2023 The Fort Club Golf Tournament Results

Forty-three players enjoyed a beautiful spring day on Saturday afternoon as they competed at the historic Fort Golf Club in Ninety-Six, SC as a part of the Upstate Amateur Players Tour. 

Players with a wide range of skill sets competed for more than $3,400 in cash and VISA prizes during the afternoon. The Upstate Amateur Players Tour features five different divisions, along with senior divisions, for golfers of all handicaps.  

Located less than two miles from a site that played a pivotal role in the American Revolution, The Fort Golf Club gets its name from the Star Fort located in Ninety-Six. Established in 1968 and designed by George Cobb, the club is filled with challenging holes and rich history. The course is a traditional tree lined layout with 5 sets of tees for players of all abilities. 

On Saturday, players encountered wet conditions after the heavy rain on Friday afternoon. While Saturday brought sunny skies to the area, the competitors played lift, clean, and place to help negotiate the conditions.  

“The course played a little more difficult with the wet conditions left over from Friday,” said Larry Lee, Owner, and Operator of the Upstate Amateur Players Tour. “The staff at The Fort Golf Club worked with the tour to get the course marked and ready for tournament play. They were also more than willing to assist us anytime we asked.” 

Here’s a breakdown of each division from Saturday’s tournament: 

Division 1: Beginning his round on the back nine, Jody Clary got off to a hot start with three birdies in six holes as he edged out Colby Pope for first place in the top division. Clary fired a round of 70 to secure the victory.  

Pope used a pair of birdies on his final nine holes to card an even par round of 72. Greg Moore finished a shot behind in third place with a round of 73. Bo Herron shot 76 to finish fourth as John Schiemer finished fifth with a round of 77.  

Senior Division 1: Greg Moore pieced together three straight birdies on his final nine holes to card a round of 73 and take first place in Senior Division 1. His round featured four birdies in total as he shot under par on his closing nine. Rob Gravley finished in second place with a round of 81 that was highlighted by a birdie on the par-three seventh hole.  

Division 2: Five birdies and an eagle was more than enough for Brandon Pearson to take home first place in Division 2 with an impressive round of 67. After a red-hot start to the round with three birdies, Pearson ended his round with an exclamation point, playing his final four holes in four under par.  

An eagle on the par-five sixth hole was followed by birdies at the eighth and ninth holes to finish out the five under par round. Joe Tucker and Carlos Mojica finished in a tie for second with rounds of 77.  

Mitch Howze finished fourth, shooting 78. Bob Groove rounded out the top-five finishers with a round of 79. 

Senior Division 2: Joe Tucker and Carlos Mojica settled the score with a playoff for first place in Senior Division 2. Mojica emerged victorious after both players carded rounds of 77.  

Tuckers five over par round featured three birdies as Mojica posted a back nine score of two over par en route to victory in the division. Mitch Howze finished third as Bob Groove finished fourth in the division.  

Division 3: Garrett Blyler and Zack Boyd were locked in a close battle throughout the day as they vied for the top spot in Division 3. Blyler used four consecutive pars to close his round of 75 to take home first place in the division. Boyd, who shot 77, finished second. He attempted to make a charge going to the inward nine with two birdies in three holes around the turn.  

Donnie Ouzts shot 81, finishing in third place. A birdie on the par-four fourteenth hole helped Ouzts card a back nine score of 39. Nestor Santana shot 82 to place fourth. Frederick Velazquez, Todd Lynch, and Greg Valmas tied for fifth place with rounds of 85. 

Senior Division 3: Nestor Santana found his groove on the final nine holes as he carded a round of 82 to take first place in Senior Division 3. Santana birdied the par-three seventh hole as he shot an impressive three over par on the front nine.  

Todd Lynch finished second in the division just three shots behind with a round of 85. His round featured three birdies, the most in the division. Mark Stroupe made two birdies in his round of 87 to finish in third place. James Dillard and Sonny Smith rounded out the top five with rounds of 88 and 89, respectively.  

Division 4/Senior Division 4: Wayne Blyler outlasted two competitors and carded a round of 80 to win first place in Division 4 on Saturday. The Gray Court, SC native finished things off in style with a birdie on the seventh hole as his round ended.  

Richard Albritton finished in second with a round of 88. Darrell Arledge rounded out the division in third place, posting a round of 90. 

Division 5: Extra golf was required to determine the winner of Division 5 as Colby Crow and AJ Greer were locked in a tie atop the leaderboard after posting rounds of 92. It was Crow who prevailed in the playoff to score the victory.  

Rodney Ferrell finished just one stroke behind in third place, carding a round of 93. His scorecard featured five pars on the back nine. A round of 96 landed Tim Kunkel in fourth place. Bobby Lewis completed the top five with a round of 97. 

Senior Division 5: All five players finished within five shots of the winner as Tim Kunkel scored the victory in Senior Division 5 with a round of 96. He was closely followed by Bobby Lewis who carded a round of 97 to finish second. Third place went to Thomas Lanford, who shot 98. A 99 from Damon Hubber secured a fourth-place finish as George Bright rounded out the division in fifth place with a 101.   

Next on the schedule, the Upstate Amateur Players Tour will travel to Connestee Falls in Brevard, NC for a tournament on May 6. Registration is already open!