A capacity field of seventy-six golfers turned out for the Upstate Amateur Players Tour tournament at Cherokee National Golf and Recreation Club in Gaffney on Saturday. Competing in 10 divisions, the golfers enjoyed the first day of July which brought heat to the Upstate. While the temperature reached over 90 degrees, the golfers managed to enjoy their round at one of the best kept secrets in the area.

Cherokee National is a semi-private club located off Highway 11 in Gaffney. Since 1963, Cherokee National has served as a recreation spot for locals for more than six decades. Its 18-hole championship layout includes a variety of tees, reaching all the way back to over 7,000 yards from the tips.

The Upstate Amateur Players Tour is a tour designed by the players, for the players. It features divisions for a wide range of ability, from experienced golfers to those looking to begin competing. The tour travels across the Upstate of South Carolina, and North Carolina as well with tournaments at some of the best courses.

On Saturday, the golfers encountered ideal conditions on the course. Cherokee National features more than 4,000 square feet of mini-Verde Bermuda greens as the putting surfaces were rolling swiftly during the round.

Golfers competed for VISA gift cards and cash prizes during the day. Here’s a breakdown of each division:

Division 1 – Eighteen holes weren’t enough to decide the winner in Division 1 on Saturday as Jody Clary, Greg Moore, and BJ Humphries all posted rounds of 74. In the end, Clary picked up the victory in the playoff.

Clary used a steady string of pars on the back nine to shoot even par on the more challenging side. He also took advantage of the par fives on the front nine with two birdies.

Moore and Humphries finished tied for second. Humphries closed his round with five straight pars to reach the playoff. Joey Golinski finished fourth with a round of 75. Mike Hartin and Jacob Sigmon finished tied for fifth with rounds of 77.

Senior Division 1 – While Greg Moore came up just short of the top spot in Division 1, his round of two-over par 74 did earn him the honors in Senior Division 1. After bogeys on the second and fourth holes, Moore steadied his round with two birdies on the back nine. He managed to get his round back to even par midway through his closing nine.

Jacob Sigmon finished second, posting a 77. Sigmon bounced back from back-to-back bogeys on the front nine with a birdie on the ninth hole. His back nine included seven pars en route to shooting 38.

David Thomasson secured a third-place finish after shooting 79. His round was highlighted by birdies on the third and fifteenth holes.

Division 2 – James Dillard and Bobby Ream battled down the stretch and found themselves tied after eighteen holes as both players posted a round of 77. Dillard claimed the top-spot in a playoff.

Dillard tied it up atop the leaderboard with his birdie on the par-five 18^th hole. Ream closed his round out with five straight pars to finish second.

Division 2 featured 20 golfers on Saturday, the largest division of the tournament. A five-way tie for third place included Joe Tucker, Carlos Mojica, Phillip Telsrow, Bob Grove, and Chad Faulkenberry. All five players finished at six-over par, 78.

Senior Division 2 – The results were much the same in Senior Division 2 as James Dillard secured first place in a playoff after his round of 77. Dillard’s front nine included three birdies on the 2^nd, 5^th, and 8^th holes.

Bobby Ream finished second after shooting 77 as well. Ream made easy work on the front nine with eight pars and just one bogey.

Joe Tucker, Carlos Mojica, and Bob Grove finished in a tie for third place after shooting 78. Grove shot 38 on the back nine after birdies on the 10^th and 17^th holes.

Division 3 – Two birdies late on the front nine helped steady Wayne Blyler en route to posting a 76 to win Division 3 on Saturday. Blyler birdied the challenging par-four seventh hole, along with the par-five ninth.

Jake Lancaster and Josh Calhoun finished tied for second as both players shot 78. Lancaster finished his round off in style with an eagle on the par-five 18^th hole. Calhoun had a steady day as his scorecard included 14 pars.

Russell McDonald shot 79 to finish fourth as Dylan Helms rounded out the top-five after carding an 81.

Senior Division 3 – Wayne Blyler’s round of 76 was also enough to take home the top spot in Senior Division 3 on Saturday. Russell McDonald came home second, three shots behind Blyler.

McDonald played his final five holes of the day one-under par en route to his runner-up finish. Nestor Santana, Ronnie Strange, and Sonny Smith finished in a tie for third with rounds of 82. Mark Torres finished sixth after carding an 86.

Division 4 – Gregg Pruitt outlasted the competition in Division 4 on Saturday as his round of 81 locked up the top spot. Pruitt parred his final three holes en route to victory. John Pearson finished second after shooting 86. Pearson’s round was highlighted by birdies on the 1^st and 15^th holes.

Vic Lawrence finished third after posting an 87. Fred Carvalho shot 88 to finish fourth as Jerry York rounded out the top-five with a round of 89.

Senior Division 4 – While John Pearson came up just short in Division 4, his round of 86 cleared him by one shot to win Senior Division 4 on Saturday. Pearson shot 44 on the front nine before carding a 42 on the more difficult inward nine.

Vic Lawrence finished second, one shot behind Pearson. Lawrence got off to a steady start with four pars on his first five holes.

Fred Carvalho shot 88 to finish third. Jerry York and Jimmie Chapman rounded out the top-five with rounds of 89 and 92, respectively.

Division 5 – Colby Crow felt right at home on Saturday as he cruised to victory after firing an 81 to win Division 5. The Gaffney native used two birdies on the front nine to card a five-over par 41. Birdies on the 10^th and 18^th holes cleared Crow by nine shots over second place.

George Bright finished second after shooting 90. Bright got off to a sizzling hot start with birdies on the first two holes. Danny Sullivan finished third with a 91, followed by Kyle Macklin who shot 92 in fourth.

Bobby Lewis and Rodney Ferrell tied for fifth place after shooting 93.

Senior Division 5 – George Bright outlasted Danny Sullivan to win Senior Division 5 on Saturday with a round of 90. Bright made three birdies on the day, including two on par-threes.

Bobby Lewis finished third after shooting 93. Sean Hammonds and Tim Kunkel r

TOURNAMENT RESULTS