The Arkansas Chapter of the Amateur Players Tour planted the APT flag in North/West Arkansas this weekend. 21 Players would roll into Fort Smith to take on Ben Geren Golf Club to battle it out to be crowned a Champion. The weather was near perfect Saturday morning as the 21-player field took to the course and the score were as hot as the weather.
Division 1 was a tight race from start to finish as the 5 Division 1 guys where lighting up the course. In the end Chris Dorosh would take home the win posting a score of 3 over par (75). Brayden Marnell would take second place finish posting a 4 over par (76) and Rick Coatney would take the third-place spot posting a score of 5 over par (77).
Division 2 was a tight race as well! As Bryan Hawkins and Mark Brailey would battle it out all day. After a rocky start on first three holes Bryan Hawkins would settle in and find his grove. But Mark Brailey was not going away quietly as he also would find his grove on the back 9. After battling it out for 18 holes Bryan Hawkins would become the Division 2 Champion at Ben Geren, posting a score of 4 over par (76). Mark Brailey would post a score of 6 over par (78) to take the second-place finish. And Andrew Dolson would finish in the third place.
Division 3 players would find their selves in a dog fight! LR Gardner and Bruce Upton would finish the front nine neck and neck both posting a (41) as Billy Molton would be hot on their heels posting a (42) on the front 9. As the made the turn things would start to change, as Elisha Payne started to make his charge on the back nine. As Elisha Payne would await his fate in the club house with a total score of (85). As the rest of Division 3 finished up their round LR Gardner would also post a final score of (85) to give us our first playoff of the day. As Elisha Payne and LR Gardner play Hole # 10 a par five, they would both find them selves with a par to move on to hole #11 a par 4 where LR and Elisha would both be green side in two. Elisha would leave himself an 8-foot putt for par and LR would have a 2-foot putt for par. Elisha sinks his 8-foot putt to put the pressure on LR who would just miss his 2-footer for par to give Elisha Payne the win over LR Gardner. Bruce Upton would take home the third-place finish posting a total score of (88).
In Division 4 Kenneth Taylor would find him self with his third win in a row on the APT, Posting a score of (83). Nick Taylor would finish in second posting a score of (85).
In Division 5 Traci Taylor would out take home her second victory on the APT as she posted a score of (93) to take the win over Travis Kimbriel who posted a (95) to take home second place. Joseph Bagent would finish in third place in his first appearance on the APT posting a final score of (105).