DETAILED HISTORIES

1933:  Johnny Javins,  the pro at Edgewood  Country Club in Charleston, defeated pro  I. C. “”Rocky”’  Schorr of  Bluefield Country Club in an 18-hole playoff at Kanawha Country Club in South Charleston to win the first West Virginia Open.  Javins shot a 76 in the playoff while Schorr had an 82.  They agreed to split first and second place money but Javins got the trophy donated by George C. Weimer of St. Albans.  Javins and Schorr had tied after 72 holes of  medal play with 302 scores.  Schorr  held a five-stroke lead over the field and an 11-stroke edge over Javins after two rounds but faltered on the second 36-hole day.  Schorr’s troubles started when he took a nine on the par-four third hole, needing five strokes to get out of a trap.  Javins began his comeback with a 69 in the third round to pick up all 11 strokes on Schorr.  The West Virginia Professional Golfers Association was formed in a meeting a month before the tournament, with Schorr the first president.  Leaders by rounds:  first, Schorr 72, by one; second, Schorr  147, by five; third, Javins and Schorr, 227s.

Johnny Javins, Charleston                80-78-69-75–302
I. C. Schorr, Bluefield                          72-75-80-75–302
Rader Jewett, Wheeling                     81-73-77-77–308
a-Alex Larmon, Charleston                86-77-73-72–308
A. J. Chapman, Wheeling                   81-82-75-74–312
Gordon Murray,  Charleston               80-81-72-80–313
Kermit Hutchinson, Charleston        75-85-76-78–314
Joe Fungy, Martinsburg                      73-79-80-83–315
B. R. Maus, Montgomery                    81-81-78-78–318
Archie Loeffler, Weirton                      81-83-78-77–319

1934: Rader Jewett, the pro at the Cedar Rocks club  in Elm Grove, opened with two subpar rounds on the par 70 Wheeling Country Club and led all the way in capturing the second West Virginia Open.  Jewett shot 69 and 68 on the first day to open up a seven-stroke lead.  “”It’s a tough battle all the way and I don’t intend to let down, ” Jewett said.   He did cool off a bit with 73 and 71 rounds on the second day but still added to his lead and wound up with a 281 total — one over par for 72 holes — and a decisive 11-stroke victory.  Wheeling amateur Bobby Rownd finished second with 292.  Parkersburg pro Jules Blanton missed numerous short birdie putts but came in third with 293.   Leaders by rounds: first,  Jewett  69, by two; second,  Jewett 137, by seven; third, Jewett 210, by 10.

Rader Jewett, Wheeling                                    69-68-73-71–281
a-Bobby Rownd, Wheeling                               71-73-76-72–292
Jules Blanton, Parkersburg                              72-72-76-73–293
A. J. Chapman, Wheeling                                  71-75-74-75–295
Horace Brand, Clarksburg                                78-73-73-71–295
a-Alex Larmon, Charleston                               72-74-77-73–296
a-Cap Rohrl, Wheeling                                      71-75-75-76–297
Archie Loeffler, Weirton                                     74-78-75-71–298
Bill  Swing , Huntington                                     77-75-74-74–300
a-Everett Livesay, White Sulphur. Springs    73-75-74-78–300

1935:  Rader Jewett  overcame Clarksburg Country Club pro Horace Brand on the final three holes at Parkersburg  Country Club to successfully defend his West Virginia Open title. Jewett posted a 289 total for 72 holes to win by two strokes over  Brand. The Scottish-born Brand led by three strokes with three holes left before suffering a stroke of bad luck. As Brand prepared to make his second shot to the 16th green, a woman dashed out in front of him, causing him to top a simple niblick shot. Brand took a double-bogey six on the hole while Jewett sank a 10-foot putt for a birdie three to pull even. Jewett took the lead with a seven-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole after Brand missed a 13-footer.  Jewett three-putted the final hole for a bogey five but it didn’t matter as Brand hooked his tee shot into the rough, put his second into a trap and took six.   Bud Rittenhouse, 17, of  Parkersburg was low amateur with 299.   Leaders by rounds: first, Bill Swing 71, by one; second, Brand 144, by one; third, Brand 216, by one.

Rader Jewett, Wheeling                        76-70-71-72–289
Horace Brand, Clarksburg                    72-72-72-75–291
Clem Wiechman, Logan                       72-73-73-79–297
Jules Blanton, Parkersburg                  74-74-71-80–299
a-Bud Rittenhouse, Parkersburg         73-77-75-74–299
Russell Fankhauser, Parkersburg      75-74-76-76–301
I. C.  Schorr, Bluefield                             76-72-75-78–301
a-Jack Hoblitzell, Parkersburg             77-72-78-77–304
a-Everett Livesay, Lewisburg               79-74-77-74–304
Bill Swing, Huntington                           71-80-80-76–307
Kermit Hutchinson, Charleston           72-79-77-79–307

1936:  Sam Snead, a 24-year-old assistant professional at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, won his first West Virginia Open, posting a five-under-par 211 score for three rounds over the Guyan Country Club course in Huntington.  The tournament was reduced from 72 to 54 holes because rain forced cancellation of  the second round on the first day.   Guyan assistant pro Bill Swing took the first round lead with a 70.  Snead charged in front with a 68, featuring seven birdies and an eagle, the next morning.   Snead added four birdies and a 71 score in the final round to win by five strokes and take home the $150 first prize.  Pro Art Clark of  Welch  set the course record with a 67 in the middle round on six birdies to trail Snead by a stroke.  Clark could do no better than  75 in the last round to finish second with a 216 total.  Leaders by rounds: first, Swing 70, by two; second, Snead 140, by one.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs    72-68-71–211
Art Clark, Welch                                        74-67-75–216
a-John Hawkins, Huntington                 76-75-74–225
Russell Fankhauser, Parkersburg       74-74-78–226
Chuck Onoretta, Elm Grove                    77-72-78–227
Bill Swing, Huntington                             70-80-77–227
Horace Brand, Clarksburg                     76-75-76–227
Clem Wiechman, Logan                         75-82-72–229
I. C. Schorr, Bluefield                               78-75-76–229

1937:   Slammin’ Sam Snead shot subpar rounds of  67 and 66 on the first day and  66 and 69 on the second day to retain his West Virginia Open championship by a whopping 12-stroke margin at Kanawha Country Club.   He finished 12-under-par with a 268 total.   That doesn’t include a course-record 64 by Snead in the pro-am preliminary that would have been a 63 if he hadn’t called a stroke on himself for accidentally touching the ball with his putter on a green.  Snead made an amazing 30 birdies in 90 holes for the week.   Snead passed up a $5,000 tour event in New York  and arrived unexpected to defend his title in the $500 State Open.  He drove several par-four holes, including the first and 18th, but missed the eagle putts.   Sam was credited with several 300-yard drives, including a 360-yard blast on the 14th hole.  For the second straight year,  pro Art Clark was even par for the tournament and runnerup to Snead.   Clark had a 66 in the final round.  Leaders by rounds: first, Snead 67, by one; second, Snead 133,  by seven; third, Snead 199, by 14.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs      67-66-66-69–268
Art Clark, Gary                                             71-73-70-66–280
a-Jack Hoblitzell, Parkersburg                74-70-70-70–284
a-Alex Larmon, Charleston                      72-70-72-70–284
Clem Wiechman, Logan                          68-72-73-72–285
Porter George, Bluefield                           73-71-71-70–285
Joe Reposkey, Clarksburg                      74-72-73-67–286
Earl Tolley, White Sulphur Springs        69-74-70-74–287
Bill Swing,  Huntington                             74-74-69-72–289
a-Jack King, Jr., Charleston                    73-72-70-75–290

1938:   Sam Snead gave par another trouncing at the Cedar Rocks course near Wheeling to win his third straight West Virginia Open title.   Snead completed the 72-hole tournament in 280, 12 strokes under par on the par-73 layout and 11 strokes better than runnerup Art Clark of Gary.  It was the third straight year that Snead and Clark finished one-two in the Open.  Snead’s winning check was $125.  He opened with a pair of 73s and trailed Clark by a stroke after the first day but took charge on the final day with 68 and 66 rounds.   Sam had a course record 64 in a tuneup round and shot 69 in the pro-am while playing with 15-year-old amateur partner Billy Campbell. Leaders by rounds: first, Snead and Clark 73s; second, Clark 145, by one;  third, Snead 204, by two.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs      73-73-68-66–280
Art Clark, Gary                                             73-72-71-75–291
Joe Paletti, Clarksburg                             78-73-70-72–293
a-George Hoffer, Wheeling                      78-72-75-75–300
Earl Tolley, White Sulphur Springs        76-75-78-73–302
Bill Swing, Huntington                              74-74-78-79–305
Russ Fankhauser, Parkersburg            75-80-74-77–306
Sam Baker, Charleston                           79-79-77-72–307
a-Jack Hoblitzell, Parkersburg               77-77-77-76–307
Chuck Onoretta, Wheeling                      79-78-75-76–308
Mickey Donoghue, Wheeling                  77-78-80-73–308

1939:   Steady Logan Country Club pro Clem Wiechman led from start to finish in capturing the West Virginia Open at Bluefield Country Club.  His first place prize was $125.  Wiechman posted a 278 total to win by four strokes over pro Earl Tolley, a young protege of Sam Snead, who did not defend his title.   Tolley had the only subpar round of the tournament with a  66 in the final round on the par 68 course.   Arnold Browning of Huntington was second after two rounds and would have tied for fifth at 291  but was disqualified for not going back to the tee to replay his drive after losing a ball in the final round.  The low amateur, John Chenoweth, had to survive a protest that he did not play in his assigned threesome in the third round but the official starter was ruled at fault.  Leaders by rounds: first, Wiechman 69, by one; second, Wiechman 139, by three; third, Wiechman 210, by five.

Clem Wiechman, Logan                         69-70-71-68–278
Earl Tolley, White Sulphur Springs       75-70-71-66–282
Joe Paletti, Clarksburg                            76-69-70-71–286
Rocky Schorr, Bluefield                           73-73-73-68–287
Russell Fankhauser, Parkersburg       76-70-69-76–291
a-John Chenoweth, Charleston            75-68-77-73–293
Porter George,  Bluefield                        75-73-71-75–294
Bill Swing, Huntington                             75-76-74-69–294
a-Frank Crum, Williamson                     76-77-72-71–296
Jules Blanton, Parkersburg                   76-73-72-72–297

1940:  Host pro Bill Swing edged out his assistant, Arnold Browning, by two strokes to capture the West Virginia Open at Guyan Country Club in Huntington.  Swing finished with a 293 total  for the two-day, 72-hole tournament while Browning had 295.  Browning took a four-stroke lead into the final round but his putting faltered and he carded a 78.  Despite a hard rain, Swing shot a 33 on the front nine and wound up making five birdies for a final round 72.  “”That 33 on the outward nine of the afternoon round was the baby that told the tale,” Swing said.  Swing earned $140 and Browning got $100.   Larry Wiechman of Logan was tied for the lead after two rounds and finished in a tie for third with Johnny Javins.  Perry Taylor of Huntington downed Steve Jupinko of  Moundsville in a playoff for low amateur after both posted 309 totals.  Leaders by rounds: first, Javins 69, by three; second, Swing, Browning and Wiechman, 144s; third, Browning  217, by one.

Bill Swing, Huntington                         73-71-77-72–293
Arnold Browning, Huntington             72-72-73-78–295
Larry Wiechman, Logan                      74-70-74-78–296
Johnny Javins, Charleston                  69-77-77-73–296
Jules Blanton, Parkersburg                76-72-75-74–297
Clem Wiechman, Logan                     75-76-74-72–297
Marvin Lamp, Parkersburg                 77-74-73-76–300
Horace Brand, Clarksburg                 77-75-76-78–306
Joe Reposkey, Clarksburg                 75-73-85-75–308
Russell Fankhauser, Parkersburg    75-75-74-84–308

1941:   Clem Wiechman of Logan fired a 67 in the final round on the par-70 Old White course in White Sulphur Springs to overcome a six-stroke lead by Johnny Javins of  Charleston.  Wiechman finished three strokes in front with a 287 total for 72 holes as he won the West Virginia Open for the second time. Wiechman made five birdies in his hot 33-34–67 final round and averaged better than 250 yards on his tee shots.  Javins’ putter deserted him in the final round as he faltered to a 76 and a 290 total for second place.  Pro Joe Kuhn of Gauley Bridge got off to a fast start with an opening 69 and wound up in sixth place.  Young Ray “”The Red” Vaughan of Lewisburg opened with an 82 but recovered to tie for fourth place and take low amateur honors. Leaders by rounds:  first, Kuhn 69, by one;  second, Kuhn and Javins, 141s; third, Javins 214, by six.

Clem Wiechman, Logan                      71-77-72-67–287
Johnny Javins, Charleston                  70-71-73-76–290
I. C. Schorr, Bluefield                            75-71-77-71–294
Jules Blanton, Parkersburg                75-75-72-77–299
a-Ray Vaughan, Lewisburg                82-70-75-72–299
Joe Kuhn, Gauley Bridge                    69-72-82-77–300
Bill Swing, Huntington                         72-79-75-75–301
Marvin Lamp, Parkersburg                 73-72-79-77–301

1942:   Veteran Clem Wiechman took advantage of a last round collapse by amateur Andy Bradley of Charleston to capture his second straight West Virginia Open title and third overall.  Brawley. playing at his home Meadow Brook club, held a six-stroke lead going into the final 18 holes but predicted that he wouldn’t last.  He limped home with an 84 on the rain-drenched course.  Wiechman shot a 76 in the final round to nab the title by one stroke with a 300 total.  He received $100.   Ray Vaughan, Jr., of Lewisburg, who had recently turned pro, took second with a 74-301 score while Brawley settled for third with 302.  “”I didn’t win the Open; Brawley lost it,” Wiechmansaid. Brawley, seeking to become the first amateur to win the Open, began to falter on the 12th hole of the final round when he drove two balls out of bounds for a triple bogey seven. Brawley suffered another seven on the final hole when he needed a par five to tie.  Another Meadow Brook amateur, Roy Blizzard, finished fourth. Private Benny Varda, a former Spencer pro on leave from the Army, was 10th.  Leaders by rounds: first, Brawley and Blizzard, 70s; second, Brawley 144, by one; third, Brawley 218, by six.

Clem Wiechman, Logan                        72-73-79-76–300
Ray Vaughan, Jr., Lewisburg                71-78-78-74–301
a-Andy Brawley, Charleston                  70-74-74-84–302
a-Roy Blizzard, Charleston                   70-75-81-79–305
Pete Byer, White Sulphur Springs       78-76-75-80–309
John DeVries, South Charleston        79-82-74-74–309
a-Jimmy Loar, Charleston                   78-77-78-76–309
a-Gay Carper, Charleston                    76-74-80-80–310
a-Joe Rugel, Charleston                      73-77-81-79–310
Benny Varda, Spencer                           74-76-81-80–311

1943:  Winning his third straight West Virginia Open and fourth title overall, Logan pro Clem Wiechman finished two strokes ahead of Bluefield amateur D. G. “”Deege” Rangeley in a blistering battle at Black Knight Country Club in Beckley.  Wiechman took the lead for keeps on the 70th hole when Rangeley suffered a seven.   Wiechman shot rounds of  76, 74, 72 and 78 for a 300 total.  Rangeley opened with 70 and 75 rounds to take a five-stroke lead on the first day but could do no better than 78 and 79 on the second day for a 302 total.  Wiechman earned $140 and again took possession of the Charles Midelburg and George Weimer trophies while Rangeley received the A. J. Thompson low amateur trophy and a merchanise award.  Corporal Pete Petroske, a former Connecticut pro stationed at the Ashford General Hospital at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, was third with a 305 total.

Clem Wiechman, Logan                             300
a-D. G. Rangeley,  Bluefield                       302
Pete Petroske, White Sulphur Springs    305
I. C. Schorr, Bluefield                                   306
Arnold Browning, Huntington                     306
Jules Blanton, Charleston                         307
a-Frank Crum, Williamson                        307
a-Andy Brawley, Charleston                      311
a-Clarence Meadows, Beckley                 314
Ray Vaughan, Jr., Lewisburg                    314
a-Rene Stone, Charleston                        314

(Note:  18-hole scores not available)

1944:   Joe Reposkey, a 32-year-old war veteran and Clarksburg Country Club pro, shot four steady rounds of  73, 73, 74 and 73 for a 293 total to nose out Charleston amateur Andy Brawley by a single stroke in the West Virginia Open at Preston Country Club near Kingwood.  Brawley fired a final round 71 for a 294 total.   Reposkey received $125 in cash for his victory while Brawley got a $25 war bond and a trophy.  Reposkey served two years in the Army as an infantryman.  Huntington pro Arnold Browning was third at 295 while Sgt. Johnny Javins, a former Charleston pro serving in the Army Air Force, was the first round leader with a 71 and finished fourth at 300.  Corporal Pete Petroske was in contention until suffering an 80 on the final round and tying for seventh at 303.   Four-time champion Clem Wiechman moved to Elyria, Ohio, and did not defend his title.

Joe Reposkey, Clarksburg                         293
a-Andy Brawley,  Charleston                      294
Arnold Browning, Huntington                     295
Johnny Javins, Charleston                         300
Pete Byer, White Sulphur Springs            301
a-Jimmy Loar, Charleston                         301
Pete Petroske, White Sulphur Springs    303
Jules Blanton, Charleston                         303
a-Earl  Jones, Charleston                          304
I. C. Schorr, Bluefield                                   304

(Note: 18-hole scores not available)

1945:   In a tournament marked by frayed tempers and controversy, Huntington pro Arnold Browning became the champion with a total of 220 for 54 holes over the Greenbrier Valley Country Club course in Lewisburg.  Browning carded a 73 in the final round to finish two strokes ahead of Charleston pro Jules Blanton, who had a 75 for 222.  The controversy occurred when rain and hail swept the course late in the first round, sending players to shelter and starting a heated discussion in the clubhouse on what to do.  After an hour of debate, the state PGA rules committee voted 2-1 that the course was unplayable and all scores were null and void, reducing the Open from 72 to 54 holes.  Among those upset were defending champion Joe Reposkey, who continued to play in the storm and shot a low round of 71, and Browning, who had a 72. Reposkey withdrew after shooting a 78 the next day. Browning had another 72 in his official first round and went on to win the title and the $200 top prize.   Leaders by rounds: first, Blanton 68, by four; second, Browning and Blanton, 147s.

