CHS Country Club of South Carolina Elevated Tournament Results

The Charleston Amateur Players Tour made its way north this past weekend for an elevated event at the Country Club of South Carolina in Florence. With beautiful weather greeting them on Saturday, golfers from across the region turned out to compete for higher stakes on one of the area’s premier layouts.  

The Country Club of South Carolina provided a challenging setting for the tournament, with its layout designed by noted architect Ellis Maples. Located in the north-central part of the state, the course winds through forests and along creeks, giving it a feel similar to the classic courses of neighboring North Carolina. 

The layout features two distinct nines. The front nine loops around Polk Swamp before moving through a residential area, while the back nine remains largely untouched terrain, winding through woods and native wetlands with several carries over Black Creek.  

The Charleston Amateur Players Tour hosts tournaments across the Lowcountry, offering golfers of all skill levels a chance to compete in one of five different divisions. The tour awards cash and VISA gift card prizes to division winners, along with an optional cash skins game. 

Designed by the players, for the players, the Charleston Amateur Players Tour strives to create a world-class golfing experience for its competitors.  

Here’s a breakdown of the results from Saturday’s tournament by division: 

Division 1 – Eighteen holes of golf were not enough to determine a winner in Division 1 as David Gibson and Michael Porreca finished tied atop the leaderboard with rounds of 75. In the end, it was Gibson who emerged victorious in the playoff.  

Gibson made two birdies on the front nine, the first of which came on the short par-four fourth hole. He followed it up with another birdies on the par-three seventh.  

Porreca trailed Gibson by three after the front nine, but used a birdie on the par-five 11^th hole to move within striking distance. Porreca made his final birdie on the par-five 17^th hole.  

Joe Brooks finished third with a round of 78, followed by Evan Moody in fourth after posting a round of 80. Cooper Younggreen, Carson Bailey, and Darryl Phelps finished tied for fifth place as all three golfers shot 82. 

Division 2 – A.J. Lee’s birdie on the par-four 18^th hole proved to be the difference in his victory as the Gaffney, SC native carded a round of 78 to win Division 2. Lee got his round going on the front nine with a birdie on the par-five sixth hole as he shot two-over par on the opening stretch.  

Mark Ballew finished second with a round of 79. Ballew tried to make a back nine charge, making six pars, including three in his final four holes. Mark Murphy came home third with a round of 80. Murphy made his lone birdie of the day on the dog-leg left, par-four 13^th hole.  

Chris Conner, Hank Stolz, and Cliff Marcum finished tied for fourth place with rounds of 81.  

Division 3 – Eight golfers finished within three shots of the eventual winner in Division 3 as Chad Aiken claimed the top spot with a round of 85. Aiken overcame a tough start, making birdie on the par-five sixth hole as he played his final five holes on the front nine in two-over par. Aiken made five pars on the back nine, proving to be just enough to secure the victory.  

John Beck and Doug Robertson were close behind in second place as both golfers posted rounds of 86. Beck made birdie on the par-three 16^th hole as Robertson led the division with two birdies on the round.  

John Benton and Justin Gainey rounded out the top five in a tie for fourth place with rounds of 87. 

Division 4 – Kenneth Johnson got off to a red-hot start, paving the way to his victory in Division 4 with a round of 83. Johnson made two birdies in his first three holes, playing the first five holes of the tournament in two-under par. Johnson made four pars on the back, two of which came in the final three holes.  

Ryan Riffle and Bobby Worthman tied for second place with rounds of 85. Riffle’s round was highlighted by a birdie on the par-four fourth hole, followed by three straight pars. Worthman took advantage of the par-three third hole, making birdie as he shot 40 on the opening stretch.  

Randy Poplin and Casey Price rounded out the top five in the division with rounds of 87 and 90 in fourth and fifth places, respectively.  

Division 5 – Billy Jones made two crucial pars on the back nine, carding a round of 98 to win Division 5. Jones settled into the round on the front side, playing the last four holes in four-over par.  

John Greider and Rick Taylor finished tied for second place with rounds of 101. Greider made four pars on the round, including two on the back nine. Taylor got off to a solid start, playing the first five holes in four-over par.  

Matt Colman finished fourth with a round of 103, followed by Steven Eisenberg in fifth place with a score of 106. 

Mid-Am (Net) – A.J. Lee made it a clean sweep of the weekend as his net round of 74 was enough to claim the top spot in the Mid-Am Net division. Lee made a birdie and a net eagle on the front nine to shoot even par. He finished his round in style with a net eagle on the par-five closing hole.  

Hank Stolz finished runner-up with a net round of 75. Stolz played the front nine in one-over par with eight pars and a bogey. He made two net birdies on the back nine to secure the podium finish.  

Justin Greider fired a net round of 76 to finish third. Greider made three net birdies on the back nine, including one of the par-four 18^th hole. John Beck shot 78 to finish fourth, followed by Matt Miller and Zach Hutchinson in a tie for fifth place with rounds of 79. 

Senior (Net) – Randy Poplin and Kenneth Johnson finished tied atop the leaderboard in the Senior Net division as both golfers finished with even par rounds of 72. Poplin saved his best golf for the back nine, making three net birdies in a row before making a net eagle on the uphill, par-four 15^th hole. Johnson made four net birdies on the front nine, starting the round four-under through the first five holes.  

Cliff Marcum finished third with a round of 74, followed by Warren Rennox in fourth place with a score of 75. Ralph Perritano rounded out the top five with a net score of 76 in fifth place.