Kyle Wensel of Wheeling set a new course record of seven under par 63, thanks in part to eight birdies, as The Greenbrier saw 120 players tee off on the Meadows Coursed during Round One of the 103rd WV Amateur Championship, presented by Astorg Motor Company and Mercedes-Benz of Charleston, sponsored by United Bank and conducted by the West Virginia Golf Association (WVGA).

Following Wensel, Ryan Bilby of Follansbee and Davey Jude of Kermit tied for second at four under par 66.  Six players tied for fourth at two under par 68 and four players tied for 10th at one under par 69.

Additionally, Drew Call of Shepherdstown scored his first career hole in one on the par three fifth hole.

“Astorg Auto is proud to join with Mercedes-Benz and United Bank to sponsor the 103rd West Virginia Amateur Golf Championship at The Greenbrier Resort,” said Astorg Auto CEO Paul Astorg.  “We saw an exciting Round One and look forward to an exciting tournament that promotes golf in the state of West Virginia and embodies the integrity and dignity that golf represents through its players, programs and sponsors.”

“The West Virginia Amateur is off to a great start, even with a 45-minute lightning delay, and it’s clear that the field of participants is a strong one,” said The Greenbrier’s Head Golf Pro Hill Herrick.  “The Greenbrier looks forward to providing a challenging but fair test for these talented competitors throughout the remainder of the week.”

Over 400 golfers from West Virginia registered to qualify for this year’s Amateur Championship in seven events, including five past champions.

The top leaders after the first round were:

  • Kyle Wensel of Wheeling, (-7) 63;
  • Ryan Bilby of Follansbee, (-4) 66;
  • Davey Jude of Kermit, (-4) 66;
  • Cameron Jarvis of Barboursville, (-2) 68;
  • Christian McKisic of Buckhannon, (-2) 68;
  • Jonathan Clark of Hurricane, (-2) 68;
  • Joseph Kalaskey of South Charleston, (-2) 68;
  • Jess Ferrell of Fairmont, (-2) 68;
  • Noah Mullens of Milton, (-2) 68;
  • Woody Woodward of Bridgeport, (-1) 69;
  • Mitchell Lehigh of Huntington, (-1) 69;
  • Brett Laxton of Pineville, (-1) 69; and
  • Cory Hoshor of Scott Depot, (-1) 69.

The opening round concluded with a player dinner and reception at the Greenbrier Sporting Club Summit sponsored by United Bank. Over 150 attended the opening dinner ceremonies of the 103rd West Virginia Amateur Championship.

The 103rd West Virginia Amateur will continue through August 3rd at The Greenbrier, which has hosted the event 95 of the past 103 years.

Click here for today’s leaderboard.  Be sure to follow live scoring at wvga.org as well as on all WVGA social media channels.