Arnold Browning, Huntington                      72-75-73–220
Jules Blanton, Charleston                           68-79-75–222
Clem Wiechman, Charleston                     72-77-74–223
Pete Petroske, White Sulphur Springs     75-74-75–224
a-D. G.  Rangeley, Bluefield                        77-75-77–229
I. C. Schorr, Bluefield                                    78-76-76–300
Ray Vaughan, Sr., Lewisburg                     76-76-80–232
Thurston Baker, Kingwood                         80-76-78–234
Dave Cunningham, Oak Hill                       81-80-74–235
a-Gay Carper, Charleston                           81-79-77–237

1946:  Navy veteran Rut Coffey, the pro at Moundsville Country Club, rolled to a 10-stroke victory in the 14th annual Open held at Logan Country Club.  Coffey improved every round in shooting 71, 70, 69 and 68 for a 278 total to earn a $250 first place prize.  Coffey played the last six holes in a rainstorm but he was unperturbed and birdied two of the six holes.  Coffey, 39, spent 31 months in the Navy and was new to the West Virginia golf scene but previously won the 1940 Mid-Atlantic Tournament in Baltimore and was five times the runner-up in the Maryland Open.  Charleston amateur Roy Blizzard, 36, finished second with rounds of  71, 73, 71 and 73 for a 288 total and received a golf bag, complete set of clubs and a cup.  Pro Pete Byers of White Sulphur Springs made a hole-in-one on the 163-yard seventh hole in the second round and tied for third on rounds of 70, 71, 75 and 74 for 290. Wheeling pro George Hoffer shared third with rounds of  74, 74, 68 and 74 for 290. Leaders by rounds: first Byers 70, by one; second, Coffey and Byers 141s; third, Coffey 210, by five.

Rut Coffey, Moundsville                           278
a-Roy Blizzard, Charleston                     288
Pete Byer, White Sulphur Springs         290
George Hoffer, Wheeling                        290
Ray Vaughan, Jr., Lewisburg                 292
Jules Blanton, Charleston                      294
Benny Varda, Spencer                             294
a-Earl Jones, Charleston                        294
a-Billy Stone, Logan                                 295
Arnold Browning, Huntington                 296
Joe Kuhn, Huntington                              296

(Note: all 18-hole scores not available)

1947:   Pro George Hoffer of Wheeling nosed out defending champion Rut Coffey  by a stroke to capture the West Virginia Open on the Old White course at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs.  It was the first tournament held at the famed resort since pre-war days and attracted a record field of 129 golfers.  Hoffer shot a four-under-par 66 in the third round to grab the lead and held on with a 73 in the fourth round to post a 285 total.  Hoffer, 32, the golf instructor for the Wheeling Steel Company, earned the $150 top prize out of a  total  $1,200 purse.  Coffey also finished strong with 69 and 71 rounds to take second at 286.  Actually, the gallery of more than 150 ignoredHoffer and Coffey on the final day to watch the featured threesome of amateurs Bill Campbell and Ed Tutwiler and pro Arnold Browning.  Tutwiler wound up third at 287 after avoiding a two-stroke penalty on the third hole. His tee shot came to rest beyond and to the right of a lone out-of-bounds stake and his contention that there was no second stake for lining up purposes was upheld by the rules committee.  Browning and Campbell shared the second round lead but finished in a tie for fourth with 288 totals.  Leaders by rounds: first, Browning 67, by two;  second, Browning and Campbell, 141s; third, Hoffer 212, by one.

George Hoffer, Wheeling                   69-77-66-73–285
Rut Coffey, Moundsville                      74-72-69-71–286
a-Ed Tutwiler, Mount Hope                75-69-70-73–287
a-Bill Campbell, Huntington              70-71-73-74–288
Arnold Browning, Huntington            67-74-72-75–288
Larry Wiechman, Charleston            74-75-73-71–293
Ralph Igo, Charleston                        74-75-74-71–294
Ray Vaughan, Jr., Lewisburg            73-75-72-76–296
D. G. Rangeley, Bluefield                   77-77-69-73–296
Clem Wiechman, Logan                    72-76-75-75–298

1948:  Sam Snead opened with a seven-under-par 63 at Wheeling Country Club and led all the way enroute to a 10-stroke victory and his fourth West Virginia Open title.  Snead beat par in every round with 63, 69, 69 and 67 scores for a 268 total — 12 under par — and a 10-stroke margin over defending champion George Hoffer.   Snead won $250.  He had nine birdies in his opening 63, which tied the Wheeling course record set by Tom Bloch.  Snead could have shot 60 if he hadn’t missed a five-foot putt for eagle on the 300-yard first hole and three-putted the 10th and 11th greens.  Hoffer fired a 67 in the second round and finished with a 278 total to edge Rut Coffey (280) for the runner-up spot.  Ed Tutwiler topped Henry McCoy of Sistersville and Bill Campbell for low amateur honors.  Pro Clem Wiechman aced the 162-yard 14th hole with a 4-iron shot in the first round.   Pro Robert Hillis of Weirton shot a 68 in the first round but finished with a 295 total.  Leaders by rounds; first,  Snead 63, by five; second, Snead 132, by five; third, Snead 201, by seven.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs           63-69-69-67–268
George Hoffer, Wheeling                              70-67-71-70–278
Rut Coffey, Moundsville                                70-70-69-71–280
Denny Blair, Huntington                               72-68-70-74–284
a-Ed Tutwiler, Mount Hope                          71-73-73-69–286
Jules Blanton, Charleston                           70-76-71-69–286
a-Henry McCoy, Sistersville                         70-71-75-74–290
a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                        73-70-73-76–292
Porter George, White Sulphur Springs      73-74-72-73–292
a-Jack Peck, Logan                                       77-73-73-71–294

1949:  Sam Snead became the first five-time winner of the West Virginia Open with another smashing performance at Spring Valley Country Club  in Huntington.  The Slammer finished 17 under par with a record 263 total and his victory margin of 18 strokes also set a record.  This tournament was practically a repeat of the 1948 Open as Snead once again began with a course-tying record and led every round; Snead, George Hoffer and Rut Coffey finished one-two-three again; and Ed Tutwiler was low amateur.  Snead made seven birdies and two bogeys in an opening 65 to tie Denny Shute’s course record as a gallery that grew steadily to more than 1,000 looked on.  Sam went on to shoot two more 65s and a 68 on the hilly Spring Valley course to break his own 72-hole record for the Open.   The gallery gave him a tremendous ovation on the final hole.  Hoffer kept the pressure on Snead by posting three subpar rounds of 68, 67 and 68 before fading to 78 in the final round but held onto second at 281.  Coffey had a steady 284 score.  Tutwiler finished fourth at 287 and was low amateur for the third straight year, finishing two strokes ahead of Bill Campbell.  Leaders by rounds: first, Snead 65, by three; second, Snead 130, by five; third, Snead 195, by eight.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs         65-65-65-68–263
George Hoffer, Wheeling                            68-67-68-78–281
Rut Coffey, Moundsville                               69-73-71-71–284
a-Ed Tutwiler, Mount Hope                         72-73-71-71–287
a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                       77-72-70-70–289
Denny Blair, Huntington                               74-73-78-70–295
Pete Byer, White Sulphur Springs              73-72-76-77–298
Ray Vaughan, Jr., Lewisburg                      75-73-74-76–298
Quinton Stewart, Charleston                       78-74-70-76–298

Jules Blanton, Charleston                         79-73-74-74—300

1950:   Bill Campbell put on a blazing finish with rounds of 68 and 65 on the final day at Parkersburg Country Club and became the first amateur to win the West Virginia Open in the 18-year history of  the tournament.  Campbell ended up with a 72-hole total of 274, 14 under par, and finished 13 strokes ahead of runnerup Larry Wiechman.  Campbell’s brilliant 33-32–65 round equalled the amateur course record which he already shared with Jack Hoblitzell of Parkersburg.  Bill Loving, an Air Force staff sergeant recruiter,  held a two-stroke lead over Campbell after 36 holes but faded with 81 and 75 rounds on the last day to finish tied for seventh at 295.  Wiechmancame on strong with 70 and 68 the final day to post a 287 score and take the top pro prize of $250.  Finishing third at 289 was Campbell’s arch amateur rival, Ed Tutwiler.  Campbell won the State Amateur earlier in the year. Leaders by rounds: first, Campbell and Loving, 69s; second, Loving 139, by two; third, Campbell 209, by eight.

a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                    69-72-68-65–274
Larry Wiechman, Charleston                  75-74-70-68–287
a-Ed Tutwiler, Mount Hope                      70-73-74-72–289
George Hoffer, Huntington                      76-74-72-68–290
a-Jack Peck, Logan                                  76-73-73-70–292
a-Phil Wiechman, Logan                         78-71-75-70–294
a-Bill Loving, White Sulphur Springs     69-70-81-75–295
Benny Varda, Parkersburg                      75-71-74-75–295
Stan Zontek, Buckhannon                       73-75-75-73–296
P. O. Hart, Parkersburg                            80-72-75-72–299

1951:  Ed Tutwiler became the second amateur to capture the West Virginia Open by staging a final day charge at White Oak Country Club in Oak Hill for a six-stroke victory.  Tutwiler began the last day two strokes behind pro Ray Vaughan, Jr., but took command on his home course with a four-under-par 66 in the morning and finished up with a 68 for a 276 total.  Tutwiler, who said the Open title was the thing he wanted most, accepted his trophy from Gov. Okey Patteson.  Vaughan ran in an eight-foot birdie putt on the final hole to finish second at 282 and take the top pro prize of $300.  Pro Rut Coffey also birdied the last hole to finish third at 283 and pick up $200. Defending champion Bill Campbell got off to a poor start with a 42 on his first nine holes but came back with a 31 to salvage an opening 73 and eventually finished tied for fifth with a 290 total.  Pro Lorn Parrish shot a 66 in the second round.  Leaders by rounds: first, Vaughan and Herb Shreves 71s; second, Vaughan 140, by two; third, Tutwiler 208, by three.

a-Ed Tutwiler, Mount Hope                       73-69-66-68–276
Ray Vaughan, Jr., Lewisburg                   71-69-71-71–282
Rut Coffey, Moundsville                             74-68-73-68–283
a-Jack Peck, Logan                                    73-72-72-72–289
a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                     73-70-71-76–290
Deege Rangeley, Bluefield                       73-71-76-70–290
a-Frank Harned, Huntington                     76-71-71-73–291
George Hoffer, Huntington                        75-71-73-72–291
Lorn Parrish, Parkersburg                        76-66-72-79–293
Joe Kuhn, Gary                                            74-76-72-72–294

1952:  Sam Snead missed a lot of makable putts but it didn’t really matter as he still rolled to his sixth West Virginia Open title in as many attempts.   Snead strung together rounds of  68, 68, 70 and 66 on a course he knew very well, the par 70 Old White at The Greenbrier.   His 272 total gave him a nine-stroke victory over defending champion Ed Tutwiler and earned him a $500 check.   Snead displayed his usual brilliant tee shots and generally good approach shots but failed to make numerous six and seven-foot putts, causing him to observe that he couldn’t remember when he had been worse on the greens.  Tutwiler fired a 67 in the second round and ended with a 281 total to take low amateur honors for the fourth time in five years.  Pro L. B. “”Dazzy” Vance canned birdie putts on the last two holes to shoot a 68 and finish at 282, good for a $300 check.  A new Sam Snead trophy for the low net score among amateurs went to John Hess of Fairmont, who had a 16-stroke handicap, a gross of 338 and a net of 274.  Leaders by rounds: first, Snead 68, by three; second, Snead 136, by four;  third, Snead 206, by five.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs               68-68-70-66–272
a-Ed Tutwiler, Mount Hope                                73-67-71-70–281
Dazzy Vance, White Sulphur Springs              71-71-72-68–282
Ray Vaughan, Jr., Lewisburg                           72-68-71-73–284
George Hoffer, Huntington                               71-74-70-70–285
Arnold Browning, Huntington                          74-68-73-74–289
Stan Zontek, Richwood                                    75-71-74-73–293
Eddie Thompson, White Sulphur Springs   76-72-72-73–293
Benny Varda, Spencer                                     73-78-74-71–296
a-Phil Wiechman, Logan                                71-71-76-80–298
Ben Wiechman, Man                                       72-77-77-72–298

1953:  Amateur Bill Campbell became the first golfer to beat Sam Snead in the West Virginia Open, holding off the Slammer for a four-stroke victory at Parkersburg Country Club.  Campbell opened with a 65 and maintained a slim lead over Snead after every round to capture his second Open title.  Campbell was 17 under par at 271, Snead was 13 under at 275 and pro Joe Taylor was 10 under at 278 for third.   Trailing by four strokes with nine holes left, Snead made a bid for the lead with an eagle three on the 10th hole and a birdie four on the 12th hole.  But his chances died with bogeys on two of the final three holes.   Campbell started his final round with four straight birdies, added another on the ninth hole and then played careful, steady par on the final nine holes to shoot a clinching 67.   It was Snead’s first non-victory in seven Open attempts but he did take the top pro prize of  $500.  Snead and playing partners Dave Clovis and Leonard Crawley had trouble on the very first hole of  the Open when a small boy dashed out onto the fairway, picked up their balls and ran. A stern Snead caught the boy and gave him a lecture.   Leaders by rounds: first, Campbell 65. by two; second, Campbell 134, by one; third, Campbell 204, by two.

a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                       65-69-70-67–271
Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs        67-68-71-69–275
Joe Taylor, Charleston                                70-68-71-69–278
Rut Coffey, Moundsville                              72-70-72-72–286
a-Ed Tutwiler, Charleston                          69-73-74-71–287
George Hoffer, Huntington                        71-72-74-71–288
a-Dave Clovis, Parkersburg                      73-73-70-72–288
Gary Nixon, White Sulphur Springs         72-74-74-71–291
Herb Shreves, Weirton                               72-76-72-73–293
P. O. Hart, Buckhannon                              75-73-73-72–293

1954:   Charleston pro Joe Taylor played a cautious, deliberate game over a tough Williams Country Club course in Weirton to win the West Virginia Open by a 10-stroke margin over runnerup Ed Tutwiler.  Taylor finished strong with a three-under-par 70, the best round of the tournament, and ended up with an even par total of 292.  He sank putts of 30 and 20 feet on two of the last four holes to cap his victory.  Taylor, the pro at Berry Hills Country Club, took home $500.  He twice finished second in the Tennessee Open before moving to West Virginia. “”I played with a good man,” Taylor said, nudging Tutwiler, “”and he inspired me on.”  Tutwiler, talking to the fans and his ball on every shot, matched par 73 in his final round to finish at 302.  The Williams course, with its narrow fairways, played so difficult that there were only two subpar rounds: Taylor’s 70 and host pro Chuck Onoretta’s 72.  Charleston pro Buddy Viar disqualified himself in the first round when he discovered that he had 15 clubs — one over the limit — in his bag.  Leaders by rounds:  first, Herb Shreves 74, by one; second, Taylor 149, by three; third, Taylor 222, by seven.

Joe Taylor, Charleston                           76-73-73-70–292
a-Ed Tutwiler, Charleston                      75-79-75-73–302
Benny Varda, Spencer                            77-75-79-76–307
Sims Browning, Logan                           81-76-74-76–307
Herb Shreves, Weirton                           74-79-78-76–307
Chuck Onoretta, Weirton                        79-82-78-72–311
a-Jack Peck, Logan                                 80-76-76-81–313
a-Dick Foutche, Charleston                   80-80-76-77–313
Gary Nixon, White Sulphur Springs      81-81-76-76–314
Rut Coffey, Moundsville                           78-79-82-76–315
a-Evo Petri, Wheeling                              79-82-76-78–315

1955:   The state’s two premier amateur golfers battled it out and Bill Campbell took advantage of  his home course knowledge to finish five strokes ahead of Ed Tutwiler at Guyan Country Club in Huntington.  It was the third West Virginia Open title for Campbell in six years.  Campbell took command from the start with 67 and 66 rounds and held on for a 274 total, six under par.  Tutwiler posted a 279 score.  A 69 by Tut on the morning of the final day cut Campbell’s lead from six to three strokes.   Campbell assured victory with birdies on the 10th and 16th holes to shoot a closing 69 while Tutwiler settled for a 71.  After Tut had birdied the 15th hole with a 20-foot putt, he conceded that  “”I can’t beat him now.”   Campbell repeated his 1950 feat of winning both the State Amateur and State Open crowns.  Defending champion Joe Taylor lost his trophy but he did finish third at 286 and earn the low pro prize of $500.  Taylor trailed pro Buddy Viar by seven strokes going into the last round but made four straight birdies to fire a 68 and finish two strokes ahead of Viar.  Leaders by rounds: first, Campbell 67, by three; second, Campbell 133, by six; third, Campbell 205, by three.

a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                 67-66-72-69–274
a-Ed Tutwiler, Charleston                     71-68-69-71–279
Joe Taylor, Charleston                          70-72-76-68–286
Buddy Viar, Charleston                         71-71-69-77–288
a-Dave Clovis, Parkersburg                  72-71-72-74–289
a-Jack Peck, Logan                                 77-69-73-72–291
George Hoffer, Huntington                   73-69-75-75–292
Herb Shreves, Sistersville                     73-73-73-75–294
George Smith, Parkersburg                   74-79-72-71–296
a-P. T. Taylor, Huntington                   74-73-75-75–297
a-Linden Meade, Chapmanville           74-75-73-75–297
a-Bill Rendleman, Huntington              78-74-72-73–297

1956:  Ed Tutwiler put together four rounds of near-perfect golf  at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs to notch his second West Virginia Open triumph. Tutwiler finished with a three-under-par total of 277 and wound up seven strokes ahead of runnerup Joe Taylor.  Tut was both the State Amateur and State Open champion that year.  The first, third and fourth rounds of the Open were held on the Old White course and the second round on the Greenbrier course.  Tutwiler made seven birdies and four bogeys during the tournament, showing the steadiness of his play.  He was sharp with his drives and iron shots but had trouble making putts as rain plagued the last two rounds.  Tut’s winning prize was a set of irons which he said he would give to his wife.  Taylor earned the top pro prize of $400 for his 284 score while host pro Gary Nixon was third at 288.  Defending champion Bill Campbell didn’t play because of a back injury.  Leaders by rounds: first, Tutwiler and Rut Coffey, 70s; second, Tutwiler 138, by three; third, Tutwiler 206, by five.

a-Ed Tutwiler, Charleston                                 70-68-68-71–277
Joe Taylor, Charleston                                      72-73-68-71–284
Gary Nixon, White Sulphur Springs                73-68-70-77–288
Dazzy Vance, Bridgeport                                   73-76-69-72–290
a-Dave Clovis, Parkersburg                             73-71-77-71–292
Charles Beverage, White Sulphur Springs   73-75-72-73–293
Rut Coffey, Moundsville                                     70-76-73-75–294
Herb Shreves, Weirton                                       77-74-76-73–300
a-Arch Knighton, White Sulphur Springs        77-75-76-73–301
Joe Kuhn, Gary                                                    75-72-78-78–303
a-Linden Meade, Logan                                    78-71-79-75–303

