2023 Apple Valley Golf Tournament Results

Fifty-five golfers braved the warm weather on Saturday in the Upstate Amateur Players Tour Tournament held at Apple Valley Golf Club in Lake Lure, NC. The players competed for cash and VISA gift card prizes throughout the day.

On Saturday, the golfers encountered a scenic mountain golf course nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Apple Valley is the rarest of layouts. Routed through the foothills surrounding scenic Lake Lure, the course is everything you want in a Western North Carolina Mountain setting.

Golf course architect Dan Maples, son of famed Ellis Maples, designed Apple Valley with the vast majority of holes playing either level or downhill. The course features large fairways and inviting greens, making the course incredibly playable for the average golfer.

The Upstate Amateur Players Tour travels around the Upstate of South Carolina, and portions of North Carolina as well, offering golfers of all abilities an opportunity to compete in ten different divisions, including senior divisions.

Here’s a breakdown of Saturday’s results by each division:

Division 1 – Mike Hartin ran away from the field in the top division, firing a round of 70 to claim the top spot. His round included three birdies on the back nine to close out his round with a 33 on the inward nine.

Greg Moore and John Schiemer finished in a tie for second with rounds of 78. Moore used three birdies on the front nine to help offset a pair of back-to-back double bogeys. Schiemer made a pair of birdies on the back nine as he carded a 37 coming in to the clubhouse.

Sam Gravley finished fourth in the top division with a round of 80.

Senior Division 1 – Greg Moore was the lone participant in Senior Division 1 on Saturday as he shot 78. His round of six over par included a steady string of pars on the back nine to close out the round.

Division 2 – A crowded field of 19 golfers in Division 2 made for some great competition down the stretch on Saturday. In the end, it was Perry Hartin who claimed the victory with a round of 73 as he bettered second-place finisher Robert LaCombe by just one shot.

Hartin made three birdies in his final eight holes to shoot one under par on the back nine and secure the victory. LaCombe, who shot 73, made a charge late in the round, but stumbled with a double bogey on the final hole.

Craig Vaughn shot 75 to finish in third place. Vaughn had a steady day as he scorecard featured 14 pars, including seven in a row to close the round.

Brandt Howard shot 76 and came home fourth. Jeremy Key shot 77 to round out the top-five.

Senior Division 2 – While Robert LaCombe came up just one shot short of the title in Division 2, his round of 74 was good enough to earn him the top honors in Senior Division 2 on Saturday.

LaCombe put on a charge late in the day with three birdies in a row beginning on the 14th hole. He paired it with two more birdies on the front nine.

Wayne Blyler finished second after posting a round of 78. Blyler played his final eight holes in even par to finish the round off strong. Blyler was followed by Carlos Mojica, who shot 79.

Robert Burgess came home fourth with his round of 80 as Jim Wiginton and Bob Grove tied for fifth place after both shooting 83.

Division 3 – Despite a challenging back nine to finish her day, Nikki Strandell still walked away a winner on Saturday with a round of 81 in Division 3. Strandell got off to an impressive start to her round with eight consecutive pars to begin.

After shooting one over on the front nine, Strandell stumbled slightly on the back nine with several double bogeys. She managed to offset those with a birdie on the par-five 15th hole.

Travis Blackwell finished second, two shots behind Strandell with a round of 83. Blackwell began to find his groove down the stretch as he birdied three out of his last four holes.

Todd Lynch and Sonny Smith tied for third place in Division 3 with rounds of 84. Kevin Vaughn and Mark Stroupe rounded out the top five with rounds of 87.

Senior Division 3 – Travis Blackwell used his fast finish to outlast a pair of challengers just one stroke behind in Senior Division 3. Blackwell claimed the top spot with his round of 83.

Todd Lynch and Sonny Smith finished runners-up in the division. Both fired rounds of 84. Smith’s day was highlighted by an impressive eagle at the par-five 15th hole.

Mark Stroupe shot 87 and finished fourth as Charlie Bulla rounded out the top five with a round of 88.

Division 4 – Thomas Gibson edged Scott Bryant and Kip Moore by one shot to win Division 4 on Saturday. Gibson carded a round of 82 that included a birdie on the par-four 13th hole.

Bryant and Moore shot 83 to finish in a tie for second place. Brant got off to a solid start on the day, as he birdied the third hole en route to a four-over par 40 on the front nine. Moore used two back nine birdies to climb the leaderboard before a double bogey to finish his round.

David Croston and Joseph Wirtz rounded out the top-five with rounds of 84 and 85, respectively to finish fourth and fifth.

Senior Division 4 – Thomas Gibson added to his winning day as he also took home the top spot in Senior Division 4 with his round of 82. Gibson played both sides in five-over par 41 en route to victory. He also closed his round with a solid run of just two over par in the final seven holes.

Scott Bryant and Kip Moore were runners-up, just one shot behind after posting rounds of 83.

David Croston and William Gibson finished fourth and fifth in the senior division with rounds of 84 and 88.

Division 5 – AJ Greer outlasted Tim Kunkel to win Division 5 on Saturday at Apple Valley. Greer parred two of his final four holes to post a round of 87 and secure the victory. Kunkel finished runner-up after shooting 89.

Greer got off to a rocky start before settling in with a birdie on the par-four 7th hole. He followed the birdie with two pars to close the front nine with 42.

Jan Kendrick finished third with a score of 93. Danny Sullivan and Bobby Lewis finished tied for fourth after both shooting 96.

Senior Division 5 – While Tim Kunkel came up just short in his bid to win Division 5, his round of 89 was good enough to win the top honors in Senior Division 5 on Saturday.

Kunkel had a steady stream of pars on the back nine, including three in a row to begin the inward trek. Danny Sullivan and Bobby Lewis finished tied for second with rounds of 96.

Lance Blackshear finished fourth as George Bright finished fifth.