2027 Lowcountry Boil (Elevated)

For players searching for Augusta GA amateur golf tournaments, or for competitive amateur golf anywhere across the CSRA and the Lowcountry, the Augusta Amateur Players Tour teed it up Saturday at Ocean Creek Golf Course in Fripp Island, South Carolina, for the two-round Lowcountry Boil Elevated Event. This was a combo event bringing together the Augusta, Charleston-Hilton Head, Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina tours, with 66 players across five divisions plus the Mid-Am Net and Senior Net games, and a prize pool of over $4,000 on the line. Players are flighted into divisions based on their APT Tournament Index. Saturday’s round was contested at Ocean Creek before the field moved to Ocean Point Golf Links for Sunday’s finish.

The tournament started off on Saturday at Ocean Creek with temperatures in the mid 70s and just a little bit of wind. Sunday at Ocean Point was a different proposition early: the morning began cool with a good 15 mph wind that made scoring difficult for the first groups out. The day improved steadily from there, with temperatures reaching the low 70s under bright sunshine.

Ocean Creek, a par 71 on Fripp Island, played hard on Saturday. Tight fairways put a premium on finding the short grass off the tee, and very fast greens punished anything above the hole. Ocean Point played a little easier on Sunday even with the wind — there was more landing area in the fairways, and the greens rolled a little slower. Across the two days the par-4 13th was the hole that gave up nothing at all: it surrendered no birdies and played a shot and a half over par, with only 24 pars made on it all tournament.

Universal Retirement, the Amateur Players Tour’s national sponsor, supported the event, and the tour’s thanks go to them.

Division 1 belonged to Jody Clary, who signed for a 69 on Saturday at Ocean Creek — the low round of the event — and then hung on at Ocean Point on Sunday to take the title at 68-over 146. It was not a procession. Jonathan Feldkamp was three strokes to the good at the six-hole checkpoint and still three clear at the twelve, and Joe Brooks was four ahead of Clary’s pace after twelve before the race leveled out at the fifteenth and Clary pulled away. Feldkamp, in from the Cincinnati/Dayton chapter and playing out of Maineville, Ohio, finished second at 73-over 151, with Brooks of Franklin, North Carolina third at 76-over 154. Brooks posted the second-lowest round of the event, a 73 at Ocean Point, and Feldkamp was next with a 74 there.

In Division 2, Joseph Combs of Ridgeland, South Carolina came back on Sunday at Ocean Point to capture his first APT title, posting 77-over 155 to win by two. Justin Bryant had been a shot ahead of Combs’ pace through six, but Combs was in front at every checkpoint thereafter and never surrendered the position. John Dobbins of Richmond Hill, Georgia took second at 79-over 157. Bryant, of Bluffton, South Carolina, and Weston Brown of Gaffney, South Carolina shared third at 83-over 161, and five players in the division finished within seven strokes of the lead.

Division 3 produced half of the weekend’s best story. Justin Gainey of Florence, South Carolina played steady golf on both days to be crowned Division 3 Champion at 78-over 156, four clear of the field, and it was the first APT win of his career. Gainey and Shawn Powers were dead level after six holes, but Gainey had edged two ahead by the twelve-hole mark and never let the margin close again. Powers, of Athens, Georgia, finished second at 82-over 160. Allen Morrell of Savannah, Georgia was third at 87-over 165, and Calvin Carter of Hendersonville, North Carolina took fourth at 91-over 169 to round out the money positions.

Division 4 went the distance and then some. Michael Chastain of Easley, South Carolina and Jeff Best of Hendersonville, North Carolina finished 36 holes locked together at 94-over 172, and Chastain came through the sudden-death playoff to claim the division. Chastain had been three strokes ahead of Best’s pace after six holes and three ahead again at the fifteen-hole checkpoint, but Best closed the gap when it counted and forced extra holes. Randy Carmichael of Walterboro, South Carolina was third at 99-over 177, and Brian Gregor of Bluffton, South Carolina and Brian Ward of Columbus, Indiana shared fourth at 100-over 178. Five players finished within seven strokes of the lead in the division.

Division 5 completed the family sweep. Wayne Gainey of Florence, South Carolina — Justin’s father — came back on Sunday at Ocean Point to take the Division 5 Championship at 102-over 180, three ahead of the field, and like his son he was winning an APT event for the first time. The two Gaineys both broke through on the same weekend. Kim Bailes of Shelby, North Carolina pushed Wayne Gainey hardest, sitting two back at the twelve-hole checkpoint before Gainey stretched the margin to five by the fifteenth, and finished second at 105-over 183. Tim Kunkel of Wellford, South Carolina finished in 3rd.

Clary made it a double. Already the Division 1 winner, he also won the Mid-Am Net Championship with a net 59-over 137, two strokes clear of the division. Justin Gainey added a second trophy of his own weekend to go with his Division 3 win, taking second in the Mid-Am Net at net 61-over 139 after briefly getting two ahead of Clary’s pace at the twelve-hole mark. Feldkamp was third at net 64-over 142, having been three to the good early before Clary reeled him in.

The Senior Net went to Powers, who followed his runner-up finish in Division 3 by leading the net game from the first checkpoint to the last. His net 54-over 132 was three better than Morrell, who likewise doubled up after his third place in Division 3 and posted net 57-over 135. Morrell was within a stroke after six and still within two with three holes to play, but could not close the gap. David Key, Sr. of Grovetown, Georgia was third at net 62-over 140, Carmichael was fourth at net 63-over 141, and Alan Reynolds of West Columbia, South Carolina, Best and Wayne Gainey all signed for net 64-over 142 to share fifth.

Next up on the Augusta and Charleston-Hilton Head tours is Mount Vintage Golf Club on Saturday, November 21, 2026 — space is limited and registration closes November 19th. Augusta then heads to Cedar Creek Golf Club on Sunday, December 6th, with registration closing December 4th. The Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina tours play Cummings Cove on November 14, 2026. The next Elevated combo event is the New Year’s Bash on January 2nd and 3rd, contested over the Palmetto Dunes Fazio Course and Harbour Town Golf Links.