1957:  Sam Snead finished an incredible 22 strokes ahead of his nearest competitor in the 54-hole West Virginia Open at Berry Hills Country Club in Charleston.  The Slammer shot 66, 67 and 66 on the par 70 course for a 199total  — 11 under par .  He had 14 birdies and an eagle over the three rounds and was putting for birdies on 41 of 54 holes.  It was Snead’s seventh State Open title in eight attempts.  He took first place money of $300, pocket change for him, and didn’t waste any time making his getaway.  He was whisked away by helicopter from in front of the clubhouse to Kanawha Airport where he began a journey to Japan for an international tournament.  The Open was held in October and none of the other golfers found Berry Hills easy at all.  Morgantown pro Mike Krak was the runnerup at 221 — 11 over par.  Nobody except Snead could  shoot a subpar round and Charleston amateur Dick Foutche had the only even par round of 70.  Bill Campbell and Ed Tutwiler played with Snead the last day and both carded 71s.  Host pro Joe Taylor didn’t play because of an injury.   Leaders by rounds: first, Snead 66, by seven; second, Snead 133, by 12.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs           66-67-66–199
Mike Krak, Morgantown                                 74-71-76–221
Monty Onoretta, Weirton                                73-78-71–222
Buddy Viar,  South Charleston                    74-71-77–222
a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                        77-75-71–223
a-Ed Tutwiler, Charleston                            74-79-71–224
a-Dick Foutche, Charleston                         77-70-78–225
Jack Ratcliffe, Huntington                            75-71-79–225
a-Bill Rendleman, Huntington                    75-77-78–230
George Hoffer, Huntington                          77-77-78–232

1958:  Sam Snead shot a pair of  67 rounds at Lakeview Country Club near Morgantown to notch his eighth West Virginia Open victory.  The scheduled 54-hole tournament was cut to 36 holes because of heavy rain which washed out the second day’s round.   Snead, seeing the par 71 Lakeview course for the first time, fired a 67 in the opening round to break the course record of  70 held by club pro Mike Krak.  Playing partner Ed Tutwiler said he had never seen Snead call his shots the way he did that day.  “”He would say he was going to hook the ball to a certain spot — that’s where she would hook.  It was unbelievable,” Tutwiler said.  Snead posted another 67 two days later.   He had four birdies and 14 pars in each round without a single bogey.  His 134 total for 36 holes was 14 strokes better than runnerup Bill Campbell’s 148.  The victory was worth $300 to Snead.  He finished in time to grab a plane for Pittsburgh and then flew to Miami for a series of exhibitions. Because of Snead’s commitments, Open officials were unable to schedule 36 holes on the final day.   Leaders by rounds: first, Snead 67, by four.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs        67-67–134
a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                      71-77–148
a-Dick Foutche, Charleston                       73-77–150
a-Ed Tutwiler, Charleston                          76-75–151
Joe Taylor, Charleston                               78-73–151
Buddy Viar, South Charleston                  76-77–153
Joe Kuhn, Gary                                            78-76-154
Herb Shreves, Weirton                              77-78–155
Reggie Spencer, Morgantown                 76-79–155
Mike Krak, Morgantown                             79-77–156
a-Vince Martino, Clarksburg                     81-75–156

1959: Tournament not played.

1960:  Famed touring pros Arnold Palmer and Art Wall played in the West Virginia Open at Spring Valley Country Club in Huntington but the championship was won by an old, familiar name, Sam Snead.  The Slammer put together rounds of  64, 64 (including 29 on the back nine) and 67 on the hilly par-70 course for a 195 total and a one-stroke victory over Wall and a four-stroke margin over Palmer.  Snead, who won the State Open for the ninth time, didn’t stay around to collect the $1,200 first prize because he thought Wall was going to win.  Wall shot a course-record 62 to take the first round lead and was tied with Snead at 128 after the second round.  Wall started two hours later than Snead in the final round and was a stroke behind with eight holes left. “”Wall’s got this thing going away,” Snead said before hopping in his car.  However, Wall seemed to lose his putting touch and finished with eight straight pars for a 68 and 196 total, good for a $750 check.  Palmer, the 1960 Masters and U.S. Open champion, helped lure a crowd estimated at 3,500 on the final day of the $5,000 Open. Palmer didn’t putt especially well but stayed in contention with rounds of 66, 67 and 66 for a 199 total and a $450 prize.  Young pro Tom Nichols of  South Charleston fired a final round 64 to take fourth place at 203.  Leaders by rounds: first, Wall 62, by two; second, Snead and Wall, 128s.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs    64-64-67–195
Art Wall, Pocono Manor, Pa.                  62-66-68–196
Arnold Palmer, Ligonier, Pa.                 66-67-66–199
Tom Nichols, South Charleston           72-67-64–203
Joe Taylor, Charleston                           71-69-66–206
Don Shock, Columbus, Ohio                70-66-70–206
a-Ed Tutwiler, Charleston                      67-72-67–206
Al Atkins, Ashland, Ky.                            70-70-67–207
Roy Shreves, Sistersville                       73-71-65–209
Jim Barber, Winchester, Ky.                  69-67-74–210

1961:  Sam Snead, rolling along like the Ohio River that borders the Riviera Country Club near Huntington, finished 19 under par for 54 holes and captured his 10th West Virginia Open crown.  Snead shot rounds of 65, 63 and 63 for a 191 total on the par-70 Riviera course and finished five strokes ahead of runnerup Al Atkins of Ashland, Ky.   Snead birdied four of  the first five holes in the final round to pull away.  Snead’s total doesn’t include a course record 61, including three eagles and three birdies, that he fired in a practice round the first time he saw the course.  Snead was not the only golfer burning up the short, flat course.  Atkins,  the 1961 Kentucky PGA champion and 1960 Kentucky Open winner, posted a 62 in the second round and took second at 196.  Young pro Roy Shreves, 24, of Sistersville had a 64 to take the first round lead and finished third at 197.  Denny Shute, a Huntington native and currently a pro in Akron, Ohio, shot a final round 64 to tie for fourth at 199 with Joe Taylor of Charleston.  Pro George Hoffer fired a 63 and amateur Ed Tutwiler a 64 in the second round. A field of  122 players from six states took part.  Leaders by rounds:  first, Shreves 64, by one; second, Snead 128, by one.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs     65-63-63–191
Al Atkins, Ashland, Ky.                              69-62-65–196
Roy Shreves, Sistersville                         64-65-68–197
Joe Taylor, Charleston                             67-65-67–199
Denny Shute, Akron, Ohio                       69-66-64–199
George Hoffer, Hurricane                        67-63-70–200
Jack Radcliff,  Columbus, Ohio              68-67-66–201
a-Don Stickney, Columbus, Ohio           66-70-65–201
a-Ed Tutwiler, Charleston                        67-64-71–202
a-Jim Ward, Huntington                           66-67-69–202

1962:   Amateur Ed Tutwiler won his third West Virginia Open title at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Hurricane despite a record-breaking round by pro Joe Taylor.  Tutwiler put together  rounds of 71 and 67 for a winning total of 138. Taylor broke the Sleepy Hollow course record with a 65 in the final round to finish a stroke behind at 139.  The tournament was reduced from 54 to 36 holes because rain, snow and near-freezing temperature in late October caused cancellation of the first day’s round.  The players completed their rounds the next day despite temperature in the mid-30s.  Bill Campbell carried a hand-warmer in each pocket and wore heavy mittens between shots.  The temperature warmed up for the final day and so did Taylor, who eagled the par-five No. 2 and No. 7 holes and birdied No. 5, No. 11 and No. 14. for his 65.  Tutwiler had five birdies of his own to hold onto the lead.   Tom Weiskopf, an amateur from Columbus who later became a famous pro, tied for eighth place.  John Shelton, a black golfer and the captain of the West Virginia State College team, was denied the right to play in the tournament.  Leaders by rounds: first, Tutwiler 71, by one.

a-Ed Tutwiler, Charleston                        71-67–138
Joe Taylor, Charleston                             74-65–139
Adolph Popp, Keyser                                75-69–144
Dennis Bradley, Rocky River, Ohio        76-68–144
Don Spears, Columbus, Ohio                73-72–145
Linden Meade, Man                                  72-73–145
a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                   74-72–146
Al Atkins, Ashland, Ky.                             74-73–147
Jack Radcliff, Columbus, Ohio              76-71–147
Gene Thompson, Oak Hill                      77-70–147
a-Tom Weiskopf, Columbus, Ohio       75-72–147

1963:  Young pro Linden Meade, 26, of  Man led all the way at Kanawha Country Club in South Charleston to win his first West Virginia Open title and become just the second state golfer to outshoot Sam Snead in an Open.  Meade fired an opening round 65 with five birdies and added 69 and 71 scores for a 205 total, five under par.  Pro Don Stickney of Columbus, Ohio, finished a stroke back at 206 while Snead came in third at 207.  Meade thought the 11th hole in the final round was the most crucial.  Leading Stickney by one and Snead by two strokes, Meade hooked his drive out of bounds.  Meade then switched to a three-wood, drove down the middle, punched a five-iron shot to eight feet and made the putt for a bogey five. Snead three-putted and Stickney took three from the fringe for bogeys, failing to gain any ground.  Bill Campbell congratulated Meade after the win, “”You beat Sam — the greatest in the world.  To me, just to see him swing the club is a joy.”  Snead had putting woes in the Open, missing nine putts of six feet or less and three more of  from eight to 10 feet.   Leaders by rounds: first, Meade 65, by two; second, Meade 134, by one.

Linden Meade, Man                                 65-69-71–205
Don Stickney, Columbus, Ohio             69-68-69–206
Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs    67-68-72–207
a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                   69-71-68–208
Joe Taylor, Charleston                            72-69-68–209
Al Atkins, Ashland, Ky.                             73-74-64–211
a-Bob Johnson, Charleston                  73-68-71–212
Adolph Popp, Oak Hill                            75-68-69–212
Tom Nichols, South Charleston          71-73-68–212
a-Chuck Smith, Columbus, Ohio        71-73-68–212

1964:  Pro George Hoffer of Hurricane had to play the last three holes in the dark with the aid of automobile headlights but still rolled to an eight-stroke victory at the Par Mar Pines course in Parkersburg to claim his second West Virginia Open title.  Hoffer began the tournament with a 77 to fall 10 strokes back but got into contention with a course record 65 in the second round.  Hoffer trailed Joe Taylor by four strokes going into the final day but shot a 70 in the morning to grab a one-stroke lead.  Hoffer then fired a 67 in the afternoon despite rain and darkness descending on his foursome.  Hoffer ended up with a 72-hole total of 279, one under par for the Par Mar Pines course.  Taylor led after the first two rounds with 67 and 71 scores but had problems in the rain on the final day for 75 and 74 rounds and a 287 total as the runnerup.  Ohio Open champion Don Stickney tied for third with Billy Capps and Jerry McFerren with 290 scores.  Herman Keiser of  Copley, Ohio, the 1946 Masters champion, tied for seventh.  Sam Snead was unable to play because of a virus and Bill Campbell and Ed Tutwiler also missed the tournament.  Leaders by rounds: first, Taylor 67, by two; second, Taylor 138, by one; third, Hoffer 212, by one.

George Hoffer, Hurricane                       77-65-70-67–279
Joe Taylor, Charleston                           67-71-75-74–287
Billy Capps, Beckley                               69-70-76-75–290
Don Stickney, Columbus, Ohio            77-68-72-73–290
a-Jerry McFerren, Silver Spring, Md.    71-69-77-73–290
Tom Cassady, Circleville, Ohio            75-69-72-76–292
Herman Keiser, Copley, Ohio               70-73-74-76–293
Jack Radcliff, Columbus, Ohio             76-74-70-73–293
Don Spears, Columbus, Ohio              71-77-69-77–294
Reggie Spencer, Morgantown              77-71-73-74–295
Dominick Capatosta, Akron, Ohio        71-73-72-79–295
Tim DeBaufre, Pittsburgh, Pa.              73-73-76-73–295

1965:  Joe Taylor took command of the tournament with a 69 in the second round and breezed to a 10-stroke victory in the Open at Lakeview Country Club near Morgantown.  Taylor earned $500 in nabbing his second     Open title.  He posted an even par 213 total for 54 holes in outplaying defending champion George Hoffer, who came in second with a 223 score. Taylor shared the first round lead with Adolph Popp with 72s but then built a seven-stroke lead on the second day with his 69, the tournament’s best round on the tough Lakeview course.  Taylor coasted to victory on the third day with a closing 72.  Hoffer carded a 73 in the final round to edge Reggie Spencer for second place.  Popp faltered the last two rounds and tied for fourth.  Jim Hess of Morgantown was the low amateur with a 238 total and earned $200, the maximum prize for an amateur.  Tournament officials decided to shorten the Open from 72 to 54 holes to prevent a recurrence of  the 1964 tournament which finished in the dark.  Leaders by rounds: first, Taylor and Popp 72s; second, Taylor 141, by seven.

Joe Taylor, Charleston                                     72-69-72–213
George Hoffer, Hurricane                                75-75-73–223
Reggie Spencer, Morgantown                        76-74-75–225
Adolph Popp, Oak Hill                                      72-79-75–226
Ray Grabowski, Monongahela Valley, Pa.   77-75-74–226
Bill Durniak, Pittsburgh, Pa.                            75-73-79–227
Charles Smith, Cleveland, Ohio                     77-78-74–229
Chuck Scally, Pittsburgh, Pa.                          80-77-73–230
Linden Meade, Man                                           74-77-79–230
Frank Sluciak, Morgantown                             82-81-70–233

1966:   Sam Snead led from start to finish at South Hills Golf Club in Parkersburg in locking up his 11th West Virginia Open championship.   He increased his lead after every round in posting a 199 total — 11 under par — for 54 holes and winning by 10 strokes.  Snead earned the top prize of  $500 out of  the total $3,000 purse.     He shook off a double bogey six in the first round in shooting a 67 and then pulled away from the field with a competitive course record of 32-32–64 in the second round.  Sam clipped two more strokes off par with a 68 in the final round, managing four birdies despite chilly 50-degree October breezes.  Pro Tom Cassady of Marietta, Ohio, finished second at 209 ahead of Billy Capps (211) of Beckley and defending champion Joe Taylor (212) of  Charleston.  The low amateur was Ken Doyle, a sophomore at Morris Harvey College who was the West Virginia Conference golf champion the past school year.  Doyle finished in a tie for seventh at 215.  Being late at the tee cost pro Norm Rack of Elizabeth, Pa., a two-stroke penalty and $100.  He tied for seventh at 215 and won $150 instead of $250. Leaders by rounds: first, Snead 67, by one; second. Snead 131, by seven.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs        67-64-68–199
Tom Cassady, Marietta, Ohio                    70-68-71–209
Billy Capps, Beckley                                    68-71-72–211
Joe Taylor, Charleston                                70-70-72–212
Jim Keim, Jr., Erie, Pa.                                72-67-74–213
Horace Ervin, Charleston                           70-71-73–214
Billy Collins, Columbus, Ohio                   70-71-74–215
a-Ken Doyle, Charleston                            71-73-71–215
Norm Rack, Elizabeth, Pa.                         68-74-73–215
Linden Meade, Man                                     71-72-73–216
Cliff Cook, Akron, Ohio                                71-75-70–216
Joe Stoddard, Cleveland, Ohio                 73-79-73–216

1967:  Sam Snead birdied the third hole in a sudden death playoff with host pro Roy Shreves at Moundsville Country Club to capture his 12th West Virginia Open title.  Snead hit a wedge shot from 90 yards to within one foot of the pin on the 346-yard third hole.  Shreves’ second shot rolled over the green and his pitch shot from 30 feet missed two feet to the left.  Shreves held a three-stroke lead with five holes remaining in regulation but bogeyed No. 14 and No. 15 to lose two of the strokes. Snead pulled into a tie by sinking an 18-foot birdie putt on the tough 464-yard 16th hole.  Snead shot a final round 69 for a 54-hole total of  even par 210.  Shreves had a final 71 for his 210 total.  Snead got a first place prize of $1,200 while Shreves earned $925 for second place in the $7,000 tournament.  George Hoffer finished with a 69 for a 211 total, missing the playoff by a stroke and earning $750 for third place. Snead won despite being troubled with a stomach ailment. “”Roy was pretty nice to me on that back nine.  He obliged me by making some bogeys. If you stick in there and keep plugging away, you don’t know what will happen,” Snead said.  Shreves, 29, commented about Snead, 55, “”The old guy is pretty tough.”  A record field of  171 entered the Open.  Leaders by rounds: first, A. J. Gray, Jr., 68, by one; second, Shreves 139, by two.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs    70-71-69–210
Roy Shreves, Moundsville                      69-70-71–210
George Hoffer, Hurricane                       72-70-69–21l
a-A. J. Gray, Jr., Wheeling                      68-73-72–213
a-Chester Guzak, Moundsville              69-74-70–213
Bob Shave, Hollywood, Fla.                   74-72-67–213
Herman Keiser, Akron, Ohio                 71-71-73–215
Joe Taylor, Charleston                           71-70-74–215
Billy Capps, Beckley                               72-73-70–215
Tom Cassady, Marietta, Ohio               76-70-69–215
Chuck Rotar, Lawton, Okla.                  72-75-68–215

1968:  Sam Snead captured his third straight West Virginia Open and 13th title overall in a rain-shortened tournament at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Hurricane.  The first round and final round of the scheduled 72-hole tournament were washed out, reducing the event to 36 holes.  Snead shot a pair of  69s in the two rounds that were played for a 138 total and a five-stroke victory over runnerup Billy Capps.  Snead, Capps and Linden Meade actually played nine holes in the rain on the final day before the decision was made to halt play. Snead was two under par for the nine holes and nine strokes ahead of Capps and 12 ahead of Meade after 45 holes, although the scores for the nine holes didn’t count.  “”I bet I have won more tournaments in the rain, in the mud and in the cold than I have in good weather.  I can adjust to bad weather,” said Snead, who had 11 birdies in 45 holes.   Snead won the $500 first prize while Capps earned $400 and Meade got $350 for finishing third.  Jack McQuain of Charleston used a six-iron to ace the 168-yard   fourth hole during the Open.   Leaders by rounds: first, Snead 69, by two.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs     69-69–138
Billy Capps, Beckley                                 71-72–143
Linden Meade, Chapmanville                74-70–144
a-Bob Johnson, Charleston                   72-74–146
a- Kenny Bowen, South Charleston      71-76–147
Pete Byer, Huntington                              73-77–150
Ben Varda, Spencer                                 73-79–152
Lowell Wilson, Parkersburg                   76-76–152
a-Noble Holt, South Charleston            80-72–152
a-Ralph Pennington, Huntington          72-80–152

1969:  Joe Taylor withstood final round charges by Horace Ervin and Linden Meade at Meadowbrook Recration Club in Charleston to win his third West Virginia Open title.  Taylor shot back to back rounds of 66 with five birdies each day to build a four-stroke lead and then carded a 71 in the final round for a seven-under-par total of 203 and a one-stroke victory.  The Berry Hills Country Club pro received the first place check of $500 and a trophy which he himself had donated.   Taylor, 49, said he felt tired in the final round. “”I only hit one shot out there today that I got a charge out of,” he said. He referred to a recovery shot from underneath a small tree on which he punched the ball onto the 13th green with a five-iron and sank an 18-foot putt for a birdie. Ervin, the former Meadowbrook pro, came back from North Carolina by special invitation and shot a 68 on the last day to finish with a 204 total.  Ervin, who was eligible to win the title but not any prize money, needed a par on the last hole to tie but took a bogey.  Meade birdied the first three holes in his final round but two late bogeys stopped his bid as he posted a 69 for 206.  State Amateur champion Barney Thompson shot the tournament’s low round, a 65 with an eagle and five birdies, and tied for third at 206.  Pro George Hoffer made a hole-in-one on the uphill 135-yard 17th hole.  Leaders by rounds: first, Taylor 66, by one; second, Taylor 132, by four.

