While four golfers entered the final round of the Spartanburg County Amateur at the Carolina Country Club with a chance to win, by the back nine it was down to just two.

Two time Spartanburg County Champion Robbie Biershenk and second round leader Brad Sill played most of the final round as if it was match play between the two.

The county title would come down to which golfer blinked and neither one did until the 13th hole.

Sill appeared to be in trouble off the tee on the par 5 hole, but a good recovery shot from the woods gave him a chance to save par, but he was able to do even better..

‘”The tee was up and I pushed my drive, but I was able to lay up ,” he said. “The wedge I hit wasn’t very good , but it left me a 20 foot straight flat putt and I was able to make it,” said Sill.

Biershenk settled for a par and Sill never lost the one shot advantage he gained on the hole.

First round leader Reed Bentley and former Wofford golfer Dustin Adair, the other two golfers in the final group, would finish fourth and fifth respectively.

Sill got a little breathing room when Biershenk bogeyed the 16th hole, but while most attention was on the final group a golfer in the next to last group was on a tear.

Lee Bedford had opened the tournament with rounds of 70 and 71 and began the final day trailing Sill by six shots.

His final round included 8 birdies an eagle and just two bogeys to finish with the best round of the tournament, an 8-under par 64.

His 11-under par total gave him the temporary clubhouse lead with one group still on the course.

With Biershenk trying to catch up with him and Bedford finished Sill stuck to his game plan in the final holes of the last round.,

“Today I was steady. I hit it in the middle of the green, two putted for par and went on, I hit my irons really well this week, I just kind of told myself I was playing against myself. If I could make a couple of birdies onthe back I could win.,” he said.

On the final hole Biershenk had a chance to put some pressure on Sill, but his birdie putt came up short.

Sill finished his round with a center of the cup12 foot birdie to record a 68 and a two shot nargin of victory, The new county champion shot rouds of 66-69-68 for his 13 under par 203 total.

“This is pretty great to get the win, I played in the tournament a few times before I turned pro and I think I was second or third one year, but I’ve only played in two or three since I got my amateur status back and it feels great to be the county champion,” he said.

The Spartanburg championship included a Tournament division open to golfers with a handcap of 8 or more,

Will Deichman claimed a five shot victory over Evan Zell to win the Division.

Flight winners included, Flight One – Ryan Smith, Second Flight – AK Milner, Third Flight – Lyle McCracken, Fourth Flight – Ron Parker,.

The Spartanburg County Amateur as well as the other County tournaments are conbducted by the First Tee Upstate which receives a contribution for the organizations youth golf programs,. –

Scores from the Spartanbutg County Amateur Championship https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/10456972284504624013

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