The Sherwood Fall Classic

The Arkansas Amateur Players Tour returned to The Greens at North Hills on Saturday, November 7 in Sherwood, Arkansas for a premier amateur golf tournament, another stop on a 2027 schedule of Arkansas amateur golf tournaments. A field of 28 players competed across five divisions on the par-71 layout, with the Mid-Am Net and Senior Net games running alongside. Players are flighted into divisions based on their APT Tournament Index.

The Greens at North Hills gave up very little through its toughest stretch. The par-4 13th was the hardest hole on the card, surrendering no birdies all day and playing nearly two shots over par, with only five pars among the 28 players who faced it. The par-3 7th, by contrast, was the steadiest hole on the property, yielding 11 pars.

In Division 1, Chad Wintz of Jacksonville, Arkansas posted a 6-over 77, the low score of the day, matched only by Bruce Upton’s number in Division 2. Wintz went out in 4-over 40 and came home in 2-over 37, building the round on 12 pars and a birdie at the par-4 14th. He played his closing six holes in 1-under, the kind of finish that separates a good round from an ordinary one.

Division 2 belonged to Bruce Upton of Hot Springs Village, who led after six, after 12 and after 15 holes and never surrendered the front, closing out a three-shot win with his own 6-over 77. The centerpiece was an eagle 3 at the par-5 12th — the day’s only eagle, and at the one hole on the course that consistently gave something back, with five birdies also falling there. Upton signed for 10 pars, turning in 3-over 39 and coming home in 3-over 38. Elisha Payne of Gibsland, Louisiana took runner-up honors at 9-over 80, and did it the hard way: four back after six holes, Payne went out in 7-over 43 before a 2-over 37 on the inward half, with birdies at the par-4 8th and the par-5 12th, trimmed the margin to two with three to play. Jody Braud of Hot Springs Village and Jim Melescue of Jonesboro shared third at 10-over 81, Braud opening with a birdie at the par-5 1st and Melescue adding one of his own at the 12th. Five players finished within seven shots of the lead.

Division 3 produced the tightest finish of the gross flights. Landon Mannion of Vilonia held a three-shot cushion after six holes, saw LR Gardner of Hot Springs draw dead level by the turn through 12 and still level with three to play, and then found the two strokes he needed down the stretch to win at 14-over 85. Gardner settled for second at 16-over 87, with Richard McClendon of Hot Springs Village third at 19-over 90.

Division 4 turned on the middle of the round. Todd Carter of Greenwood actually trailed by one after six holes before taking control, and his 17-over 88 held up for a seven-shot win. Carter made the bulk of his score on the outward half, turning in 6-over 42 with eight pars on the card. Jeff Corder of Hot Springs National Park finished in 2nd, with Barry Wingard of Bismarck in 3rd.

Division 5 came down to a single stroke. Brian Puckett of Royal led by one after six holes and never gave the advantage back, closing with a 26-over 97 to win by one. Tony Ethridge of Maumelle and Tyler Roberts of Greenbrier each signed for 27-over 98 to share runner-up honors and round out the money positions, Roberts getting to within two of the lead through 15 holes. Three players finished within two shots of one another at the top.

Mannion completed the double-dip in the Mid-Am Net, posting a net even-par 71 to win by seven. Roberts was next at net 7-over 78, with Timothy Quinn of Texarkana third at net 9-over 80. Mannion led that contest at every checkpoint and was the only player in the game to break par on a net basis.

Upton made it two for two in the Senior Net, where his net 1-under 70 was the only under-par net number of the day and good for a three-shot win. Payne and McClendon tied for second at net 2-over 73 apiece, Payne closing to within two of the lead through 15 holes before Upton pulled clear again. Three players finished within five of the top number. The day’s two gross winners in Divisions 2 and 3 both walked away with a net title alongside it — Upton in the Senior Net, Mannion in the Mid-Am Net.

The Arkansas chapter’s 2027 season continues, with points from Sherwood now on the board and the chapter’s players back at it at the next stop coming in the spring.