Joe Taylor, South Charleston                   66-66-71–203
Horace Ervin, Kinston, N.C.                      69-67-68–204
Linden Meade, Chapmanville                  69-68-69–206
a-Barney Thompson, Barboursville        73-65-68–206
a-Dick Young, Charleston                         69-69-68–206
a-Ken Bowen, South Charleston             67-70-71–208
Pete Byer, Huntington                                68-68-74–210
John Fletcher, Charleston                        72-66-72–210
Buddy Cook, White Sulphur Springs      71-71-68–210
a-Dick Foutche, Charleston                     72-71-69–212

1970:  Sam Snead had problems finding the Sandy Brae golf course near Amma in Roane County but once there he didn’t have any trouble playing the course while breezing to his 14th West Virginia Open title.  Snead shot 65 in a practice round and then fired 65, 69 and 66 in the tournament for a 54-hole total of 200 and a 12-stroke victory.  Snead had an eagle and 15 birdies on the par-70 course during the Open.  He won $650 out of a total purse of $5,500.  Defending champion Joe Taylor carded a final round 69 to take second place at 212.  Kenny Bowen finished third and was the low amateur at 213.  An overnight storm before the final round caused the Big Sandy River, which runs through the course, to flow over two bridges.  The golfers couldn’t get across to the 15th, 16th and 17th greens. Tournament officials decided to play the first, second and third holes twice.  The tournament was almost marred by a drowning accident when a 16-year-old member of the maintenance crew fell into the river while trying to clear some logs from underneath a bridge on the fourth hole.  He held onto a chain in the stream for five minutes before being pulled to safety.   Greg Powers, 18, of  Paden City was involved in a car wreck on his way to the Open and then in a golf cart accident on the course.  Billy Capps shot a course record 64 twice in practice.  A field of 182 players entered the Open.  Leaders by rounds: first, Snead 65, by four; second, Snead 134, by seven.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs      65-69-66–200
Joe Taylor, South Charleston                  73-70-69–212
a-Kenny Bowen, South Charleston        71-70-74–215
a-Barney Thompson, Barboursville       69-74-73–216
a-John Shinn, Point Pleasant                 71-73-72–216
a-Bob Johnson, Charleston                   75-69-73–217
a-A.J. Gray, Wheeling                               77-72-68–217
Jerry Walker, Parkersburg                       72-75-70–217
Pete Byer, Huntington                              70-76-73–219
Billy Capps, Beckley                                75-73-72–220

1971:  Sam Snead withstood the challenges of Billy Capps and Barney Thompson at Bel Meadow Country Club near Clarksburg to capture his 15th West Virginia Open.  Rain and lightning caused the opening day round to be cancelled, reducing the tournament from 54 to 36 holes.  Snead shot 72 and 70 for a 142 total while Capps fired 73 and 70 for 143 and Thompson had 73 and 71 for 144.  State Amateur champion Thompson holed a 75-yard sand wedge shot for an eagle on the fifth hole in the final round to take a three-stroke lead over Snead.   Thompson came to the tricky 475-yard par-five 13th hole leading Snead by one and Capps by two.  Thompson hooked his drive and laid up short of a pond but pushed his third shot and the ball rolled back into the pond.  The ball was covered by a half-inch of water and Barney decided to play it.  He splashed the ball out but short of the green.  He pitched on and two-putted for a double bogey seven.  Meanwhile, Snead hit a long drive, smacked a one-iron shot on the green 12 feet past the pin and two-putted for a birdie four to take a two-stroke lead.  Thompson bogeyed 14 to drop three back but rallied with a birdie on 15 and a 30-foot chip-in birdie on 17.   Snead made a six-foot putt on 17 to stay ahead.   Snead two-putted 18 from 25 feet for a par while Thompson caught a greenside trap and bogeyed. Capps rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on 18 to finish a shot behind.  Snead won $700 and Capps $500 while Thompson received $195 in merchandise as low amateur. “”I’m going to take it all in golf  balls,” Thompson said. Leaders by rounds: first, Snead, Pete Byer and Jerry Ware 72s.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs        72-70–142
Billy Capps, Beckley                                    73-70–143
a-Barney Thompson, Barboursville         73-71–144
Pete Byer, Huntington                                 72-75–147
Bud Harold, Fairmont                                 74-74–148
a-Slugger White, Beckley                           76-72–148
a-Mike Gocke, Bridgeport                           73-76–149
Roy Shreves, Moundsville                          78-74–152
a-Brian Harter (hometown not listed)      78-74–152
Jack Forbes, Morgantown                          78-74–152

1972:  For the second straight year, Sam Snead overtook Barney Thompson on the final nine holes to capture the West Virginia Open.  Snead shot rounds of  66, 70 and 70 at South Hills Golf Club in Parkersburg  for a 206 total to notch his 16th Open title.  Thompson, who had turned pro earlier, finished two strokes back with rounds of  69, 67 and 72 for 208.  Snead received a $600 check and a congratulary telegram from President Nixon while Thompson earned $450.  Thompson opened up a two-stroke lead after seven holes on the final day but tossed it all away when he four-putted the eighth green from 12 feet.  However, Thompson shook this off and made a seven-foot birdie putt on 9 to lead Snead by one.  But Snead pulled even with an 11-foot birdie putt on 10 and moved two ahead when Thompson three-putted the 11th and 12th greens. Snead sank a short three-footer on 13 to go three in front and protected his lead the rest of the way. Snead told Thompson, “”Thank you, Barney.  I tried to give it to you and you gave it back to me. You’ve got plenty of time to win this thing.  I’m going to turn it loose to you one of these days.” Thompson remarked, “”I just can’t beat that old man.  Maybe when he’s 70, one of us will beat him.”   Harold Payne, 17, was low amateur at 223 but couldn’t accept any prize because it would jeopardize his eligibility as a South Charleston High basketball player.  Leaders by rounds: first,  Snead 66, by three; second, Snead and Thompson, 136s.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs       66-70-70–206
Barney Thompson, Barboursville            69-67-72–208
Billy Capps, Beckley                                   70-73-72–215
Roy Shreves, Moundsville                         74-71-71–216
Linden Meade, Chapmanville                  74-74-73–221
Jerry Walker, Parkersburg                        76-72-74–222
John Myers, Monongah                             77-73-72–222
a-Harold Payne, South Charleston         72-77-74–223
a-Art Lichiello,  Sistersville                        76-72-76–224
Bud Harold, Fairmont                                 75-73-77–225
Jim McKnight (hometown not listed)       78-75-72–225
Jimmy Scott (hometown not listed)         80-71-74–225

1973:  Sam Snead captured his fourth straight West Virginia Open and his 17th title overall with another dominating performance at Bridgeport Country Club.   Snead won by eight strokes while shooting rounds of  73, 69 and 70 for a 212 total.  Snead, 61, won $600.  It was the 146th victory of his amazing career. “”Yep, I still enjoy playing in the State Open. You know I first start playing the State Open in 1936 and all the guys I used to play with don’t come anymore.  Guys like Sims Browning of Huntington and Johnny Javins of Charleston are too old, I guess,” Snead said.  “”I don’t know what I’m still doing out here playing.  I guess I’m just too dumb to quit,” Snead added. Finishing second in the Open with a 220 total was Scott Bess, a Missouri native who played the mini-tours and heard about the Open while visiting his wife’s parents in Eleanor.  Pete Byer chipped in from 50 feet on the final hole to beat out Joe Taylor for third place.  Linden Meade hit his drives off an eight-inch high tee and said it helped him keep his ball in the fairway.  Homer Delovich, a Monongah mine foreman, took the first round lead with a 69 but faltered to an 80 in the second round while playing with Snead.  “”I was so scared I couldn’t take the club back,” Delovich said. Leaders by rounds: first, Delovich 69, by four; second, Snead 142, by two.

Sam Snead, White Sulphur Springs      73-69-70–212
Scott Bess, Eleanor                                   73-71-76–220
Pete Byer, Huntington                                73-72-77–222
Joe Taylor, South Charleston                   76-73-74–223
Billy Shreves, Bridgeport                           74-76-74–224
a-Homer Delovich, Monongah                 69-80-75–224
Linden Meade, Chapmanville                  75-78-72–225
Terry Smith, Paden City                             75-78-74–227
Bill Robertson, Pipestem                          78-77-73–228
George Hoffer, Hurricane                         77-76-76–229
a-Jim Goodwin, Bridgeport                      73-77-79–229

1974:  Blake Watt, 21, of Wheeling became just the third amateur, joining Bill Campbell and Ed Tutwiler, to win the West Virginia Open.  Watt, a senior on the Ohio University golf team, held off Parkersburg pro Jerry Walker for a two-stroke victory at Moundsville Country Club.  Watt shot even par rounds of  70 the first two days before slipping to 75 in the final round but his 215 total was good enough to win on his home course.  Walker trailed by eight strokes after 72 and 76 rounds but made a last-day charge with a 69 for a 217 total to close within two strokes.  Walker did earn the pros’ first prize of $800 while Watt received the amateur maximum prize of $200 in gift certificates.  Chip Yanen of  Moundsville blistered the Moundsville course with a 67 in the first round to take a three-stroke lead but fell back with 77 and 74 the next two days to finish at 218 in a tie for third with pro Linden Meade.  A field of 135 players competed for $6,000 in prizes. Defending champion Sam Snead didn’t enter the tournament.  Leaders by rounds:  first, Yanen 67, by three;  second, Watt 140, by four.

a-Blake Watt, Wheeling                           70-70-75–215
Jerry Walker, Parkersburg                       72-76-69–217
Linden Meade, Chapmanville                 75-70-73–218
a-Chip Yanen, Moundsville                      67-77-74–218
Mark Wheaton, Moundsville                     71-73-75–219
a-Benny Blake, Parkersburg                   74-76-70–220
a-Tom Murphy, Wheeling                         72-76-74–222
a-Chester Guzak, Moundsville                73-76-74–223
a-Jim Frush (hometown not listed)        77-71-75–223
a-Bob Nuenschwander, Sistersville      73-74-76–223
a-Will Postelwaite, Moundsville              71-75-77–223

1975:  Touring pro Barney Thompson broke a tie with pro Terry Smith in the final three holes on the Canaan Valley State Park course to become the West Virginia Open champion for the first time.  The first day’s round was rained out, reducing the tournament from 54 to 36 holes.   Both Thompson and Smith opened with 70s to share the lead.  Thompson had a 74 in the final round for a 144 total while Smith posted a 76 for 146.   They were tied with three holes remaining before Smith hit his tee shot into a water hazard in front of the green on the 230-yard 16th hole, taking a double bogey five.  Thompson put his ball on the green and two-putted for a par and a two-stroke edge. Smith birdied the par-5 17th hole to pull within one shot.  Then on the closing hole, Thompson got his par while Smith ran his 18-foot birdie attempt past the cup and wound up with a bogey.  Thompson added the Open title to three State Amateur crowns.  The tournament was played in cold weather, with the early starters in the final round teeing off in 26-degree temperature.  Leaders by rounds: first, Thompson and Smith 70s.

Barney Thompson, Barboursville      70-74–144
Terry Smith, Parkersburg                    70-76–146
Doug Ray, Moundsville                        75-72–147
a-Homer Delovich, Fairmont              73-74–147
Linden Meade, Chapmanville            73-75–148
a-Blake Watt, Wheeling                       76-72–148
Tom Caulson, Kingwood                    75-74–149
a-Harold Payne, South Charleston                149

(Note:  Only total score listed for Harold Payne, no individual rounds)

1976:  A year after finishing second, pro Terry Smith shot underpar scores the last two rounds to move up to the winner’s spot in the West Virginia Open at Preston Country Club in Kingwood.   Smith started slowly with a 77 but then shot a course record 69 on the par-72, 6,978-yard Preston course in the second round to grab a three-stroke lead.  Smith added a 70 in the final round to post a 216 total and finish four strokes ahead of runnerup pro Doug Ray of Bridgeport.  Smith collected $360.  Ray, who closed with a 71 for 220, earned $250.  Jack Forbes of Morgantown was the low amateur at 226 and received $250 worth of merchandise.  David Lester of the West Virginia University golf team was fourth at 228.  Pros Joe Taylor, Corky Chapman and Ray Monroe and amateurs John Ellwood, Jack Forbes and Ron Witt shared the first round lead with 74 scores.  In all, 93 pros and amateurs competed. Babe Baritell of  Kingwood aced the 207-yard 18th hole with a four-wood in the Open pro-am.  Leaders by rounds:  first, Taylor, Chapman, Monroe, Ellwood, Forbes and Witt 74s; second, Smith 146, by three.

Terry Smith, Paden City                   77-69-70–216
Doug Ray, Bridgeport                      76-73-71–220
a-Jack Forbes, Morgantown           74-77-75–226
a-David Lester, Enterprise               76-73-79–228
Mark Wheaton, Moundsville         76-76-77–229
Joe Taylor, South Charleston         74-76-79–229
a-Larry Spotloe, Philippi                  77-75-77–229
Linden Meade, Chapmanville         80-76-75–231
a-Jim Ward, Huntington                  77-76-78–231
a-Mike Gocke, Morgantown           78-76-77–231

1977:  Pro Barry Fleming of Vienna took the early lead and held off all contenders to grab  the title in the 44th West Virginia Open at Canaan Valley State Park.  Fleming fired a 32-36–68 round on the par-72, 6,800-yard course in the first round to take a one-stroke lead over Fairmont amateur Mark Welton.   Fleming maintained his one-shot lead with a second round 73 and then his 72 in the final round made him a two-stroke victor with a 213 total, three-under-par.   Mark Wheaton of Moundsville and amateur Randy Hillis of New Cumberland tied for second with 215 totals while Welton was fourth at 216.  Pro Bob Hillis, the father of Randy, tied for seventh at 219.   Welton, Moundsville pros Doug Ray and Chip Yanen and Morgantown amateur John Ellwood all shot 69 rounds during the tournament.  Defending champion Terry Smith wound up tied for seventh.  The field of 23 pros and 29 amateurs played in cool and windy September weather at Canaan Valley.  Leaders by rounds: first,  Fleming 68, by one; second, Fleming 141, by one.

Barry Fleming, Vienna                          68-73-72–213
Mark Wheaton, Moundsville                71-71-73–215
a-Randy Hillis, New Cumberland      73-71-71–215
a-Mark Welton, Fairmont                      69-73-74–216
Doug Ray, Moundsville                         74-69-74–217
Fletcher White, Daniels                        75-70-73–218
Bob Hillis, New Cumberland              74-73-72–219
a-John Ellwood, Morgantown             75-75-69–219
Terry Smith, Paden City                       73-72-74–219
Chip Yanen, Moundsville                    76-69-75–220

1978:  Barney Thompson, 29, took a break from the PGA Tour and returned to his home state to capture the West Virginia Open on the Greenbrier course at White Sulphur Springs.  Thompson played three steady rounds of 73, 72 and 73 for a 218 total while rolling to a nine-stroke victory and his second Open title.  Jim Jamieson, a former tour player and the current Greenbrier Director of Golf, finished second with rounds of 76, 77 and 74 for 227. Thompson earned $1,200 and Jamieson got $900.  It was the first tournament on the Greenbrier course since Jack Nicklaus redesigned it for the 1979 Ryder Cup matches, and the players found it extremely difficult.  Amateur MikeGocke of Morgantown had the only subpar round, a 71, in the second round.  Gocke tied for third with Greenbrier pro John Murphy with 228 totals.  Pro Hampton Auld of Charleston was the first round leader with a 72 and wound up tied for 10th.  The players had to contend with fog and gusty winds during the tournament.  Leaders by rounds: first, Auld 72, by one; second, Thompson 145, by three.

Barney Thompson, Barboursville              73-72-73–218
Jim Jamieson, White Sulphur Springs     76-77-74–227
a-Mike Gocke, Morgantown                         79-71-78–228
John Murphy, White Sulphur Springs        77-75-76–228
Nick Karl, Sistersville                                   75-76-78–229
Steve Wood, Parkersburg                           78-74-77–229
Barry Fleming, Vienna                                 80-72-78–230
John Bailey, Newell                                     76-77-78–231
Robert Harris, Daniels                                78-80-73–231
Hampton Auld, Charleston                         72-76-84–232
Dave Baker, Beckley                                    82-76-74–232
Bill Robertson, Pipestem                           76-78-78–232

1979:  Pro Benny Bowles of  Oak Hill edged amateur Bill Campbell in a head-to-head duel that went down to the last hole at Williams Country Club in Weirton.   Young Bowles, 22, shot a last-round 73 for a 54-hole total of 216 — even par for the tournament — and won $1,200.  The veteran Campbell finished with a 74 for a 217 total.  Bowles led Campbell by three strokes after 11 holes of the final round but gave them back by taking a bogey on 12 and a double bogey six on 13 after driving into the woods.  Bowles also bogeyed 15, putting Campbell into the lead, but pulled even again with a six-foot birdie putt on 17.  It came down to the 382-yard 18th hole.  Bowles drove in the fairway, put his second shot on the green and two-putted from 30 feet for a par.  Meanwhile, Campbell pushed his drive into heavy grass in the right rough and his second shot with a nine-iron wound up 10 feet short of the green.  His pitch-and-run third shot grabbed up 15 feet short of  the cup and his sidehill putt stayed above the hole, giving him a bogey.  Mark Wheaton fired a final 68, the best round of the Open, to finish third at 219.  Former champions Ed Tutwiler of Indianapolis  and Sam Snead of Hot Springs, Va., were given special invitations to play. Tutwiler tied for seventh at 224 while Snead, obviously tired from a month of tournament golf, tied for 12th with rounds of 73, 80 and 75 for 228. It was only the third time in 20 State Open appearances that Snead failed to win. Leaders by rounds:  first, Barney Thompson 70, by one; second, Bowles and Campbell 143s.

