2024 Original Icebreaker Golf Tournament Results

Ninety-eight players battled blustery conditions over the weekend in Hilton Head, SC, as the Upstate Amateur Players Tour and the Charleston Amateur Players Tour teamed up to host its Original Icebreaker Tournament at Palmetto Dunes. During the weekend, golfers enjoyed the beautiful coast of the Palmetto State while playing two of the premier courses in the area and competing for nearly $11,000 in cash and VISA gift card prizes.  

The Upstate and Charleston Amateur Players Tours offers golfers of all skill levels a chance to compete in a PGA tournament like atmosphere. 

Competitors began the weekend of golf on Saturday with a round at the Robert Trent Jones course at Palmetto Dunes. The course features challenges and enjoyment for golfers of all skill levels. Golfweek rated the Robert Trent Jones course as one of the 2023 “Best Courses You Can Play in SC”. 

Sunday’s final round unfolded on the Arthur Hills course. This 18-hole championship layout has hosted major college golf tournaments in the past, with competitors such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and David Duval in the field. The Aurthur Hills course was awarded as the 2023 “Travelers’ Choice” by TripAdvisor.  

Throughout the weekend, golfers battled windy conditions as the breeze was steady, gusting at times above 20 miles per hour. Despite the conditions, the competitors managed to strategically plot their way around the difficult courses.  

Here’s a breakdown of the results from each division: 

Division 1 – After holding a share of the lead after the first round, Derek Nicholson used four pars on his final five holes to secure the top-spot in Division 1 on Sunday afternoon. Nicholson shared the lead with Jody Clary following the first round as both players opened with a 74. Nicholson, a native of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, shot 78 on Sunday to outpace the field.  

Tyler Drewitz and Matteo Blanchfield finished in a tie for second place. Drewitz shot 75 on the first day before finishing the weekend with an 82. Saturday’s round presented its own share of challenges for Blanchfield as he posted a round of 81. He bounced back on Sunday with a round of 76. 

T.J. Hines finished in fourth place after posting two rounds of 79. His round on Sunday included two birdies on the front-nine, one on the first hole and another on the par-four fifth hole. Brandon Pearson, Clary, and Ryan Bakken finished tied for fifth place. Person carded rounds of 78 and 81, as Clary shot 74 – 85. Bakken shot 78 – 81 to round out the top-five.  

Senior Division 1 – Curt Miller was crowned the winner of Senior Division 1 after the weekend of golf. Miller posted rounds of 81 and 85. The Raliegh, NC native found his groove on the front nine Sunday, stringing together four straight pars en route to a round of 41 on the outward nine.  

Division 2 – Three birdies on the back nine during Sunday’s round proved to be enough for James Davis to win Division 2 on Sunday. The Roswell, GA native recorded rounds of 81 and 78 to win the division during the weekend of golf on the coast. Davis shot even par on the back nine Sunday to win by six shots over his closest competitor.  

Andy Stevenson finished runner-up in the division, posting rounds of 83 and 82. Stevenson was two shots off the lead after the first day, but rallied on Sunday to secure the second-place position. The Anderson, SC native birdied both the first and ninth holes on Sunday to shoot just three over par on the front nine.  

Mike Hubert finished third with rounds of 81 and 85. After holding a share of the lead after the first day, Hubert fell slightly on the leaderboard after a string of bogeys on the back nine of Sunday’s round. Bryan Wimberly and Thomas Caravajal rounded out the top-five with scores of 81 – 87 and 83 – 85, respectively.  

Senior Division 2 – While Mike Hubert came up just short of the top spot in Division 2 on Saturday, he led wire-to-wire for the victory in Senior Division 2 after posting rounds of 81 and 85. Hubert made seven pars on the front nine during Sunday’s round to build himself a cushion as he won by three strokes over the nearest competitor. Hubert’s weekend was highlighted by a pair of birdies on Saturday when he carded his opening round of 81. 

