He had to wait a year, but Rod Overholt made the most of his second chance.

Last summer, the Greenwood Country Club golfer reached a four-man playoff in the final Budweiser Classic at Boscobel Golf Club—only to see the title slip away.

This time, under a new tournament name—The Bel Classic presented by LongHorn Steakhouse—Overholt found himself in familiar territory: tied for the lead after two rounds and headed back to the first playoff hole. But this time, there were only two other challengers to beat.

Joining him were two accomplished players: former Budweiser champion Raymond Wooten, and Brandon Masters, a former state high school champion from Wren who has collected a handful of weekend amateur titles, including next week’s Saluda Valley event.

The Road to the Playoff

Early on, it looked like the 2025 Bel Classic might belong to another former champion. Cole Patterson, a Presbyterian College alum, opened with a sparkling 5-under-par 67 to lead by a shot after Round 1.

Patterson held the lead well into Sunday’s final round before the tournament began to shift. An errant shot on the back nine cost him a stroke, and Masters capitalized with a birdie to briefly grab the lead.

But Masters’ stay at the top was short-lived—Wooten surged with birdies of his own to get to 6-under.

The closing stretch was a grind for all three contenders. No one knew exactly where they stood until scorecards were signed.

“I didn’t know there was going to be a playoff until I turned in my card,” Overholt said. “That birdie putt I missed on the last hole could have won it.”

Overholt had finished his back nine in style, shooting 32 to earn his spot in the playoff. Wooten’s 6-under-par 66 was the day’s best round, paired with an opening 72. Masters, thinking his 5-under total might be enough, lost a shot and finished at 4-under to join the other two in the playoff,

The Playoff Drama

At Boscobel, playoffs traditionally start on the par-4 ninth hole, and this year was no exception.

[VIDEO: Wide shot of all three players preparing on the 9th tee – establishing shot]

Masters and Overholt each found good position off the tee.

Wooten, however, produced the most unconventional drive of the day—his ball caught the cart path multiple times and came to rest just outside the golf shop door.

From there, Wooten played a remarkable pitch over the practice green, across the approach area, and onto the ninth green, leaving himself a makeable putt to stay alive.

Masters was just off the putting surface and elected to pitch rather than putt. His ball caught the edge of the cup but spun several feet past.

…and suddenly the championship was on Overholt’s putter. From 15 feet, he rolled it dead center.

“It was a nice little chip in there, and I was lucky enough to make the putt,” Overholt said. “After last year, it feels good to close one out.”

A Busy Amateur Season Pays Off

Overholt’s win capped a year where he played seven Amateur Players Tour events, winning six and using the competition to sharpen his game.

“I was trying to learn things that would help me in the future—how to close things out, how to be more consistent,” he said. “There’s a lot of good players out there, and it’s been a good year.”

This win joins his 2022 win at the Festival tournament to earn Overholt two significant championships.

Final Standings (Top 3 Overall)

1. Rod Overholt – Champion
   T2. Raymond Wooten
   T2. Brandon Masters

Flight Winners

• First: Raymond Wooten
• Second: Jeremy York
• Third: Ken Herren
• Fourth: Jon Guest
• Fifth: Carl Adkins
• Sixth: JT Sims
• Seventh: Josh Horton
• Eighth: Jake Crosson
• Grinder: Thomas Schutt

Senior Division Champion: Coach Pam Prescott – 3-under total, 4th overall