The Cove Classic winning team, “Stumps & Twigs,” from left: Rich Milsteadt, Tony Faulkner, Oliver Peplow-Shaw and Jake Valentine.
With a nine-hole score of two-under par 27, local four-person scramble team “Stumps & Twigs” took the top spot in this year’s Cove Classic golf tournament at Windhaven golf course on Saturday (July 18). The team of Oliver Peplow-Shaw, Jake Valentine and Rich Milsteadt was captained by Tony Faulkner and became the third different winning team in the past three tournaments.
The Classic is an annual fundraiser supporting The Cove’s Aid and Assistance Program, providing help to clients once a year with past-due bills for rent, electricity and other necessities.
Peplow-Shaw is the youngest player to win the cup in the long history of the tournament. As the designated chipper, his shot won the overtime tie-breaker. His father, Silas Shaw, was behind him on one of two teams tied in third place at 28.
“I had a lot of fun. We had a great team and had a good day,” Peplow-Shaw said.
The 17-year-old has been a fixture at Bear Creek Golf Course since his junior golf days and is now helping his dad with the Bear Creek Junior Golf camp. He’s a two-sport athlete at Liberty Bell High School, playing basketball in the winter and soccer in the spring.
Aaron Bueler’s team of Jordan Peters, and Ian and Karen Jefferds also carded a 27 on the day, leading to the chip-off for the trophy. Three-time champions from 2022, 2023 and 2024, captained by Robby Sigler and including the elder Shaw, Riley Dickinson, and Cody Hutchinson, tied for third place with defending 2025 champion Clint Estes and his crew, Jim Hynd, and brothers Rick and Bart Northcott, one stroke off the pace at 28.
In all, 15 teams teed it up this year for the event. There were two on-course contests for men’s and women’s longest drive on hole No. 7, and closest to the pin on the fifth hole. Karen Jefferds was the women’s long drive winner and Deanna Baker’s shot to 34 inches from the pin on No. 5 was the closest. Chris Lumry won the men’s division closest-to-the-pin, and Jon Brown out-drove the field in the men’s competition on hole No. 7.
For their effort, the winning team was awarded the perpetual Cove Classic trophy and will get an engraved plaque on the cup. They also won a complimentary one-night stay at Sun Mountain Lodge. Second place took home a golfing package from Bear Creek Golf Course.
Sheri’s Sweet Shoppe in Winthrop, also a perpetual prize donor, offered up four complimentary rounds of mini-golf to the last-place team, headed up by Alyssia Schmekel of Twisp.