Benny Bowles, Oak Hill                                72-71-73–216
a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                        74-69-74–217
Mark Wheaton, Moundsville                         75-76-68–219
Barney Thompson, Barboursville               70-76-76–222
Darrell Kestner, Bluefield                             78-73-71–222
Jim Jamieson, White Sulphur Springs      74-74-75–223
Steve Head, Lavalette                                    71-78-75–224
Terry Smith, Paden City                                 72-78-74–224
a-Ed Tutwiler, Indianapolis, Ind.                  76-71-77–224
a-Scott Davis, Wheeling                                75-74-78–227
a–Jay Guthrie, Wheeling                               76-73-78–227

1980:  Mike White, a touring pro from Beckley,  led after every round in winning the West Virginia Open at Fincastle Country Club near Bluefield.   White took command with two even par rounds of  70 and then added a final 72 to post a 212 total for a four-stroke victory.  His margin would have been larger except for a double bogey on the final hole when he four-putted for a six.  That was the only hole in the tournament that he needed more than two putts.  White, who was visiting relatives in Beckley during a break from the tour and entered the Open, earned a $1,200 check.   Pro Darrell Kestner shot a 69 on the final day to share second place with 1977 Open champion Barry Fleming at 216.  Both received $825.   Kestner, a state native and former Fincastle assistant, works at a club in New Jersey.  Touring pro and former Open champion Barney Thompson was 10 over par for 15 holes in the first round and walked in disgust off  the course.  Fincastle club champion Mark Plymale was low amateur at 223.  Leaders by rounds: first, White 70, by one; second, White 140, by five.

Mike White, Beckley                                      70-70-72–212
Barry Fleming, Parkersburg                        71-74-71–216
Darrell Kestner, Gary                                    77-70-69–216
Jim Jamieson, White Sulphur Springs     74-72-71–217
Benny Bowles, Oak Hill                                71-76-71–218
Scott Davis, Wheeling                                   72-78-70–220
Vic Sorrell, Bluefield                                      73-73-74–220
Billy Capps, Beckley                                      73-74-74–221
Tommy Byrd, Bluefield                                  75-75-72–222
Gary Blake, Parkersburg                              75-72-76–223
a-Mark Plymale, Bluefield                             81-72-70–223

1981:  Amateur Matt Cooke of Beckley grabbed control of the Open with a 67 in the second round and breezed to an eight-stroke victory at Berry Hills Country Club near Charleston.  Cooke, a 20-year-old senior on the Marshall University golf  team, ended with a 213 total for 54 holes.  He made six birdies, including a 30-foot putt on the 13th green, during his 67 round on the par 70 course.  “”I started hitting the ball off the putter real solid.  My putting is rarely this good.  It was just one of those days — my best round of the year,” Cooke said.  Benny Bowles finished second in the Open with a 221 total and earned the top pro prize of $1,200.  Bowles broke his putter in the final round when he stubbed it in the ground but fortunately had a spare putter in his bag.  Pros Barry Fleming and Linden Meade tied for third at 222 and both received $825.   Pro Robert Harris of Oak Hill made a hole-in-one on the 159-yard 12th hole with a seven-iron during the first round. Young amateur David Wallace Jr, 18, shot a 71 for the first round lead on his home course.  Leaders by rounds: first, Wallace 71, by one; second, Cooke 142, by three.

a-Matt Cooke, Beckley                        75-67-71–213
Benny Bowles, Kopperston               73-72-76–221
Barry Fleming, Charleston                 81-70-71–222
Linden Meade, Chapmanville           74-78-70–222
Darrell Kestner, Gary                          73-72-78–223
Randy Hillis, New Cumberland        79-71-73–223
a-Kirk Nolte, Wheeling                       73-75-75–223
a-David Wallace Jr., Charleston       71-78-76–225
Lee Martina, Beckley                           72-78-76–226
a-Danny Warren Jr., Beckley              78-74-76–228

1982:  Scott Davis staged a brilliant comeback in his hometown by firing a 67 in the final round at Wheeling Country Club to win the West Virginia Open.   Davis, an assistant pro at a Zanesville (Ohio) club,  improved every round from 75 to 70 to 67 in posting a 212 total.  He beat out second round co-leader Linden Meade by two strokes in taking the $1,200 first prize.  Davis, who trailed by three strokes starting the last round, hit 17 of 18 greens in notching his 34-33–67 score on the hilly par 70 Wheeling course.  He birdied the first hole,  parred the next eight holes and made two more birdies on the back nine.  “”I played really well but I was tentative with my putter.  I just couldn’t hit it firmly,” Davis said.   He added the Open title to his 1978 West Virginia Amateur title that he won before turning pro.  Meade, who had a 69 in the second round to share the lead with pro James Ulozas, carded a final round 72 for a 214 total and went home $900 richer.  Ulozas had a 76 on the final day to finish at 218.  Pro Dick Wedzik shot a 67 with five birdies in the first round. Leaders by rounds: first, Wedzik 67, by two; second, Meade and Ulozas 142s.

Scott Davis, Zanesville, Ohio             75-70-67–212
Linden Meade, Chapmanville           73-69-72–214
a-Chip Yanen, Moundsville                70-73-72–215
a-Jay Guthrie, Wheeling                     73-74-70–217
Hamp Auld, Charleston                      76-70-72–218
Mark Cunningham, Parkersburg      71-73-74–218
James Ulozas, Parkersburg             69-73-76–218
Gary Blake, Belpre, Ohio                    70-75-74–219
Dick Wedzik, Bridgeport                     67-76-76–219
John Bailey, Weirton                           72-72-75–219

1983:  Amateur Jim Fankhauser withstood a 2 1/2-hour rain delay and the play of pro John Ross to capture the 50th West Virginia Open at Parkersburg Country Club.  Fankhauser, a PCC member, shot three consistent rounds of 70, 71 and 71 for a 212 total and a three-stroke victory.  The leaders had finished five holes in the final round when lightning and heavy rain caused a long delay. When play .resumed, Fankhauser led Ross by one stroke after nine holes and by three strokes after 14 holes. Then Fankhauser, who had gone 29 holes without a bogey, missed the green on the 15th hole and three-putted for a double bogey six.  Ross birdied the 16th hole to trail by just a stroke.  Fankhauser answered the challenge by making a birdie on 17 and a par on 18.  “”I really felt the heat, especially after he (Ross) made birdie two on No. 16.  That made me nervous but it also made me realize I couldn’t just coast in,” Fankhauser said.  Ross finished with a 73 for a 215 total and collected the top pro prize of $1,200.  Mike Rothwell, a student at Wake Forest, and Denver Rawlings were both in contention but shot 77s in the final round.  Pro Dazzy Vance aced the 119-yard fifth hole with a nine-iron.  Leaders by rounds: first, Fankhauser and Rothwell 70s; second, Rothwell 140, by one.

a-Jim Fankhauser, Vienna               70-71-71–212
John Ross, Princeton                       71-71-73–215
a-Mike Rothwell, Vienna                   70-70-77–217
a-Denver Rawlings, Charleston     72-69-77–218
Hamp Auld, Charleston                    75-73-73–221
Matt Cooke, Parkersburg                  75-72-74–221
a-Harold Payne, Scott Depot           73-72-77–222
Linden Meade, Chapmanville         76-74-73–223
Benny Bowles, Kopperston             71-79-73–223
a-Danny Warren, Beckley                 77-74-73–224
Barry Fleming, Poca                          73-76-75–224

1984:  Veteran pro Linden Meade of  Chapmanville came from three strokes behind starting the final round to edge pro Ken Lacy of Huntington by one shot for the West Virginia Open title at Fincastle Country Club near Bluefield. Meade shot a 70 on the last day for a 211 total while Lacy finished with a 74 for 212.  Meade said he didn’t know when he passed Lacy but credited his victory to “”three chip shots on 14, 15 and 18 that put me close to the hole for easy putts.”  The Open victory was the second for Meade, who beat Sam Snead in the 1963 tournament.  “”I’d say the first time was the best because I was playing against one of the all-time greats, but this one ranks a close second.  I really feel good about this one because there were so many good young players,” said Meade, 47.   His sons, Greg and Brian, also played in the Open.  Denver Rawlings was the low amateur and finished third overall at 214.  Pro Gary Blake shot the low round of the tournament with a 66 to take the first round lead and wound up tied for fourth at 215.  Leaders by rounds: first, Blake 66, by four; second, Lacy 138, by two.

Linden Meade, Chapmanville               72-69-70–211
Ken Lacy, Huntington                              70-68-74–212
a-Denver Rawlings, Charleston            72-72-70–214
Gary Blake, Belpre, Ohio                         66-75-74–215
Tommy Bird, Bluefield                              73-71-71–215
John Ross, Freeman                               70-70-75–215
Benny Bowles, Kopperston                     74-72-70–216
John Norton (hometown not listed)       73-73-72–218
Billy Capps, Daniels                                 74-70-75–219
Greg Meade, Chapmanville                     71-74-74–219

1985:  Pro Buddy Cook got his putter going on the final nine holes to shoot a three-under-par 69 and capture the 52nd West Virginia Open at Guyan Golf and Country Club in Huntington.  Cook, 59, a former protege of Sam Snead at The Greenbrier, had a 54-hole total of 217 to finish three strokes ahead of four players.  Cook, who began the final round two strokes behind leader Ed Vietmeier, won the tournament with four birdies  on the back nine. Cook sank putts of 25 feet on the 11th green, 18 feet on the 14th, eight feet on the 16th and three feet on the 17th.  “”I rolled it in the hole today, didn’t I?” Cook said after finishing. But he was not aware he had won. “”Who’s winning this thing, anyway?” Cook asked reporters. “”You mean I won the tournament? I won the Open? You’re kidding me.  I don’t believe it,” he said.  Finishing in a tie for second behind Cook were a foursome of pros Vietmeier and Greg Meade and amateurs Chip Yanen and Bill Campbell with 220 totals. Yanen defeated Campbell on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff for the low amateur award.  Leaders by rounds: first, Scott Davis, Benny Bowles and Steve Koreski 72s; second, Vietmeier 146, by one.

Buddy Cook, White Sulphur Springs        73-75-69–217
Greg Meade, Chapmanville                        74-73-73–220
Ed Vietmeier, Charleston                            73-73-74–220
a-Chip Yanen, Moundsville                         76-73-71–220
a-Bill Campbell, Huntington                        73-75-72–220
Steve Koreski, Parkersburg                         72-76-74–222
Benny Bowles, Kopperston                         72-78-72–222
a-John Yarian, Huntington                           75-76-71–222
a-Harold Payne, Scott Depot                       76-74-72–222
a-Kenny Frye, Huntington                            75-74-74–223
a-Reid Carroll, Barboursville                      73-75-75–223
a-Steve Fox, Huntington                               75-76-72–223
Linden Meade, Chapmanville                    76-74-73–223

1986:  Harold Payne made a clean sweep of  the year’s two major golf titles in West Virginia by capturing the Open on his home Sleepy Hollow course in Hurricane to go along with the Amateur he won earlier at The Greenbrier. He joined Bill Campbell (1950 and 1955) and Ed Tutwiler (1956) as the only golfers to accomplish the state “”double.”  Payne scorched the par 72 Sleepy Hollow course with 67 and 65 in the first two rounds before settling for 74 on the last day and a 206 total — 10 under par.  “”It’s really nice to win it here at Sleepy Hollow, where I’ve played for 25 years, before a lot of friends,” Payne said. He had one eagle, 15 birdies, five bogeys and one double-bogey in 54 holes. His eagle came when he drove the 279-yard fifth hole and made a 15-foot putt in the first round.  Despite his low scoring, Payne won by just two strokes over pros Ed Vietmeier and Scott Davis. The long-hittingVietmeier, the assistant pro at Edgewood Country Club,  posted two 67 rounds before a 74 on the final day.  Davis shot a 68 in the last round to tie Vietmeier and then beat him with a birdie on the third playoff hole to settlerunnerup honors.  They divided first- and second-place pro money, with each winning $1,085.20.  Leaders by rounds: first, Payne and Vietmeier 67s; second, Payne 132, by two.

a-Harold Payne, Scott Depot                      67-65-74–206
Scott Davis, Hurricane                                 69-71-68–208
Ed Vietmeier, Charleston                            67-67-74–208
Lee Martina, Beckley                                     71-68-72–211
John Ross, Freeman                                    70-69-73–212
a-Chip Yanen, Moundsville                          74-68-73–215
Linden Meade, Chapmanville                     70-74-71–215
Ned Weaver, Weirton                                    73-72-70–215
a-Evans Harbour, South Charleston         73-71-72–216
a-Brian Meade, Chapmanville                    70-68-80–218
Gary Blake, Parkersburg                              71-73-74–218
Matt Cooke, Vienna                                       74-71-73–218

1987:   Harold Payne made West Virginia golf  history by becoming the first state player ever to win both the Amateur and the Open in the same season for two consecutive years.  He also became the first amateur to repeat as Open champion. Payne coasted to an eight-stroke victory in the Open at Glade Springs Resort in Daniels.  Payne got off to a slow start with a 75 in the first round but took command with a four-under-par 68 that included five birdies in the second round for a four-shot lead.  He doubled his lead with a 71 in the final round for a 214 total.  Payne said he didn’t dream at the start of  the year that he would capture both major state golf titles for the second straight time.  “”One of my pre-season goals was to win the Amateur again.  I didn’t think there was any way I could win the Open again.  I don’t feel I’m in the same class with some of these pros,” Payne said.  Pro Cleve Coldwater of  Charleston shot 71 in the final round to finish second with a 222 total.   As top pro, Coldwater earned 20 percent of the $7,700 purse for a $1,540 paycheck while Payne was limited to $350 in merchandise as an amateur.  Another amateur, Dennis Vass of Stanaford, shot a 71 for the first round lead and wound up tied for third at 223.  Leaders by rounds: first, Vass 71, by one; second, Payne 143, by four.

a-Harold Payne, Scott Depot               75-68-71–214
Cleve Coldwater, Charleston              77-74-71–222
a-Dennis Vass, Stanaford                   71-77-75–223
Linden Meade, Chapmanville             72-75-76–223
Mike Krulich, Bluefield                          72-77-74–223
Greg Meade, Chapmanville                74-75-74–223
a-Chip Yanen, Moundsville                 75-73-76–224
a-Homer Delovich, Monongah           76-75-74–225
Ron Povick, Sissonville                       74-74-77–225
Ty Roush, Mason                                  75-75-76–226
Scott Davis, Hurricane                         72-77-77–226

1988:  Harold Payne, 33, became just the third golfer in state history to capture three straight West Virginia Open titles when he outshot host pros Ned Weaver and Joey Lombardi in the final round at Williams Country Club in Weirton.   Payne fired three steady rounds of  72, 71 and 72 on the par 72 course for a 215 total and a three-stroke victory over Weaver, the head pro at Williams.  Lombardi, the assistant pro at Williams, held a one-stroke lead over Payne and Weaver after two rounds.  Payne birdied the first two holes, including a 40-foot putt on the second green, to take the lead for good in the final round.  Payne then applied the clincher when he sank a lengthy 60-foot putt for a birdie on the 12th green.  “”This one means as much to me as any other championship.  I’m tickled to death because I haven’t played well at all this year.  Whenever you win what I call a major such as this, you wonder if you’ll ever win again,” said Payne, who lost his bid for a third straight Amateur title but pulled it off  in the Open.  Weaver shot a 75 in the last round for a 218 total and claimed the top pro prize of $1,200.  Lombardi settled for a 78 round and a 220 total to finish fourth behind Scott Davis (219).  Sam Snead holds the record for consecutive Open titles with four (1970-73) and also twice won three straight (1936-38 and 1966-68). ClemWiechman also won three straight (1941-43).  Leaders by rounds: first, Weaver 71, by one; second, Lombardi 142, by one.

a–Harold Payne, Scott Depot              72-71-72–215
Ned Weaver, Weirton                            71-72-75–218
Scott Davis, Hurricane                          74-72-73–219
Joey Lombardi, Weirton                       72-70-78–220
a-Steve Fox, Huntington                       72-76-73–221
Cleve Coldwater, Charleston              72-75-75–222
Evans Harbour,  South Charleston    78-75-72–225
Gary Blake, Parkersburg                      76-76-73–225
Benny Bowles, Kopperston                 77-73-75–225
Allen Bailes, Sissonville                       78-71-76–225
Richard Churilla, Wheeling                  75-72-78–225

1989:  Amateur Todd Satterfield, 23, of Bluefield birdied the first hole in a sudden-death playoff  to defeat Oak Hill pro Mike White for the Open title at Sleepy Hollow Golf  Club in Hurricane.  Satterfield hit a nine-iron shot from 136 yards to four feet below the pin on the 395-yard first hole and sank the putt.  White’s eight-iron approach shot landed 15 feet above the pin and his putt was wide and long.   Satterfield, a former University of Georgia golfer, shot three straight rounds of  71 on the par 72 course for a 213 total while White carded 71, 70 and 72 rounds for his 213.  Satterfield led by four shots with three holes left in the final round but bogeyed the final two holes while White birdied the 16th and 18th holes, sinking a 15-foot putt on the final green to force the playoff.  Pro Ken Lacy fired a final round 70 to finish a stroke back at 214 with a double-bogey on 17 proving costly. Satterfield, who planned to turn pro in the next month, accepted the amateur limit of a $400 gift certificate while White received the top pro prize of $1,600.  “”I want to thank Todd for being an amateur this week,” said White, who won the Open in 1980.  Harold Payne, who was shooting for his fourth straight title, finished in a tie for eighth at 218.  Leaders by rounds: first, Reid Carroll and Matt Cooke 69s; second, White and Cooke, 141s.

a-Todd Satterfield,  Bluefield         71-71-71–213
Mike White, Oak Hill                        71-70-72–213
Ken Lacy, Huntington                     71-73-70–214
a-Reid Carroll, Huntington            69-74-72–215
Cleve Coldwater, Charleston       70-73-72–215
a-Marty Creed, Hurricane              70-75-71–216
Matt Cooke, Vienna                        69-72-75–216
Robert Thew, Huntington              71-75-72–218
a-Jim Fankhauser, Vienna           73-72-73–218
a-Harold Payne, Scott Depot        75-69-74–218

1990:  Scott Davis got his putter going in the final round and shot a four-under-par 68 at Bridgeport Country Club to capture his second West Virginia Open title.  Davis overcame a four-stroke deficit and edged Mike White by a single stroke.   Davis got better every round with 75, 72 and 68 for a 215 total while White matched par 72 in every round for a 216 score to finish second for the second straight year.  “”I’m flabbergasted, I really am,” Davis said. “I’ve been playing every year since I won it in ’82 and have not done too well. It’s just really good to get another Open win.”   Davis struggled with his putter early with three three-putts in the first round and two three-putts and a four-putt in the second round.  “Today I played without a three-putt,  I could have had a real good score this week because I hit the ball real well ,” Davis said after the final round.  Defending champion Todd Satterfield, now a pro, led the first round with a 71 and ended up fourth at 218. Cleve Coldwater shot the week’s best round, a six-under 66 with 11 birdies, including the final four holes.  He led by a stroke after the second round but finished in a tie for fifth at 219.  Chris Ward was the low amateur at 217 and finished third.  Jon Stricker had a finishing 68 for 220.   Leaders by rounds: first, Satterfield 71, by one; second, Coldwater 143, by one.

Scott Davis, Hurricane                  75-72-68–215
Mike White, Lochgelly                    72-72-72–216
a-Chris Ward, Beaver                    73-72-72–217
Todd Satterfield, Bluefield            71-75-72–218
Dick Wedzik, Bridgeport                76-70-73–219
Cleve Coldwater, Charleston       77-66-76–219
Jon Stricker, Charleston                77-75-68–220
a-Scott Gilmore, Vienna                 76-71-73–220
Matt Cooke, Parkersburg               74-72-75–221
Ty Roush, Mason                            78-72-72–222
a-Jim Fankhauser, Vienna            77-70-75–222
Brad Westfall, Kingwood               72-72-78–222

1991:  After finishing second the last two years, Mike White moved up to first this time with a one-stroke victory at Moundsville Country Club.  White began the final round four strokes back but shot a 69 to finish with a score of even-par 210.  Charleston pro Bob Bird also carded a final 69 to finish second at 211.   Brian Meade of Chapmanville, the son of two-time champion Linden Meade, opened the tournament with a five-birdie round of 66 for a four-stroke lead and a second-round 71 kept him two strokes in front.  But Meade settled for a 75 on the last day to finish third at 212.  White, who lives in Lochgelly near Oak Hill, earned $1,400 and became a two-time Open champion, having won in 1980.  He felt a key to his victory was a birdie on the 395-yard 17th hole.  “”I just kept plugging along out there.  That’s the way I play.  I don’t ever play to finish second.  I came up here to win,” White said.  Defending champion Scott Davis fired a 67 in the second round and was just two shots off  the pace until a final 75 left him tied for fifth at 214.  Harold Payne posted a 68 in the second round and ended up as the low amateur at 215.  Hill Herrick of  The Greenbrier aced the 203-yard 14th hole in the second round.  Leaders by rounds: first, Meade 66, by four; second, Meade 137, by two.

Mike White, Lochgelly                    70-71-69–210
Bob Bird, Charleston                     71-71-69–211
Brian Meade, Chapmanville         66-71-75–212
Matt Cooke, Parkersburg              73-71-69–213
Barry Evans, Charleston               73-72-69–214
Dick Wedzik, Bridgeport                71-70-73–214
Scott Davis, Hurricane                   72-67-75–214
a-Harold Payne, Hurricane           73-68-74–215
a-Mike Good, Charleston              72-73-71–216
Greg Meade, Logan                        72-70-74–216
Brad Westfall, Kingwood               70-72-74–216
Ty Roush, Mason                            74-70-72–216

1992:   Brad Westfall romped to an eight-stroke victory in the 59th West Virginia Open at the Pines Country Club in Morgantown.  Westfall opened with a 68 to trail by one but an even-par 71 in the second round gave him a five-shot lead.  He kept up the pressure with a final 70 for a 209 score.  Fairmont’s Eric Shaffer, the State Amateur champion and a Marshall University golfer, finished second with a 217 total.  Shaffer tied the course record with 64 in a practice round.  Shaffer cut Westfall’s lead to four strokes in the final round but Westfall regained his momentum when he hit a 310-yard drive on the long 10th hole and then a short iron to 10 feet of  the cup for a birdie.  “”I wanted to win this one for Preston Country Club.  I owed them that,” said Westfall, the pro at Preston.  “”The crowd was great. I felt like I was playing at home. I must have brought half of Preston County with me.”   Eric Kirsch, a Steubenville, Ohio, resident who’s a member at Williams Country Club in Weirton, took the first round lead with a 67 and ended up tied for third at 218. Ty Roush had a closing 69 for 218.  Scott Davis had an up-and-down tournament with 70, 80 and 69 rounds for 219.  Ron Millione of Morgantown used a four-iron to ace the 170-yard 12th hole in the first round.  A record field of 156 entered.  Leaders by rounds: first, Kirsch  67, by one; second, Westfall 139, by five.

Brad Westfall, Kingwood                       68-71-70–209
a-Eric Shaffer, Fairmont                         73-71-73–217
Ty Roush, Mason                                    74-75-69–218
a-Eric Kirsch, Steubenville, Ohio         67-78-73–218
Scott Davis, Hurricane                           70-80-69–219
Bill Shriver, Gauley Bridge                     71-77-71–219
Barry Evans, Charleston                        73-74-72–219
a-C.J. Pagliaro, Jr., Fairmont                76-74-71–221
a-Brad Greenstein, Huntington            73-75-73–221
a-Mike Good, Charleston                      70-77-74–221
Hill Herrick, White Sulphur Springs    73-75-73–221
a-Jack Forbes, Morgantown                 72-74-75–221

1993:  Harold Payne scored his fourth victory in the West Virginia Open and pulled off  his third sweep of the state’s top two golf tournaments.  Payne finished nine strokes under par in shooting a 207 score for 54 holes at Pipestem State Park.  He finished two strokes in front of defending champion Brad Westfall, who had a 209 total and earned the low pro prize.  Payne won his fifth State Amateur title earlier in the year.  He accomplished the same Amateur-Open sweep in 1986 and 1987, with his other Open triumph coming in 1988.  “”It’s a special feeling to win the Amateur, but to win when you have pros playing is really nice.  To win them both in the same year is a tremendous feeling,” Payne said.  He joined Clem Wiechman as a four-time Open champion, and the only golfer to win more is Sam  Snead with 17 titles.  Payne shot a first round 69 to trail co-leaders Ty Roush and Barry Evans by two strokes.  Roush’s round included eight straight one-putt greens.   Payne fired a four-under-par 68, which included six birdies, in the second round to lead by a stroke over Evans.  Payne kept his lead with a final round 70. Westfall had a 69 to take second place while Roush finished third at 211 and Evans was fourth at 212.  Leaders by rounds: first, Evans and Roush 67s; second, Payne 137, by one.

a-Harold Payne, Hurricane                  69-68-70–207
Brad Westfall, Kingwood                      73-67-69–209
Ty Roush, Mason                                   67-72-72–211
Barry Evans, Charleston                       67-71-74–212
Dan Poling, Grafton                               68-72-74–214
Terry Smith, Paden City                         71-69-74–214
a-Mike Good, Charleston                      71-74-71–216
Craig Lindsey, Charleston                    75-69-72–216
Bill Robertson, Pipestem                      73-71-72–216
David Lawrence, Poca                           72-74-72–218
a-Evans Harbour, Hurricane                 70-75-73–218

1994:  Brad Westfall defeated Scott Davis on the second playoff  hole to capture the title in the $11,000 West Virginia Open on Oglebay Park’s Speidel course in Wheeling.  Both finished with one-under-par 141 totals for 36 holes. The first day’s round of the scheduled 54-hole tournament was rained out. Westfall shot a sparkling 68 in the final round to force the playoff  with Davis, who had a 73.  On the first playoff  hole, Westfall two-putted from 25 feet for a par while Davis hit a fine recovery shot out of  the rough and over a trap to within inches of the cup to save his par.  The second playoff  hole found Davis with a 30-foot putt and Westfall with a 18-footer for birdie. Davis’ putt broke just before the hole and trickled to the right. Westfall then drained his downhill putt for the victory.  “”I was just trying to hit it hard enough to give it a chance to go in,” said Westfall, who used a long putter. Davis commented, “”That was a great shot he made to win.”   It was the second Open victory for Westfall who went first-second-first the past three years.  Westfall earned $2,200 and Davis got $1,650.  Finishing two strokes behind them was amateur Brad Greenstein, a Marshall University golfer.  Greenstein shot a 68 to share the first round lead.  Davis fired a course record 66 in the pro-am.  Leaders by rounds: first, Greenstein, Davis and Jay Jamieson 68s.

Brad Westfall, Kingwood                    73-68–141
Scott Davis, Hurricane                         68-73–141
a-Brad Greenstein, Huntington          68-75–143
Greg Meade, Logan                              71-73–144
Jay Jamieson, Bridgeport                    68-76–144
Barney Thompson, Barboursville       73-72–145
a-Harold Payne, Hurricane                  72-73–145
Brian Meade,  Chapmanville               74-72–146
Dan Poling,  Grafton                              73-73–146
a-Evans Harbour, Hurricane                72-75–147
a-Kirk Nolte, Wheeling                          71-76–147
a-Steve Fox, Huntington                        71-76–147

1995:  Long-hitting Scott Davis overpowered the 6,982-yard Canaan Valley Resort course with several drives more than 300 yards while capturing his third West Virginia Open title.   Davis led every day with rounds of  66, 69 and 69 for a 204 total — 12 under par.  He finished five strokes in front of  runnerup Greg Meade.   Davis received a first place check of  $1,200.  “”It’s hard to win leading all the way because there’s more pressure on you. But I’d rather be out front.  I was apprehensive today until I got started and my golf swing held up.  Then I relaxed,”  Davis said after his victory.  He said the long Canaan Valley course suited his game and it showed.  He made an eagle and six birdies and was five under par on the par-five holes in his opening round.   Davis added nine more birdies in his next two rounds.  Play on the final day was interrupted twice by lightning and rain.  Meade had three steady rounds of 69, 70 and 70 in finishing second.  Michael Swiger finished third at 210 and received $500 in merchandise as the low amateur.  Joel Davis shot a 68 in the second round and Steve Hussey had a 69 with eight birdies in the third round.  Beckley pro Phil Wiechman aced the 214-yard fourth hole with a three-iron in the first round. Leaders by rounds:  first, Scott Davis 66, by two; second, Scott Davis 135, by three.

Scott Davis, Hurricane                          66-69-69–204
Greg Meade, Logan                              69-70-70–209
a-Michael Swiger, Weirton                   70-69-71–210
Barney Thompson, Barboursville      68-71-73–212
Ty Roush, Mason                                  69-70-73–212
a-Steve Hussey, Parkersburg            71-72-69–212
a-Joel Davis, Oak Hill                           70-68-75–213
a-John Duty Jr., Hurricane                   70-70-73–213
a-Mike Meade, Bluefield                       70-70-74–214
a-Evans Harbour, Hurricane               69-74-71–214
Brian Meade, Chapmanville                69-75-70–214
Steve Superick, Fairmont                     73-71-70–214

1996:  In a battle of veteran pros, Barney Thompson defeated John Ross on the first hole of  a playoff at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Hurricane to win his third Open title.   Both ended the 54-hole tournament with 209 scores after missing key putts on the final hole.  Ross lipped out a 15-footer for a possible winning birdie while Thompson was short with his approach, chipped to 10 feet and missed the par-saving putt.  In the playoff on the 420-yard ninth hole, Ross skied his tee shot and his three-wood second shot landed on a hillside right of the green.  He pitched well past the hole and missed the putt, making a bogey.  Meanwhile, Thompson put his six-iron second shot on the back fringe and two-putted for a winning par.  Thompson won $3,000 and Ross got $2,100 out of the record purse of $26,000.  “”It’s always nice to win, anywhere.  To win in front of  friends is special.  It was hard on me. You don’t want to let anyone down,” Thompson said.  Brent Johnson shot a 65 in the second round to take a two-stroke lead but a final 74 left him two shots back at 211.  Harold Payne finished fifth at 213 and received a $500 gift certificate as low amateur.  Larry Haddad of Charleston aced the 199-yard sixth hole with a three-iron.  Pro Davey Lawrence and amateur Sam O’Dell both shot 67 rounds.  Leaders by rounds: first, Thompson 66, by two; second, Johnson 137, by two.

Barney Thompson, Barboursville                66-73-70–209
John Ross, Freeman                                     68-72-69–209
Brent Johnson, Weirton                                 72-65-74–211
Todd Westfall, Kingwood                              72-70-70–212
a-Harold Payne, Hurricane                           71-72-70–213
Barry Evans, Charleston                               72-68-75–215
a-Evans Harbour, Hurricane                        71-68-77–216
John McNaney (hometown not listed)        71-70-76–217
Brian Meade, Chapmanville                         69-74-74–217
a-Mike Meade, Bluefield                                68-72-77–217

1997:  It took an extra day but touring pro John Ross finally won the rain-delayed West Virginia Open at the Glade Springs Resort in Daniels.  Ross posted a 211 total for 54 holes and finished three strokes in front of  Scott Davis and Gary Blake. Play was suspended during the third round due to rain and lightning with 27 players still on the course and Ross holding a two-stroke lead with six holes left to play.  After a 2 1/2-hour delay, the tournament committee ruled that the course was unplayable and decided to resume play the next day.   Ross sank two birdie putts to maintain his lead in the final six holes the next morning.  Ross earned $4,800 for his victory plus $625 for being low pro in the pro-am.   “”It feels good to have another shot at it and pull it off this time,” said Ross, who lost in a playoff  in 1996.  Ross said that having his name engraved on the Open trophy alongside the names of  SamSnead and other past champions was a real honor.  “”It’s something that I’ll cherish,” he said.  Davis and Blake both earned $2,750 for their second place tie.   Sam O’Dell shot a final round 68 to tie Pat Carter at 215 for low amateur.  O’Dell, 19, sank a 10-foot putt on the first playoff  hole to earn the low amateur prize of a $500 gift certificate.  Barney Thompson shot the low round of  67 and finished at 222.  Leaders by rounds: Davis 70, by one; second, Ross, Blake and Barry Evans 140s.

John Ross, Freeman                              71-69-71–211
Scott Davis, Hurricane                            70-72-72–214
Gary Blake, Mineral Wells                      72-68-74–214
a-Sam O’Dell, Hurricane                        76-71-68–215
a-Pat Carter, Huntington                         75-68-72–215
Ty Roush, Mason                                     76-72-69–217
Barry Evans, Charleston                         72-68-77–217
Ken Guilford, Sissonville                        73-73-73–219
a-Jamie Conrad, Fayetteville                 74-69-77–220
a-Steve Fox, Huntington                          73-71-76–220
Brent Johnson, Weirton                          72-72-76–220
a-Michael Veres, Chapmanville            73-72-75–220
a-Alan Stealey, Clarksburg                    72-74-74–220

1998:  Host pro Scott Davis staged a final round charge before his friends and members at Edgewood Country Club near Sissonville to capture his fourth Open title.  Davis trailed by four strokes beginning the round but shot a five-under-par 67 and won by five shots with a 209 total.  He was quick to take advantage after amateur Pat Carter lost his lead by knocking a ball into a pond on the fifth hole for a double bogey.   Davis seized command with birdies on the eighth and ninth holes and widened his lead with three more birdies on the back nine.  “”I’m a West Virginia boy and winning the State Open for the fourth time thrills me, especially at my home club.  I can’t believe I did it. I believe I tied Harold Payne with four Open wins and that’s a neat thing for me,” Davis said, referring to his former Marshall teammate.  Davis won $5,000 out of a total purse of $25,000.  John Ross birdied the last hole to finish second at 214.  Carter made eight birdies while shooting a 66  in the second round for a three-stroke lead but a final 77 left him tied for third with Brad Westfall at 215.   Michael Veres and Jamie Whitt both had 66 rounds.  A record field of 165 entered the Open.  Edgewood assistant Ken Guilford fired a 66 to win the pro-am.  Veres bested Carter on the final hole to win the first Open shootout.  Leaders by rounds:  first, Gary Blake and Todd Westfall 70s; second, Carter 138, by three.

Scott Davis, Hurricane                           71-71-67–209
John Ross, Freeman                             72-69-73–214
Brad Westfall, Morgantown                   72-70-73–215
a-Pat Carter, Huntington                        72-66-77–215
Jonathan Clark, South Charleston      75-68-74–217
Barry Evans, Charleston                        77-69-72–218
a-Zach Wood, Moundsville                    73-74-72–219
David Lawrence, Nitro                            73-73-73–219
a-Kirk Satterfield, Bluefield                    75-71-73–219
Jamie Whitt, Huntington                         79-66-74–219
Todd Westfall, Gauley Bridge                70-72-77–219

1999:  Once he recovered from an 800-mile trip, John Ross took charge of  the Open at Guyan Golf and Country Club in Huntington.  A tired Ross had 72 in the first round but with some much-needed rest shot 68 and 67 in the final two rounds for a 207 total — six under par.  His seven-stroke victory give him his second Open title and a $5,000 check.  Ross won a TearDrop Tour event worth $35,000 in Decatur, Ala., the Sunday before the Open.  He drove all night to Huntington to compete in the Open Monday pro-am and then drove to his home in Mercer County to pick up his wife before returning on Tuesday.   Ross took a three-stroke lead into the final round but felt pressure from Guyan assistant Jonathan Clark and amateur Pat Carter.  Ross said his key shot was a downhill 30-foot birdie putt on the seventh hole.  “”I honestly hit that putt hard enough to go six or seven feet, and I watched it roll and roll and roll until it disappeared,” Ross said.  That touched off a streak in which Ross birdied five of eight holes to pull away.  Clark shot a 71 to finish second at 214 while  Carter had a 72 for third place at 216 and the low amateur prize.  Burke Spensky, 17, tied for fourth at 217.  Bud Tate of Vienna spent his honeymoon playing golf and did well with a 226 score. Davey Lawrence beat Carter on the last hole to win the Open shootout.   Leaders by rounds: first, Scott Davis 70, by one; second, Ross 140, by three.

