We kicked off the weekend with a $3,000 skins game at the Par 3 Mountain Top course and followed with a welcome party. Players came out ready to knock down some pins; it became apparent early that the only skin that may stand a chance would be an ace. After every player completed the 13-hole course, every hole had more than 1 birdie (with no holes-in-one) thus cutting all available skins. This was bad news for those that did birdie a hole, but good news for the rest of the field, since the $3,000 skins pool was added to the Saturday and Sunday skins pools, making each day worth $3,000. The welcome party was hosted at the Mountain Top/Payne’s Valley clubhouse and players got a chance to enjoy appetizers & drinks, pick up their tee gifts and meet some other AGT Series Championship players. Players were surprised with a custom designed Swag headcover which completed the exclusive set of tiger lined headcovers.

The Championship officially started on Saturday with clear skies, little wind and endless views on Payne’s Valley – it was a perfect setup for the National Championship. Players took full advantage of the conditions and posted some great rounds.

It was a “Family Affair” atop the Gross leaderboard after the first 18 holes. Brothers Jeff & Tim Rupp were tied with the Father-Son duo of Ben & Harlan Kilborn, with both teams posting gross scores of 66. Only one shot behind were the teams of Jared Steger & William Peel and Anthony Zumpano & Zach Harvey. Day 2 was shaping up to be a tight match.

Meanwhile in the Net division Tim Morrow and Jerry Ferrell made their birdies at the right time and built a 3 shot lead over Rob & Cam Spellman, with several other teams lurking. Morrow and Ferrell were defending their AGT Kohler title and set the tone early.

After the round on Saturday morning, players headed to a Links Drinks Post Party at the Buffalo Ridge course where they would play the final round of the tournament. Players enjoyed a chance to relax and watch the sunset in a beautiful atmosphere while being treated to appetizers, a Swag putting contest (winner took home a free custom Swag putter), complimentary Links Drinks and live entertainment by one of our players from the field, Blaine Holcomb. Holcomb is a country singer out of Nashville who put on an amazing show and we strongly recommend following him as his career takes off.

Great weather and another gorgeous course set the stage for a final round to remember for all of the players on Sunday at Buffalo Ridge (#2 rated golf course in Missouri). The field was hoping to continue their low scoring, but the course was ready with lightning quick greens and difficult green complexes. Teams had to earn their birdies on the final round with great shots.

The Gross Division started with a tight leaderboard and it continued that way for the entire round. Grant Romine & Jeff Williams, who started the day 2 shots back, battled their way to the top of the leaderboard and caught the Kilborn team at the turn with both teams sitting at 7 under. The two teams battled the difficult back nine and the par 3 17th proved to be a pivotal hole. Romine and Williams were the first to come through 17 and made a very long putt for a birdie that tied the leaders at 7 under par. Team Williams/Romine struggled off the tee on 18 and ended up making a double bogey 7 on the par 5. The hole demanded three good shots for a green in regulation, as it played nearly 600 yards. Team Williams/Romaine started on hole 2, then headed to the par 5 first knowing they had to make birdie to stay in contention. Meanwhile back on 17, Harlan Kilborn would come to his son’s rescue, making a great up and down for par, after Ben ended up in the water with his tee shot. Back on hole 1, Jeff Williams proceeded to do just what their team needed, carding a birdie 4, getting their team to 6 under. A par at 18 would give Team Kilborn the National Championship, unfortunately an errant tee shot, a bad lie on a tree root and a rough spot in a fairway bunker caused some issues for Team Kilborn, resulting in a bogey 6, leading to a sudden death playoff.

Over in the Net division, Team Morrow/Ferrell cruised to an 8 shot victory, although early on another Father-Son duo, Frank and Fred Alaimo Sr., got red hot to start the day and pulled within 2 shots of the leaders. Morrow and Ferrell were too strong as the defining moment of the tourney was on the Par 5 14th hole; Ferrell made natural birdie, net eagle and the duo never looked back. Rob and Cam Spellman finished in 2nd place, while Team Alaimo finished in 3rd place edging out a couple of teams on a scorecard tiebreaker.

Back in the Gross division, the drama was set up as the teams headed back to the first hole for a playoff; the gallery formed to watch the National Championship unfold. Jeff Williams made birdie on the first hole just moments earlier to force the playoff and Ben Kilborn made birdie on this hole at the start of the day. All 4 players hit great tee shots to start off the par 5 hole providing each of them a chance to reach the green in 2. Ben Kilborn hit the best second shot of the bunch leaving himself a few feet off the green, about 30 feet from the pin. Williams, Romine and Harlan Kilborn all had upcoming birdie putts, while Ben had a chance for eagle. After a few reads and talking it over with his dad, the younger Kilborn stepped over the putt and sent the ball on its way towards the hole. When the putt was about 5 feet from the cup, Ben extended his right hand knowing it had a good chance. The putt disappeared in the hole and the celebration began. It was an amazing putt and a great finale to an epic weekend at the AGT Series National Championship.

With the amazing finish at the National Championship, the 1st season of the AGT Series is in the books. We had a great inaugural season, with over 500 teams teeing it up across 22 qualifier events. The AGT Series made a lasting impression on golfers across the country and we look forward to the 2022 AGT Series. Next year’s schedule is close to completion and we look forward to many more golf experiences with you, your friends and your soon to be friends.

AGT Series
Where Champions are Made