awarded following the day of golf.

Designed by players for players, the Upstate Amateur Players Tour provides competition for golfers with at all skill levels. Across the divisions, prizes include cash and VISA gift cards, along with a skins game each week, as well.

On Saturday, the tour enjoyed ideal weather as the temperatures approached ninety degrees and the skies were clear throughout the day.

“We couldn’t have asked for better weather to play golf on Saturday,” said Larry Lee, Owner, and Operator of the Upstate Amateur Players Tour. “Reems Creek was in fantastic shape. The course is short, so there were several birdies made throughout the day.”

During Saturday’s rounds, there were several highlights including Kip Moore firing his career best round of 82 in Division 4. Zach Boyd made the first three holes look easy with consecutive birdies to open his round. Jacob Sigmon used a fast finish to conclude his round, birding the last three holes of the tournament.

Reems Creek Golf Club is in the mountains of North Carolina, within 10 minutes of Asheville. Reems Creek offers a secluded setting that captures the splendor and beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The course has been regularly rated at 4 stars on Golf Digest’s prestigious “Places to Play” list.

Most of the holes on the par-72 mountain course have elevation changes that test players’ ability to pick the right club to fit the terrain. Golfers also find that most of the par-4s are target holes that require accuracy and strategy. Reems Creek offers a unique opportunity to play on all Bentgrass turf, as well.

Here’s a breakdown of each division:

Division 1 – Parker Seppala used two birdies on the back nine to fire an even par round of 71 and win in Division 1 on Saturday. Seppala outlasted Jacob Sigmon and Bo Herron, who finished in a tie for second just one shot behind.

Sigmon’s round featured six birdies, including three on his final three holes. Herron got off to a steady start on the front nine, shooting even par 36. Jethro Niemela finished fourth with a round of 74 as Jonathan Wood rounded out the top-five with a 75.

Division 2 – Jeff Ferguson settled into his round after back-to-back bogeys on the front nine en route to carding a 74 to win Division 2 on Saturday. Ferguson used a birdie on the par-three 14th hole to create separation from the rest of the field.

Travis Wartluft and Bradley Thurman finished in a tie for second, both firing rounds of 77. Wartluft opened his round with a one-over par 37 on the front nine. Thurman got off to a rocky start with four bogeys on his first four holes before finding his groove with a back nine 37 on the way to the clubhouse.

Blake Payne posted two birdies during his round to shoot 78 and finish fourth. Carlos Santana finished fifth, posting a score of 79.

Senior Division 2 - Travis Wartluft’s round of 77 was enough to clear him by four shots to win Senior Division 2 on Saturday. Cuong Ton shot 81 to finish second. Carlos Mojica and Terry Newsome finished tied for third with rounds of 82. Bob Grove shot 85 to complete the top-five.

Division 3 – Zach Boyd’s impressive start to his round propelled him to victory with a score of 75 in Division 3 on Saturday. Boyd birdied his first three holes and added two more birdies throughout his round to clear second place finisher Wayne Blyler by three shots.

Blyler shot 78 as his round got off to a solid start with a one-over par round of 37 on the front nine. Ronnie Strange finished third with a round of 79. Darrius Prysock shot 81 to finish fourth.

Casey Meadows, Sonny Smith, and Josh Calhoun finished in a tie for fifth place after posting rounds of 82.

Senior Division 3 – Four pars in his last six holes was enough for Wayne Blyler to take home first place in Senior Division 3 on Saturday. Ronnie Strange finished second with a round of 79 that featured three birdies.

Strange took advantage of the 8th and 9th holes on the front nine before birding the par-four 13th hole as well. Sonny Smith finished third with a round of 82 that also included three birdies.

Tony Koechli got off to a steady start before shooting 86 to finish fourth. David Huff rounded out the top-five with a round of 87.

Division 4 – Kip Moore posted a career-low round of 82 to edge out Mark Jones and William Gibson for the top spot in Division 4 on Saturday. Jones finished just one shot behind the pace with a round of 83 that included four birdies.

Gibson came home third, shooting 84. Andy Parker finished fourth with a round of 88 as Gene Mason and Scott Bryant tied for fifth place with rounds of 90.

Senior Division 4 – Kip Moore’s round of 82 was enough to also score the victory in Senior Division 4. Mark Jones finished second with a score of 83, which included birdies on two of the four par-three holes on the course. Andy Parker birdied his second to last home and posted a round of 88 to finish third.

Scott Bryant shot 90 to finish fourth as Darrell Arledge rounded out the top-five with a score of 91.

Division 5 – David Croston used eight pars on the day to shoot 86 and secure first place in Division 5 on Saturday. Coston opened with a score of 42 on the front, before shooting 44 on the back. Rodney Ferrell finished second after posting a round of 91. Ferrell got off to a steady start with pars on his first four holes.

Tim Kunkel finished the day in third place, shooting 93. Michael McGill and Michael Addison both shot 96 to tie for fourth place.

Senior Division 5 – David Croston’s round of 86 was also good enough to take first place in Senior Division 5 as well on Saturday. Tim Kunkel finished second in the division with a round of 93.

Bobby Lewis shot 99 to finish in third place. George Bright and Andy Alcon rounded out the top-five with rounds of 104 and 105, respectively.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS