Branyon Takes an Early Lead at the Carolinas Mid-Amateur

 

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. (April 16, 2021) -- First round results of the 41st Carolinas Mid-Amateur Championship at Columbia Country Club (Ridgewood/Tall Pines) in Blythewood, S.C. on April 16, 2021. The field is playing the Ridgewood/Tall Pines routing at 6,965 yards (par 36-36--72).

 

The CGA is conducting this championship under the COVID-19 Tournament Protocols. Learn more here. 

 

Related: Championship Web Site | Full Field | Starting Times | Scoring | History | Photos

 

The 41st Carolinas Mid-Amateur had already set a record before it even began. An unprecedented, 500+ players tried to qualify for the 150 available spots in the field this weekend. The 150 players that qualified battled it out today in the opening round at Columbia Country Club. 

 

Josh Branyon of Honea Path, S.C. took a strong lead after carding an exceptional 5-under-par, 67 today. After going 4-under through his first four holes (he started on No. 10), Branyon was feeling comfortable and continued to hit every green and fairway on the front nine (his back nine). Carding three more birdies on Nos. 3, 4 and 7 as well as bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9, he leads the field by three strokes entering the second round. 

 

After a successful opening round, Branyon wants to keep the same game plan and mindset through the weekend, which he remarked was “play carefree and let ‘er rip.”

 

The reigning North Carolina Mid-Amateur Champion, Chad Wilfong of Charlotte, N.C. is in a four-way-tie with James Lightsey of Indian Land, S.C., Anthony Conn of Raleigh, N.C. and Weston Bell of Piedmont, S.C. at 2-under-par, 70. They are tied for second position just three strokes off of the lead. 

 

With a five-way-tie at 1-under-par, 71 and nine players tied at even-par, 72, this championship is far from over with a stacked leaderboard and 36 holes left. 

 

The second round will begin tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. with starting times until 2:28 p.m. After the second round, the field will be cut to low 60 scores and ties for the final round on Sunday. Stay tuned to our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for live coverage of the second and final round. 

41st Carolinas Mid-Amateur Championship

Columbia Country Club (Ridgewood/Tall Pines), Blythewood, S.C.

First Round Results

 

Pos.	Player	City, State	To Par	Total
1	Josh Branyon	Honea Path, SC	-5	67
T2	Chad Wilfong	Charlotte, NC	-2	70
T2	Anthony Conn	Raleigh, NC	-2	70
T2	Weston Bell	Piedmont, SC	-2	70
T2	James Lightsey	Indian Land, SC	-2	70
T6	Wehman Hopke	Charlotte, NC	-1	71
T6	Cody Sundberg	Charlotte, NC	-1	71
T6	Zach Schwab	Columbia, SC	-1	71
T6	Connor Monaghan	Chapel Hill, NC	-1	71
T6	Timothy Driver	Holly Springs, NC	-1	71
T11	Joe Kastelic	Hickory, NC	E	72
T11	Austin Adams	Charlotte, NC	E	72
T11	Allen Caldwell	Sumter, SC	E	72
T11	Cyrus Stewart	Raleigh, NC	E	72
T11	John Eades	Charlotte, NC	E	72
T11	Sam Jackson	West Columbia, SC	E	72
T11	Stephen Lavenets	Willow Spring, NC	E	72
T11	Jeff Boyan	Winston-Salem, NC	E	72
T11	Zachary  Herold	Lexington, SC	E	72
T20	Matthew Younts	Greensboro, NC	+1	73
T20	Garland Ferrell	Greenville, SC	+1	73
T20	Dylan Lancaster	Spindale, NC	+1	73
T20	Robbie Biershenk	Boiling Springs, SC	+1	73
T20	Mark Olbrych	Raleigh, NC	+1	73
T20	Walt Todd, Jr	Greenville, SC	+1	73
T20	Russ Gillig	Taylors, SC	+1	73
T20	Chad Fultz	Charlotte, NC, NC	+1	73
T20	Chris Cassetta	High Point, NC	+1	73
T20	Michael Sims	Lexington, SC	+1	73
T20	Chase Liebler	West Columbia, SC	+1	73
T20	Wade Boteler	Burlington, NC	+1	73
T32	Doug Cottingham	Hopkins, SC	+2	74
T32	Brian Brian Mazhari	Charlotte, NC	+2	74
T32	Bo Beard	Waxhaw, NC	+2	74
T32	Jordan Sease	Lexington, SC	+2	74
T32	Jason Garrett	Stem, NC	+2	74
T32	Brian Lee	Blythewood, SC	+2	74
T32	Jay Roberts	Concord, NC	+2	74
T32	Todd Hendley	Columbus, NC	+2	74
T32	Nathan Mallonee	Charlotte, NC	+2	74
T32	Scott Lincicome	Pinehurst, NC	+2	74
T32	Raymond Wooten	Clemson, SC	+2	74
T32	Eddie Hargett	Blythewood, SC	+2	74
T32	Shawn Foley	Charlotte, NC	+2	74
T32	Brett Barry	Winston-Salem, NC	+2	74
T32	Russ Adams	Charlotte, NC	+2	74
T47	Bern Gregory	Mooresville, NC	+3	75
T47	Jonathan Hockaday	Sanford, NC	+3	75
T47	Scott Roberts	Lancaster, SC	+3	75
T47	Eric Lipson	Charlotte, NC	+3	75
T47	Damon Postal	Charlotte, NC	+3	75
T47	Dexter Rice	Charlotte, NC	+3	75
T47	Brandon Twigg	Charleston, SC	+3	75
T47	Hayden Ploeger	Fort Mill, SC	+3	75
T47	Greg Earnhardt	Greensboro, NC	+3	75
T47	David Sargent	Cornelius, NC	+3	75
T47	Will Dull	Charlotte, NC	+3	75
T47	Ryan Reynolds	Camden, SC	+3	75
T47	Brandon Cemprola	Columbia, SC	+3	75
T47	Daniel Neveu	Pinehurst, NC	+3	75
T47	Brian Quackenbush	Aiken, SC	+3	75
T47	Walker Taylor	Wilmington, NC	+3	75
T47	David Lott	Barnwell, SC	+3	75
T64	Charlie May	Charlotte, NC	+4	76
T64	Brian Mull	Wilmington, NC	+4	76
T64	Kyle Gebhart	Cayce, SC	+4	76
T64	Ryan Blair	Charlotte, NC	+4	76
T64	Will Wears	Durham, NC	+4	76
T64	Keith Early	Charlotte, NC	+4	76
T64	Jeff Tyrrell	Lyman, SC	+4	76
T64	Scott Patnode	Belmont, NC	+4	76
T64	Christian Sease	Greenville, SC	+4	76
T64	Kyle Bearden	Barnwell, SC	+4	76
T64	William Buchanan	Greensboro, NC	+4	76
T64	Sherrill Britt	West End, NC	+4	76
T64	DeeBo Kelly	Camden, SC	+4	76
T64	David Yowell	Charlotte, NC	+4	76
T64	Andrew Ward	Charlotte, NC	+4	76
T64	Brandon Truesdale	Rock Hill, SC	+4	76
T64	Sean Marks	Charlotte, NC	+4	76
T81	Ely Cornwell	Charlotte, NC	+5	77
T81	Brandon Miller	Winston-Salem, NC	+5	77
T81	Levi Shelton	Pineville, NC	+5	77
T81	Rik Wall	Greensboro, NC	+5	77
T81	Robert Dargan	Columbia, SC	+5	77
T81	David Banks	Richlands, NC	+5	77
T81	Robert Lutomski	Simpsonville, SC	+5	77
T81	Eric Mauntel	Charlotte, NC	+5	77
T81	Scott Park	Charlotte, NC	+5	77
T81	Luke Haithcock	Burlington, NC	+5	77
T81	C.J. Andriole	Charlotte, NC	+5	77
T81	William Ovenden	Mt. Pleasant, SC	+5	77
T93	Jeff Jordan	Mt. Holly, NC	+6	78
T93	Kevin Burton	Clayton, NC	+6	78
T93	Guy Lemke	Huntersville, NC	+6	78
T93	Joe Burns	Greensboro, NC	+6	78
T93	Jay Biber	Charlotte, NC	+6	78
T93	Thomas Deschler	Mount Pleasant, SC	+6	78
T93	Eric Sayer	Cary, NC	+6	78
T93	Kyle Austin	Raleigh, NC	+6	78
T93	Brett Harris	Franklin, NC	+6	78
T93	Nick Lukas	Wilmington, NC	+6	78
T103	David Cook	Cedar Point, NC	+7	79
T103	Kevin Busteed	Charlotte, NC	+7	79
T103	Ethan Woodall	Huntersville, NC	+7	79
T103	Faheem Amod	Raleigh, NC	+7	79
T103	David Gibson	Lexington, SC	+7	79
T103	Matt Kilgo	Charlotte, NC	+7	79
T103	Jim Aughtry	Concord, NC	+7	79
T103	Cody Clepper	Sumter, SC	+7	79
T111	Nathan Kohl	Greensboro, NC	+8	80
T111	Ryan Hodges	Greensboro, NC	+8	80
T111	Tom Chuaypradit	Winston-Salem, NC	+8	80
T111	James Holloway	Charlotte, NC	+8	80
T111	Matt Drinkhahn	Charlotte, NC	+8	80
T111	Chad Frye	Landis, NC	+8	80
T111	Jason Rossetti	Charlotte, NC	+8	80
T111	Brandon Reece	Rolesville, NC	+8	80
T111	Simon Boteler	Raleigh, NC	+8	80
T120	Mark Nieters	Winston-Salem, NC	+9	81
T120	Nathan Price	Lexington, SC	+9	81
T120	Marais Lombard	Charlotte, NC	+9	81
T120	Brian Hayes	Winston-Salem, NC	+9	81
T120	Ashley Berry	Pittsboro, NC	+9	81
T120	Ernest Young	Huntersville, NC	+9	81
T120	Ian Dabrowski	Charlotte, NC	+9	81
T120	Craig Cathey	Burlington, NC	+9	81
T120	Jeremy Boggs	Fort Mill, SC	+9	81
T120	Mitch Bagley	Charlotte, NC	+9	81
T120	Eric Williams	Goldsboro, NC	+9	81
T120	Jayson Jennings	Fuquay Varina, NC	+9	81
T132	Jack Merrell	Wake Forest, NC	+10	82
T132	Simon Cagle	Raleigh, NC	+10	82
T132	Ethan Bean	Elgin, SC	+10	82
T132	Kevin Stimberis	Mooresville, NC	+10	82
T136	Dice K Nakayama	Leland, NC	+11	83
T136	Nathan Hoffman	Pinehurst, NC	+11	83
T136	Tyler Shuler	Bryson City, NC	+11	83
T139	Matt Michel	Charlotte, NC	+12	84
T139	Ross Bell	Raleigh, NC	+12	84
T139	Casey Smith	Abbeville, SC	+12	84
T139	Jay Sylvan	Charlotte, NC	+12	84
T139	Lee Gronkiewicz	Columbia, SC	+12	84
T139	Bradley Helms	Winston-Salem, NC	+12	84
145	Jared Jillson	Columbia, SC	+13	85
146	Matt Wood	Hanahan, SC	+14	86
147	Bradford Mulkey	Dallas, NC	+15	87

 

Schedule of Rounds:
 

Saturday, April 17

Second Round - 18 Holes of Individual Stroke Play

8:00 a.m. to 2:26 p.m. Starting times off of #1 and #10

Field cut to low 60 scores and ties for final round

 

Sunday, April 18

Final Round - 18 Holes of Individual Stroke Play

8:00 a.m. to 9:48 a.m. Starting times off of #1 and #10

 

About the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA)

The CGA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization that was founded in 1909 to promote and to protect the game of golf in the Carolinas by providing competitions, education, support and benefits to golf clubs and golfers. The CGA is the second largest golf association in the country with over 700 member clubs represented by nearly 150,000 individuals.

The CGA annually conducts 48 championships and five team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. It also runs over 150 One-Day (net and gross) events as well as qualifying for USGA national championships. The CGA serves golf in the Carolinas with numerous programs such as: the USGA Handicap System; tournament management software and support; course measuring and course/slope ratings; agronomy consultation; answers about the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, and Handicapping; Carolinas Golf Magazine; Interclub series; Tarheel Youth Golf Association; Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame; expense assistance for USGA Junior and Girls' Junior qualifiers from the Carolinas; and the Carolinas Golf Foundation (CGF). The CGF has distributed nearly $2,000,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives including junior and women's programs.     

For more information about the CGA, visit our website.

 

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