John Ross, Freeman                            72-68-67–207
Jonathan Clark, South Charleston     74-69-71–214
a-Pat Carter, Huntington                       71-73-72–216
Mike Good, Charleston                         73-73-71–217
a-Burke Spensky, Huntington              73-71-73–217
a-Sam O’Dell, Hurricane                       72-72-76–220
Brad Westfall, Morgantown                  75-72-73–220
Todd Westfall, Hurricane                      75-74-71–220
Scott Davis, Hurricane                           70-75-76–221
Barry Evans, Charleston                       72-75-74–221
a-Brad Greenstein, Huntington            72-74-75–221
Dave Wentz, Cross Lanes                     \74-73-74–221

2000:  Pro Brad Westfall signed for an incorrect scorecard in the first round but that just spurred him on to capture his third West Virginia Open title by a four-stroke margin at the demanding Pete Dye Golf Club near Bridgeport. Westfall shot a 72 in the opening round but signed for a 73, and that score stood.  He made a three on a hole but the player keeping his card marked him down for a four, and Westfall failed to catch the mistake.  “It really (ticked) me off,” Westfall said of his signing error.  “It made me mad enough to come out and play.”  Westfall did just that, shooting a five-under 67 in the second round to take the lead and following it up with a 68 in the final round.  He birdied four of his last seven holes to pull away from Barry Evans, Pat Carter and Brent Johnson.  Steve Shrawder, an assistant pro at the Pete Dye Golf Club, fired a 67 on the final day to grab second.  Carter, Johnson and amateur Jamie Whitt all shot 68s in the early rounds while defending champion John Ross had a 69.  Carter won the low amateur prize for the third straight year, including a tie in 1998.  Davey Lawrence won the nine-hole Open shootout for the second straight year.  Leaders by rounds:  first, Johnson and Whitt-68s; second, Westfall-140, by one.

Brad Westfall, Morgantown          73-67-68—208
Steve Shrawder, Bridgeport         73-72-67—212
Barry Evans, Charleston               71-70-73—214
a-Pat Carter, Huntington               74-68-75—217
Brent Johnson, Follansbee         68-73-76—217
Scott Davis, Hurricane                  73-72-73—218
Al Hromulak, Bridgeport               73-71-75—219
a-Chad Westfall, Glenville           72-71-76—219
a-Sam O’Dell, Hurricane             75-73-73—221
a-Kirk Satterfield, Bluefield          78-72-72—222

2001:  Jonathan Clark held off last-round charges by Brad Westfall and Pat Carter to squeeze out a one-stroke victory in the 68^th West Virginia Open at Berry Hills Country Club near Charleston.  Clark, 27, an assistant pro at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club, shot 66 and 67 in his final two rounds to post a six-under score of 204 for 54 holes and earn the $5,000 winner’s check.  Clark led Carter by two strokes and Westfall by three entering the final round. Carter sank birdie putts of 12 and 20 feet to take a one-stroke lead after nine holes but then twice banged shots off trees and suffered three bogeys in a four-hole stretch to fall back.  Meanwhile, Clark birdied three of five holes on the back side and opened a three-stroke lead over Westfall with two holes left.  Westfall birdied the last three holes with putts of 35, 5 and 3 feet to shoot a 65.  In the heat of battle, Westfall thought he had tied Clark but hefell a stroke short when Clark sank a 4-foot knee-knocker for a clinching par on the final green.  Carter had a 68 to finish third and was the low amateur for the fourth straight year.  Amateur Jay Kaufman of Vienna shot a 69 to become the surprise first round leader but then dropped out of contention.  Leaders by rounds:  first, Kaufman-69, by one; second, Clark-137, by two.

Jonathan Clark, Hurricane                   71-66-67—204
Brad Westfall, Morgantown                  70-70-65—205
a-Pat Carter, Huntington                       72-67-68—207
a-Bill Sharpe, Cross Lanes                 74-67-69—210
Craig Berner, Charleston                     70-71-72—213
Barry Evans, Charleston                       77-71-69—217
a-Marty Creed, Hurricane                      74-74-71—219
a-Michael Veres, Chapmanville           73-70-76—219
a-Ryan Whalen, Bluefield                     76-72-72—220
a-Burke Spensky, Huntington              72-78-70—220
a-Tim Lynch, Huntington                      77-73-70—220
a-Bob Ramsey, Bluefield                     72-70-78—220

2002:  Brad Westfall won his second Open title in three years and his fourth overall by shooting three rounds in the 60s at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club near Hurricane.  The Grafton pro fired subpar rounds of  68, 69 and 68 for a 205 total, a three-stroke triumph and a $6,000 check.  Westfall dedicated his victory to his baby daughter Sidney as he did his 2000 win to daughter Jenna  Beth. “”It’s nice to have two for them and it’s nice to have four,” he said. “”The fourth one means a lot.”  Westfall began the final round  tied with Scott Davis, who fell back after suffering a lost ball in tall grass for a double bogey on the second hole.  Westfall then sank a 30-foot birdie putt on the third hole for a three-stroke lead and he increased it to five with a 45 -footer for eagle on the 11th hole.  Sam O’Dell shot a 67 on his home course to finish second at 208 and take low amateur honors, a meaningful accomplishment a year after being critically injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident before the final round of the 2001 Amateur.  Virginia Tech golfer Ryan Whalen birdied four straight holes while carding a final 68 to finish third at 210.  Barry Evans, who recently won the national PGA Club Professionals Championship, tied for fourth.  Leaders by rounds: first, Westfall 68, by one; second, Westfall and Davis tied, 137s.

Brad Westfall, Grafton             68-69-68—205
a-Sam O’Dell, Hurricane        70-71-67—208
a-Ryan Whalen, Bluefield       72-70-68—210
Barry Evans, Charleston         73-70-70—213
a-Tad Tomblin, Charleston    72-71-70—213
Scott Davis, Hurricane             70-67-77—214
a-Pat Carter, Huntington          71-70-73—214
Jonathan Clark, Hurricane      70-72-72—214
David Lawrence, Hurricane    71-73-71—215
a-Drew Whitten, Hurricane      72-72-71—215

2003:  The man dressed all in black, Brad Westfall, made up three strokes on the final nine holes to tie Pat Carter and then beat the perennial  state amateur champion in a three-hole playoff at the Pines Country Club in Morgantown. The victory gave Westfall his third Open title in four years and his fifth overall.  That put him second in Open wins behind Sam Snead’s 17.   Westfall, a former pro at the Pines, attracted most of the gallery and shot a final round 68 to catch Carter, who made an eight-foot putt on the last hole to shoot 70 and force the first three-hole playoff in Open history.  Both birdied the first playoff hole and parred the second.  Finally on the third hole, Carter came up short on his second shot, pitched to 15 feet and missed the putt for a bogey–another disappointment for Pat, who has come close several times but has never won the Open.  Westfall two-putted from 45 feet for a winning par.  The playoff was marked by controversy.  The two players glared at each other and had a heated discussion after Carter heard Westfall ripping off his Velcro glove while Carter was chipping for an eagle on the first playoff hole.  “He wasn’t doing it on purpose,” Carter said but called it a distraction.  Westfall later said he was sorry about the incident but said it pumped him up.  “I had fire in me,” he said.  The best round of the tournament was a 67 in the second round by Barry Evans, who finished third.   Leaders by rounds: first, Jonathan Clark and Jason Robinson tied, 68s; second, Evans 137, by one.

Brad Westfall, Grafton                    70-70-68—208
a-Pat Carter, Huntington                69-69-70—208
Barry Evans, Charleston                70-67-74—211
a-Burke Spensky, Huntington       70-69-74—213
Jonathan Clark, Hurricane            68-72-74—214
Jason Martin, Morgantown            69-73-73—215
Scott Davis, Hurricane                   69-73-75—217
Aaron Gizzi, Morgantown               71-75-72—218
a-Jason Robinson, Grafton          68-74-76—218
Tomas Lindh, Wheeling               71-78-70—219

2004:  An amateur finally beat all the pros in the 71st Open at Edgewood Country Club near Sissonville but it wasn’t Pat Carter.  The surprise champion was Shepherd University golfer David Bradshaw, 21, of  Harpers Ferry. Bradshaw became the first amateur to win the Open since Harold Payne in 1993 and was the youngest victor since Matt Cooke, 20, in 1981.  Bradshaw outdueled pro Jonathan Clark over the final holes.  Both four-putted the extremely fast, sloping 17th green for double bogeys to remain tied going into the 537-yard final hole.  Bradshaw hit his drive 286 yards in the fairway and put his second shot near the green 30 feet from the hole.  Clark’s drive ended up close to a tree and he had to punch a 4-iron shot under the tree, with the ball ending up 20 yards short of the green.  His chip shot came up 22 feet short and then his putt slipped past the hole.  Meanwhile, Bradshaw chipped to eight inches and tapped in for a winning birdie.  “”Now I can go home and not answer questions about Michelle Wie.  I’ve got something else attached to my name,” said Bradshaw, who beat the young phenom by two strokes in a U.S. Public Links qualifier.  As a consolation prize, Clark did receive the first place pro check of $5,000 from the $27,130 purse.  Carter had a hole-in-one on the 175-yard 10th hole, his first ace in competition. Leaders by rounds: first, Carter 69, by one; second, Bradshaw 137,  by three.

a-David Bradshaw, Harpers Ferry           70-67-72—209
Jonathan Clark, Hurricane                        73-67-70—210
a-Pat Carter, Huntington                            69-72-71—212
Brad Westfall, Morgantown                       71-72-70—213
Dave Lawrence, Nitro                                 70-71-72—213
Ed Vietmeier, Morgantown                        71-71-72—214
a-David Jude, Huntington                          71-70-74—215
a-Tim Fisher, Statts Mills                           71-73-73—217
Craig Berner, Charleston                          74-69-74—217
Scott Davis, Hurricane                               73-74-71—218

2005:  Edgewood pro Craig Berner sank a 50-foot chip shot on the fifth hole of a playoff to beat out Berry Hills pro Barry Evans for the Open title on the Raven Golf Club course at Snowshoe.  Evans shot a 69 in the final round and holed a 30-foot birdie putt on 18 to catch Berner who bogeyed. They tied with 215 totals.  Berner began the initial three-hole playoff  on holes 10, 17 and 18 by making a double-bogey on 10 but got a stroke back with a birdie on 17.  Both found trouble on 18 as Berner hit his second shot out of bounds for a bogey and Evans three-putted for a double bogey. That left them tied again and heading into sudden death.  Both parred 10 and then came the dramatic finish on 18.  Berner’s approach shot was just off the green while Evans put his ball 10 feet from the hole.  Berner lined up his chip and commented later, “”It was straight on line. It kept rolling and rolling.”  It rolled into the cup, causing a delighted Berner to pump his fist in the air.  Evans went over and high-fived Berner before lining up his own putt, which just missed on the left side.  Berner, 29, earned $6,000 while Evans got $3,750.  Bob Friend, the son of the former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, missed the playoff by a stroke and finished third.  Leaders by rounds: first, Drew Whitten and Steve VanHorn tied, 69s; second, Berner 141, by one.

x-Craig Berner, Scott Depot         72-69-74_215
Barry Evans, Charleston              72-74-69_215
Bob Friend, Pittsburgh                 72-71-73_216
a-Drew Whitten, Hurricane          69-73-75_217
a-Steve VanHorn, Morgantown   69-74-75_218
a-Pat Carter, Huntington              72-73-75_220
Brad Westfall, Grafton                  75-74-72_221
Ty Roush, Mason                          70-77-74_221
a-Mitch Roush, Mason                 78-70-74_222
Scott Davis, Hurricane                 72-76-75_223

(x-won three-hole playoff)

2006: David Bradshaw became the first golfer to win the West Virginia Open as both an amateur and a professional.  Playing as a pro, Bradshaw captured his second title with a one-stroke victory on the Cobb Course at Glade Springs Resort. The win was worth $7,000 to Bradshaw, a native of Bakerton near Harpers Ferry. He posted a 215 total for three rounds to nose out three other players: pros Jonathan Clark and Barry Evans and amateur Pat Carter.  It was the second time Clark lost to Bradshaw by one stroke.  Clark held a one-shot lead going into the 15th hole but his attempt to cut the dogleg and drive over trees onto the green resulted in his ball ending up under a rhododendron bush in thick rough. That led to a bogey, dropping him back into a tie with Bradshaw.  “”I don’t regret it.  There is risk and reward.  I had done it before and made birdie twice,” Clark said. The 16th hole then proved costly to Clark as he drove out-of-bounds, resulting in a triple-bogey seven .“” I hated to see that at 16,” said Bradshaw, who played steady down the stretch. “I don’t like winning a golf tournament that way.  I don’t like when it’s handed to you like a gift.”  Carter shot a 68 in the final round to take low amateur honors for the seventh time.   Evans finished as a runner-up for the second straight year.  Leaders by rounds: first, Bradshaw 68, by two; second, Bradshaw and Ken Lacy tied, 141s.

David Bradshaw, Bakerton                 68-73-74–215
Barry Evans, Charleston                     74-70-72–216
Jonathan Clark, Hurricane                 75-67-74–216
a-Pat Carter, Huntington                    76-72-68–216
a-Michael Mays, Lester                      75-74-68–217
Brad Westfall,  Grafton                       71-73-74–218
Aaron Gizzzi, Morgantown                  74-75-70–219
Bob Friend, Pittsburgh                       71-76-72–219
a-David Boggs, Shepherdstown      76-72-71–219
Ken Lacy, Chapmanville                  72-69-78—219

2007: David Bradshaw traveled 3,000 miles to play in the West Virginia Open and he made the long trip worthwhile by winning his second straight Open title and third overall.  Once again, he posted a 215 score for 54 holes and won by one stroke over a trio of golfers, this time at the Lakeview Resort near Morgantown.  Bradshaw moved to La Jolla, California, near San Diego to compete on a pro tour.  He won $6,000 for his Open victory out of a total purse of $30,000.  The 74th Open was a wet affair with thunderstorms halting play both of the first two days.  In fact, Brawshaw had to play 30 holes the final day–the last 12 of his second round before his final 18. He hit 16 of 18 greens in the final round, took the lead and only needed to sink a 2-foot bogey putt on the last hole to win.  “”I hit it phenomenally well,”” Bradshaw said.  “”It was probably the best ball-striking round I have had in a long time.”  Pro Bob Friend, the son of the former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, missed a 20-foot putt for a par on the final green that would have tied Bradshaw. Amateurs Pat Carter and Christian Brand also tied for second with 216 totals. Brand, a Marshall University golfer, shared the lead halfway through the final round only to fall back with bogeys on 15 and 17 before making a birdie on the long 620-yard 18th hole.  Leaders by rounds: first, Ryan Whalen, 70, by one; second, Bob Friend, 143, by one.

David Bradshaw, Harpers Ferry       75-69-71–215
Bob Friend, Morgantown                    72-71-73–216
a-Christian Brand, Charleston          74-70-72–216
a-Pat Carter, Huntington                     74-73-69–216
a-Tad Tomblin, Charleston                72-74-71–217
Andrew Dawes, Lewisburg                75-72-71–218
a-Matt Hicks, Sissonville                     75-69-74–218
a-Anthony Reale, Charleston            77-71-71–219
Brad Westfall, Grafton                        74-71-74–219
Craig Berner, Scott Depot                 74-77-69–220
2008:“I wanted this one in the ‘worst way,’ Barry Evans said, but he actually won his first West Virginia Open in the best way.  He birdied the last four holes and shot a 65 on his home Berry Hills course for a nine-under 201 total and a  three-stroke victory over three-time champion David Bradshaw in a terrific shootout.  Some 300 club members and friends gave pro Evans a rousing ovation on the final green. “If I never win another tournament, I’m good,’ said Evans, “This is the one event I wanted to win.” His pro buddies can no longer razz him for not winning the Open despite 13 finishes in the top 10.  He received a $7,500 check from the total purse of $34,000 and the Open trophy donated by former Berry Hills pro Joe Taylor.  Evans hit 17 of 18 greens in the final round and had a five-under 31 with six birdies on the back nine. Evans and Bradshaw traded the lead and were even after 14 holes when Evans began his concluding birdie barrage. Both made short birdie putts on No. 15.  Evans went for the pin on the 207-yard 16th hole and hit his tee shot to five feet for a birdie to take the lead. The 348-yard 17th hole proved decisive.  Evans sank a 40-foot uphill putt for another birdie and credited his 13-year-old son. William, his caddie, for giving him a perfect read.  Bradshaw put his second shot over the green into a bunker and had the bad luck of finding a small stone under the ball. His sand shot sailed over the green and he took a bogey, falling three strokes behind with one hole left.  Both players birdied the 510-yard final hole. “From the get go, it was a good match,” Bradshaw said. “He simply outplayed me at the end. I broke (par) 70 all three days, but shooting 65 is just too good.. It was fun to be a part of.”  No other players finished under par but Christian Brand made seven consecutive birdies in the second round for a 67. Tim Fisher took low amateur honors.  Leaders by rounds: first, Evans, 66, by one; second, Evans and Bradshaw tied, 136s.

