For the better part of the last several years, Reed Bentley has walked away from the Spartanburg County Championship knowing he was close.

A shot here. A putt there.

The margins were small, but the result was always the same. Bentley would leave disappointed, knowing he had another opportunity slip away.

This year was different.

Bentley opened with a six-under-par 66, survived a difficult second round that threatened to derail his chances, then closed with another bogey-free 66 to capture the Spartanburg County Championship at 12-under par and finally earn a place on one of the area’s most respected trophies.

“It’s excellent,” Bentley said. “I’ve been so close so many times. It feels really good to get it done finally. My name is going to be on that trophy and nobody can take it off now.”

The championship, conducted by First Tee-Upstate South Carolina, once again attracted one of the strongest fields of local amateurs and former collegiate players.

The opening round quickly turned into a showcase of low scores and memorable moments.

Three-time county champion Kevin Roberts recorded an ace on the eighth hole, using a 7-iron from 195 yards. Cody Frye added a hole-in-one of his own on the fourth hole. The timing made it even more memorable as his father, Skip, had just arrived and watched the shot disappear into the cup — the first shot he saw all day and his son’s first career ace.

Tom Fraser set the early pace with a six-under-par 66 before Bentley matched the number in impressive fashion. Bentley birdied four of his first five holes and shot 30 on the front nine before settling for a share of the lead.

Roberts sat one shot back after a 67 while former Spartanburg County Senior champion Max Fain opened with a 68.

The tournament tightened considerably during the second round.

Former USC Upstate golfer Josh Gallman, who spent several years playing professionally, bounced back from an opening-round 72 with a four-under-par 68 to move firmly into contention.

Like many of the players chasing the title, Gallman understands the challenge of balancing golf with the demands of everyday life.

Many of the contenders were standout collegiate players and some played professionally, but careers, families and responsibilities often leave little time to practice at the level they once did.

Even so, Gallman positioned himself for one final run on Sunday.

Bentley entered the final round determined not to let another opportunity slip away.

He had been in contention before. Several times he played in the final group only to watch someone else get hot while his own game cooled off. Those experiences left him motivated rather than discouraged.

On the final day, Bentley never blinked.

Gallman produced one of the best rounds of the championship, firing a six-under-par 66, but Bentley matched him shot for shot. Playing steady, mistake-free golf, Bentley also posted a six-under-par 66, maintaining his advantage and finishing two shots clear of Gallman.

His final round wasn’t built around long strings of birdies.

Instead, it was a veteran performance. Bentley accepted birdies when they came, avoided costly mistakes and refused to give ground to the field. His opening-round 66 put him in position. His second-round 72 kept him there. His closing 66 finished the job.

“I just kind of played my own game,” Bentley said. “I told a couple of buddies this morning what I was going to shoot, and that’s what I stuck in my head. I didn’t look at the leaderboard until after I hit it to about 10 feet on 18.”

Gallman finished alone in second place at 10-under par.

“I hit four bad shots all weekend,” Gallman said. “I had my chances. On 17 I had a birdie chance and on 18 I had a makeable eagle putt, but I didn’t get either one to fall.”

Former county champion Brad Sill made the biggest charge of the final round. After struggling to find the putter during the opening two rounds, Sill caught fire and shot an eight-under-par 64, the lowest round of the championship.

“It’s all about putting,” Sill said. “The first couple of days nothing fell. Today it seemed like everything went in.”

Sill’s round included a double bogey on the fifth hole, leaving him to wonder what might have been.

“It’s pretty crazy to shoot a 64 and that’s with a double bogey,” he said. “If I don’t make that mistake, maybe I put a little pressure on him.”

Beyond the competition, tournament organizers continue to view the championship as an important part of First Tee’s mission.

“We have enjoyed running the tournament for a couple of reasons,” said Michael Pius, executive director of First Tee-Upstate South Carolina. “It generates funds that help us operate our programs, but it also gives us the opportunity to tell golfers about what First Tee is doing to help young players develop not only their golf games, but also the character that comes from the game.”

For Bentley, however, the week belonged to perseverance.

After years of coming close, he finally found the shots that had eluded him in previous championships and turned them into the biggest local victory of his career.

Complete scores from theSpartanburg County Amateur https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/12419879819829889822