(Daniels, WV) Only one other player has more WV Open titles than Harpers Ferry’s David Bradshaw and that just so happens to be a gentleman by the name of Slammin Sam Snead who has a record seventeen WV Open victories. In 1960, Mr. Snead claimed his tenth Open title at the age of forty-nine; 2018 marks David Bradshaw’s tenth Open title coming at the age of 35. To say Bradshaw has left a mark on the competition in the WV Open over the last fourteen year’s since his first victory in 2004 at Edgewood Country Club is an understatement. Heading into today’s final round, Bradshaw looked to keep the pedal down as he entered with a six shot lead over the next competitor. In all, 64 players entered the final round today under sunny and beautiful skies and matched up once again against the impeccable George Cobb designed course.
Opening the championship with rounds of 63-66, Bradshaw looked to continue his stellar play today and not allow himself to “coast”. His mantra for the week has been “point and shoot” following the drastic course change following the rain of Tuesday afternoon and even though the course had firmed up considerably by today’s final round, Bradshaw still feared nothing. After a first hole bogey following an errant tee shot, Bradshaw quickly settled back in carding back to back birdies on the par-5 second hole and the difficult 252 yard par-3 third. A routine birdie on the second was followed by an incredible pitch in birdie from the bunker on the third after hitting his tee shot left of the green. A run of pars was ended when Bradshaw carded his final birdie of the opening nine on the par-4 eighth to turn at two under-par for the day and fifteen under-par for the tournament. As one would say it was time to “cruise to victory” on the back. Bradshaw had an unlikely three-putt bogey on the eleventh before he carded six straight pars capitalized with a birdie on the eighteenth to close the tournament at fifteen under-par, 199. Bradshaw’s incredible tournament play included eighteen birdies and just three bogey’s over the 54-hole championship. His tournament total of 199 was good enough for a six shot lead over runner-up, Will Evans of Charleston. Evans vaulted up the leaderboard the final two rounds of the event posting rounds of 73-66-66 for a tournament total of nine under-par, 205. Claiming Low Junior and Low Amateur honors was eighteen year old Mason Williams of Bridgeport. Winding down his competitive summer before he heads off to play golf for Georgia Southern, Williams claimed solo third place after a closing round of one under-par, 71. His rounds of 67-68-71 gave him a tournament total of eight under-par, 206. Finishing one shot behind Mason Williams was Scott Depot’s Chris Williams who posted a tournament total of 207.
Other notable finishers were Davey Jude of Kermit, Drew Green of Beaver, and Thadd Obecny II who all finished the championship at four under-par, 210. For more information on the 85th WV Open Championship and the West Virginia Golf Association please visit us online at www.wvga.org and find us on all social media platforms.