Ray Tricarico came home in second place, posting rounds of 84 and 85. His round of 85 on Sunday included a score of 41 on the back nine, featuring a birdie on the par-five closing hole. Robert Bullard finished in third place with scores of 87 and 85. Chris Conner and Rick Lee rounded out the top-five in the division, posting scores of 84 – 93 and 88 – 90, respectively.  

Division 3 – A steady weekend of golf by Michael Cioffi secured the Augusta, GA native the victory in Division 3 over the weekend. Cioffi opened with a round of 86 before closing with an 85 to come from behind and score the win. Cioffi trailed by five shots after the first round but erased the deficit on Sunday to win by two strokes.  

Dan Ahlers finished second after holding the first-round lead with a score of 81. The Denver, NC native found the going tough on Sunday with a round of 92. His round on Saturday included an impressive 11 pars as he shot just four over par on the back nine.  

Misael Moreno finished in third place with rounds of 84 and 90, followed by Darrius Prysock and Chase Hatcher, who tied for fourth place. Prysock recorded rounds of 86 and 89 as Hatcher shot 91 and 84.  

Senior Division 3 – Michael Cioffi came from behind in Senior Division 3 as well over the weekend, clearing his nearest challenger by five shots with rounds of 86 and 85 at Palmetto Dunes. Shawn Powers finished in second place after holding the first-round lead by two shots over Cioffi. Powers shot 84 – 92 to lock up the runner-up position.  

Allen Morrell and Darrell Johnson tied for third place, both posting a 182-stroke total for the two days of golf. Morrell’s and Johnson’s rounds on Sunday were highlighted by a birdie on the par-five 18^th hole.  

John Benton rounded out the top-five in the division with rounds of 83 and 100. Benton led the tournament after the first round but struggled to find his footing on Sunday.  

Division 4 – Robert Gibson made five pars on the front nine Sunday to solidify his position atop the leaderboard in Division 4 after resting on a lead following the first round. Gibson shot 85 on Saturday to take the lead before firing a 91 on Sunday to close the weekend on competition. 

The Fletcher, NC native staved off a late charge by Mike Burnett, as Burnett his final five holes on the back nine in even par, including a birdie on the par-five 18^th hole. Sitty Mendez and Adam Wright tied for third place after both recording a total of 183 strokes during the weekend. Buddy Robinson and Jeff Leagan shot a total of 186 to finish in a tie for fifth place.  

Senior Division 4 – Enjoying a comfortable five shot lead after the first round, Robert Gibson’s round of 91 on Sunday was enough to also claim Senior Division 4 on Sunday afternoon. Sitty Mendez finished in second place with rounds of 92 and 91, followed by James Siders, Jr. and Dave Funkhouser who tied for third place with a 36-hole total of 187.  

Dexter Winfield rounded out the top-five in the division, posting rounds of 90 and 102. 

Division 5 – An intense battle played out down the stretch on Sunday as Emmett Warner erased a five-shot deficit to win Division 5 over runner-up Austin Hubert. Warner trailed Hubert entering the final day and used a final round of 93 to win the division. Hubert opened the tournament with 92 and held the overnight lead. His round of 100 left him in second place when the dust settled on Sunday afternoon.  

Travis Shively finished third, carding rounds of 95 and 100. Jan Kendrick and Don Hamblett rounded out the top-five with 36-hole totals of 200 and 201, respectively. 

Senior Division 5 – Emmett Warner’s rounds of 97 and 93 were more than enough to win Senior Division 5 over the weekend. His round on Sunday was highlighted by a birdie on the par-three third hole. Jan Kendrick finished runner-up, 10 shots back from Warner. She fired rounds of 96 and 104 to secure the second spot.  

Don Hamblett, Danny Sullivan, and Naveed Akhtar rounded out the top-five. Hamblett shot 100 and 101 as Sullivan was consistent over two days as he shot 102 during both rounds. Akhtar shot 108 in each round.