Barry Evans, Charleston       66-70-65–201
David Bradshaw, Bakerton    69-67-68–204
Drew Whitten, Hurricane       71-71-69–211
a-Tim Fisher, Statts Mills        71-69-72–212
Brad Westfall, Grafton          74-67-73–214
Craig Berner, Scott Depot    71–67-77–215
a-Anthony Reale, Charleston   75-72-69–216
Darcy Donaldson, Athens    67-74-75–216
Bob Friend, Morgantown      73-74-71–218
Todd Westfall, Clendenin     75-71-72–218
a-Christian Brand, Charleston 75-67-76–218

2009: David Bradshaw, 26, won his fourth Open title in six years by defeating John Ross, 57, in a three-hole playoff on the Palmer Course at Oglebay Park in Wheeling. Both parred the first playoff hole before Bradshaw birdied the next two, sinking a 10-foot downhill putt on the final hole to clinch victory with Ross’ ball just three feet from the cup.  “I made one putt today, and that was enough on the last hole,” Bradshaw said. “”That’s all it took.” He earned $6,000 out of the $30,000 purse and is now tied for third in Open titles with Clem Wiechman, Scott Davis and Harold Payne behind only Sam Snead (17) and Brad Westfall (5). Ross, a two-time Open champion, forced the playoff by shooting a final round 67 with six birdies. Ross had a chance to take the lead on the 291-yard final hole in regulation as he drove just short of the green but missed the birdie putt. The Open players alternated between the Palmer and Jones courses at Oglebay in the first two rounds With the Palmer yielding subpar rounds and the Jones proving difficult although both are par 71s. Chris McGinnis led the the first round with a 67 on the Palmer but had an 82 the next day on the Jones. It all evened out as 12 golfers were within four strokes of the lead going into the final round on the Palmer. Marshall University golfer Bosten Miller shook off a four-putt green and shot 67 and 69 in his last two rounds to finish third and take low amateur honors, missing the playoff by a stroke. Pro Jason Robinson aced the 11th hole on the Jones Course. Pat Carter didn’t play due to a business trip. Leaders by rounds: first, McGinnis 67, by one; second, Bradshaw and Bob Friend, 142s.

x-David Bradshaw, Bakerton          71-71-69–211
John Ross, Freeman                       73-71-67–211
a-Bosten Miller, Charleston            76-67-69–212
Matthew Hicks, Charleston             68-77-68–213
Darcy Donaldson, Ontario               70-73-70–213
Justin Caroli, Bridgeport                  74-69-70–213
Bob Friend, Morgantown                  73-69-71–213
Scott Davis, Hurricane                      73-75-67–215
Jonathan Clark, Hurricane               69-75-72–216
Barry Evans, Charleston                   75-74-68–217
John Brautigam, Morgantown          78-70-69–217
a-Tim Fisher, Statts Mills                  73-72-72–217
a-Ryan Mason, Bridgeport               71-75-71–217
x-won in three-hole playoff

2010: It didn’t come easy for David Bradshaw to defend his West Virginia Open crown, but when the slick downhill
5 footer fell on the 54th hole he tasted victory once again in the states premier championship. Sleepy Hollow Golf
Club in Hurricane was the setting for the 77th West Virginia Open, the first time the club had hosted in eight years
and 120 of the states best took to the par 72 layout. Bradshaw came into the final round with a two shot lead over
three time WV Amateur champion Tim Fisher, who got within one shot of the lead a the turn but a bogey on the 12th
added with a Bradshaw birdie at 10 sent the lead back to three shots. Howevere with 2 holes to play Fisher found the
fairway and nearly holed out for an eagle 2 on the 17th hole (nines were switched for the championship), and tapped
in for birdie while Bradshaw parred. On the last Fisher drained a 30 foot birdie putt, forcing Bradshaw to make a
tough 5 footer for par, which he did to claim the Victory. Leaders by Round: first, Hop White 67, second, David
Bradshaw 135.

David Bradshaw, Bakerton 71-64-68—203
a-Tim Fisher, Statts Mills 69-68-67—204
Jason Martin, Wheeling 69-71-71—211
a-Jonathan Bartlett, White Sulphur Springs 69-70-72—211
Barry Evans, Charleston 75-66-71—212
Bob Friend, Morgantown 69-73-71—213
Johnathan Clark, Hurricane 74-68-72—214
Kenneth Hess, Parkersburg 76-70-69—215
a-Michael Veres, Chapmanville 73-73-69—215
Brad Westfall, Grafton 71-72-72—215

2011: David Bradshaw is taking home another West Virginia Open title, but not before putting in some overtime
against fellow competitor Bob Friend. The two golfers jockeyed back and forth for the lead all tournament long and
the playoff that ensued, seemed almost inevitable.
Friend’s first round 66 made him the leader in the clubhouse after day one, but after a one over par 72 on
day two, Friend found himself two strokes behind six time Open winner Bradshaw. Both men struggled at the
beginning of day three, shooting over par through the first 11 holes. However, with the opportunity for victory
growing ever closer, Bradshaw and Friend each birdied two of the last four holes, leaving them tied for the
tournament. The resulting three-hole aggregate playoff lived up to the expectations set by such an exciting
tournament.
Each man returned to the par four, 16th determined to get off to a fast start and each one did, birdying the
hole. On the par 3 17th, Friend missed his shot right of the green, while Bradshaw hit a solid shot on the green,
about 12 feet short of the hole. Bradshaw’s subsequent two putt for par, was good enough to take a one shot lead
over Friend, who bogied the hole. With the 18th the only thing between Bradshaw and another WV Open win, he
safely made it on the green in two. Despite a great up and down for Friend from off the green, both men pared the
last hole, leaving Bradshaw with a one-stroke victory in the playoff and the title of state champion once again.

David Bradshaw, Bakerton 69-67-72–208
Bob Friend, Morgantown 66-72-70–208
Garland Green, Bluefield 70-71-70–211
John Ross, Freeman 72-67-74–213
a-Pat Carter, Huntington 74-71-70–215
Darcy Donaldson , Athens 73-71-71–215
Vincent Zachwieja, Charles Town 73-69-73–215
Jason Robinson, Grafton 74-75-67–216
a-Trent Roush, Mason 71-78-68–217
a-JR Jones, Parkersburg 71-73-73–217
a-Tad Tomblin, Alum Creek 68-75-74—217

2012: Hurricane’s Jonathan Clark will now have his name permanently etched in the history of West Virginia golf
for the second time. For the first time since 2001, the Sleepy Hollow Golf Club general manager (and former head
golf professional) won the West Virginia Open Championship, beginning his final round with six straight 3’s en
route to a front nine 29, blowing his competition out of the water by shooting a 54-hole total of 12-under-par. Clark
will take home a $6,000 cut of the $31,775 purse.
“I played well all week, then last night I got a text from my older daughter that said, ‘Dad, you can do this, you’re
going to win’,” he said. “So I looked at the text again this morning and said to myself, you know what? I am going
to win.”
The Defending Champion, Harpers Ferry’s David Bradshaw, will share the Runner-up title with first round
leader, South Charleston’s Christian Brand, who just turned pro less than two months ago.
Also making a stroke showing this week was Sam O’Dell, also of Hurricane, who took home the Low Amateur
award by finishing the week 5-under-par. O’Dell tied with round two leader and Host Professional, Scott Depot’s
Craig Berner.
Up-and-coming junior golfer, Chris Williams, of Scott Depot, won the Low Junior award by finishing 3-over-par,
while Hurricane’s Scott Davis won the Low Senior award at 1-under-par. Leaders by Round: First, Christian Brand
66, Second, Craig Berner 134.

Johnathan Clark, Hurricane 68-68-65—201
David Bradshaw, Bakerton 70-67-70—207
Christian Brand, Charleston 66-70-71—207
a-Sam O’Dell, Hurricane 67-72-69—208
Criag Berner, Scott Depot 67-67-74—208
Darcy Donaldson, Athens 71-68-70—209
a-Brian Anania, Hurricane 68-71-72—211
Scott Davis, Hurricane 68-73-71—212
a-Bosten Miller, Charleston 69-75-70—214
a-Todd Westfall, Clendenin 68-71-75—214

2013: The West Virginia Golf Association is celebrating its Centennial in 2013, and the West Virginia Open was
hosted at one West Virginia’s oldest clubs and to date the largest membership in the WVGA at Parkersburg Country
Club. Harpers Ferry’s David Bradshaw won his seventh West Virginia Open title, shooting 11-under-par for the
Championship. With his victory, the pro received a $6,000 cut of the $30,000 purse. Bradshaw last won the Open
when it was hosted by The Pines Country Club in 2011. It wasn’t as easy as the final score made it seem as Amateur
Sam O’Dell made quite a run for his money during the final round, moving within 1 shot of Bradshaw’s lead mid
way through the front nine, but with an Eagle at the 6th and a birdie a the 9th, Bradshaw was once again in control of
the Championship, even when O’Dell got within two shots with just four holes to play, Bradshaw finished the
Championship off in grand fashion, by birdieing the final four holes to post a -14 total to win by four shots. O’Dell
finished runner-up, four strokes ahead of the nearest competitor. Bradshaw, the Harpers Ferry native made just three
bogeys the entire week. Leaders by Round: Ian Patrick and David Bradshaw, 69, Second, David Bradsahw 138.

David Bradshaw, Bakerton 69-69-67—205
a-Sam O’Dell, Hurricane 71-71-67—209
Bob Friend, Morgantown 70-73-70—213
Christian Brand, Charleston 73-71-69—213
a-Bosten Miller, Charleston 75-70-69—214
Kenneth Hess, Parkersburg 72-73-69—214
a-Philip Reale, Charleston 72-73-70—215
a-Woody Woodward, Bridgeport 74-67-75—216
a-Bryan Myers, Wheeling 75-74-68—217
a-Scott Bibbee, Parkersburg 72-71-75—218
a-Brian Anania, Hurricane 75-70-73—218
a-Rob Erwin, Charleston 76-71-71—218

2014: Professional, Christian Brand of Charleston, began his day two shots back of round two leader, Will Evans, an
Amateur from Charleston who plays on the Marshall University Golf Team. Like Bradshaw, Brand got hot early as
he began his third round with two straight birdies and added two more as he closed out his front nine with a three
under, 33. As other players seemed to be stringing pars together on the closing nine, Brand took charge and never
looked back. After a birdie on the difficult tenth hole, Brand added birdies on both twelve and fifteen claiming a
three shot lead with just two holes to go. His final round 66, gave Brand a tournament total of 204 (-12) and the
victory of the 81st West Virginia Open Championship.
Defending and seven-time West Virginia Open Champion, David Bradshaw, looked as if he was going to
stake claim at his eighth title after he began his final round carding four straight birdies on holes two through five.
After quickly jumping atop the leaderboard, Bradshaw’s birdie streak fizzled as his only other birdie came on the
par-5 twelfth hole. Bradshaw’s final round of three under-par, 69, gave him a tournament total of nine under-par,
207, and solidified his third runner-up finish. A highlight from the final round included past champion Scott Davis
making a hole in one on the par 3 third hole. Leaders by Round: Kenny Hess and Craig Berner 68, second, Will
Evans 136.

Christian Brand, Charleston 70-68-66—204
David Bradshaw, Bakerton 70-68-69—207
Craig Berner, Scott Depot 68-69-71—208
a-Will Evans, Charleston 70-66-74—210
Jason Martin, Wheeling 70-71-70—211
Jonathan Bartlett, Charleston 69-74-68—211
Scott Davis, Hurricane 69-76-67—212
a-Sam O’Dell, Hurricane 77-66-69—212
Kenneth Hess, Parkersburg 68-73-71—212
a-Tad Tomblin, Alum Creek 73-72-68—213

2015: Christian Brand entered the final round with a four stroke lead looking to defend his WV Open title that he
captured just one year ago at The Resort at Glade Springs. Nipping on his heels just four shots back was seven-time
WV Open champion, David Bradshaw from Harpers Ferry, who looked to stage a final round comeback in search
for his 8th victory. For the championship the nines were reversed, to stage an exciting finish on the closing par 5.
Looking to continue his hot streak from round two, Brand carded an early birdie on the par-4 second but couldn’t
quite get things going after that. Making bogeys on six and fifteen, Brand found himself in a battle with Bradshaw
coming down the stretch. After making the turn at two-under for his third round, Bradshaw continued to make a
push up the leaderboard with back-to-back birdies on twelve and thirteen. After a Brand bogey on the par-4
fifteenth, both players found themselves tied with three holes remaining. Heading into the 18th, Bradshaw found
himself with an eagle putt to claim victory after Brand had tapped in for birdie, but Bradshaw’s putt rolled just past
the edge of the hole and the two players found themselves tied at eight under-par.
Brand and Bradshaw then headed to a three-hole aggregate playoff on holes ten, seventeen, and eighteen. On the
first playoff hole Brand carded a par while Bradshaw three-putted for bogey. The pair then headed to the par-four
seventeenth where both players made easy pars and headed to the par-five eighteenth. After both hit their second
shots, Bradshaw found himself with a fifteen foot eagle putt while Brand’s second shot took an unfortunate bounce
and found the greenside rough. After a difficult chip, Brand found himself with a twenty foot birdie putt which he
left five feet short of the hole. Bradshaw then found himself with an eagle putt to win the tournament but once again
rolled it just past the edge of the hole leaving himself a three foot birdie putt coming back for birdie. Brand tapped in
for par and Bradshaw stepped up to his birdie putt to extend the playoff. After taking a look at it from all angles
Bradshaw made his stroke and it hit the left lip and rolled away giving Brand the victory and back-to-back WV
Open Championship victories. John Ross was a great story this week as he opened the championship with a 7 under
par 63 to take the first round lead, en route to his tie for third. Leaders by Round: first, John Ross 63, second
Christian Brand 132.

**Christian Brand, Charleston 69-63-70—202
David Bradshaw, Bakerton 72-64-66—202
Bob Friend, Morgantown 75-68-70—213
a-Chris Williams, Scott Depot 69-72-72—213
a-Davey Jude, Kermit 69-72-72—213
John Ross, Freeman 63-77-73—213
a-Alan Cooke, Vienna 73-69-71—213
Garland Green, Tazewell 72-67-75—214
a-Ben Palmer, Washington 74-72-69—215
a-Thadd Obecny, Wheeling 74-70-71—215
a-Sam O’Dell, Hurricane 74-70-71—215
Kenneth Hess, Parkersburg 69-69-77—215
**Won in 3 Hole Aggregate Playoff

2016: The final group – seven-time champion David Bradshaw and club members Chris Williams and Sam O’Dell
– were on the No. 17 fairway when players and spectators were alerted to hustle back to the clubhouse. The
inclement weather that stalled play at 3:29 p.m. during the final round in the 83rd West Virginia Open
Championship was only delaying the inevitable, as David Bradshaw held a 4 shot lead at the time and was able to
relax on his final couple holes to win his 8th WV Open championship.
“This is the 12th time I’ve contended at the Open and the 11th time I’ve been the blacksheep,” said Bradshaw, who
moved to San Diego shortly after turning professional. “It’s fitting that this week we honored a guy (Brad Westfall)
by wearing all black.”
Bradshaw referenced Wednesday’s first round when Open competitors honored the five-time champion by wearing
black. Westfall, 52, died during a golfing trip to Hilton Head, S.C., in March.
Williams and O’Dell were local favorites, but couldn’t maintain pace with Bradshaw, who finished second behind
Charleston’s Christian Brand in 2014 and 2015.
Following his three-stroke loss to Brand at Glade Springs two years ago, Bradshaw determined he would return to
California and teach the game, while taking some time off from playing. “There were a lot of holes that were
gettable on the backside,” Bradshaw said. “There are no leads that are comfortable until the ball’s in the hole. You
could shoot a low number on the back … I didn’t, but neither did they.”
Alum Creek’s Tad Tomblin, whose first-round 66 propelled him to the lead, was 1-over on Friday, but finished by a
stroke ahead of Fincastle Country Club member Garland Green, O’Dell and Williams by virtue of a 35-foot birdie
putt on No. 18.
There were two players on Friday shoot under par – Hurricane’s Harold Payne, a member of the West
Virginia Golf Hall of Fame – who was 2-under; and Kermit’s Davey Jude, who shot 1-under.
Payne, a lifelong member of Sleepy Hollow, was the focus of many onlookers, who watched the tournament’s No.
18 – the course’s No. 9 – under the protective cover of the patio roof.
Other fan favorites were Williams and O’Dell. O’Dell birdied No. 16 with a long putt, but bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18.
Williams was 1-under after 14 holes, but had a bogey, double bogey and bogey on 15, 16 and 17 respectively to
finish at 211.
“On the front nine, I made a couple silly mistakes,” said Williams, who switched to a TaylorMade M1 driver, which
sparked a noticeable improvement in distance on Friday. “I missed some greens and a few short putts. I got it to 2,
then missed a short birdie putt on 14. Had a few bad shots coming in. I didn’t finish very strong. “Overall, David
played great. I’m pretty happy. It was a fun week.”
His missed birdie putt on No. 14 would have given him back-to-back birdies and closed him to two strokes behind
Bradshaw. Bradshaw birdied No. 11 and followed by a bogey.
By the time he rolled in a par putt on No. 16, he was four strokes ahead shortly before the bad weather rolled in.
When it rolled back out, the finish was a formality. Leaders by Round: first, Tad Tomblin 66, second, David
Bradshaw 135.

David Bradshaw, Bakerton 70-65-71—206
a-Tad Tomblin, Alum Creek 66-72-72—210
a-Chris Williams, Scott Depot 68-69-74—211
a-Sam O’Dell, Hurricane 67-70-74—211
Garland Green, Tazewell 67-72-72—211
a-Philip Reale, Charleston 72-71-72—215
a-Harold Payne, Hurricane 73-73-69—215
Christian Brand, Charleston 74-70-73—217
a-Thadd Obecny, Wheeling 72-73-72—217
a-Pat Carter, Huntington 72-73-72—217

2017: Battling through heat and humidity for the third straight day, sixty-two players entered the final round of the
84th WV Open at Edgewood Country Club looking to give them self a chance at hoisting the Joe Taylor trophy in
victory. In order to do that, they all had to focus their sights on second round leader David Bradshaw. Bradshaw,
eight-time past champion of this event, wasn’t going to give the tournament away though and even through a fiftysix minute rain delay halfway through his round was able to battle off several late chargers from his fellow
competitors to capture his ninth title.
Bradshaw started his round slow and steady as he opened up with four straight pars. His first birdie of the round
came on the par-5 fifth hole and he followed it up with another one on the par-4 eighth. A bogey on the ninth gave
Bradshaw an opening nine of one under par and a four shot lead over Jude who had opened up with a one over-par
front nine. Also carding a one under-par front nine was Huntington’s Pat Carter who also found himself four shots
back heading to the back nine. Bradshaw’s back nine was more of the same consistent play except for a doublebogey on the par-4 twelfth hole which brought Jude and Carter to within three shots of the lead. Two back to back
birdies on fifteen and sixteen got Bradshaw to twelve under-par and clear of the push from Jude who had birdied
fourteen and fifteen and Carter who birdied sixteen and eighteen. Bradshaw’s final round of 69 gave him a
tournament total of twelve under-par, 201, and his ninth WV Open title. Claiming runner-up honors was Kermit’s
Davey Jude who finished three shots back at a tournament total of 204. Leaders by Round: first, Bradshaw, Davey
Jude and Woody Woodward 66, second, Bradshaw 132.

David Bradshaw, Bakerton 66-66-69—201
Davey Jude, Kermit 66-68-70—204
a-Pat Carter, Huntington 71-66-68—205
Woody Woodward, Bridgeport 66-71-69—206
a-Philip Reale, Charleston 67-72-67—206
a-Thomas Frazier, Huntington 69-71-67—207
a-Chris Williams, Scott Depot 72-69-68—209
Scott Davis, Hurricane 72-69-69—210
a-Alan Cooke, Vienna 73-71-67—211
a-Nick Biesecker, Charleston 74-69-69—212
a-Steve Fox, Huntington 68-72-72—212
Kenneth Hess, Parkersburg 70-69-73—212

2018: 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. David Bradshaw fired a 3 day
total of 199 at The Resort at Glade Springs’ Cobb Course, which was good enough for a 6-stroke victory of Will
Evans of Charleston. Bradshaw’s 3 day total of 199 is the first time a player has broken 200 strokes in a complete 54
hole WV Open since Sam Snead did it at South Hills in 1966.
After opening the championship with rounds of 63-66, Bradshaw looked to continue his stellar play in the
final round, but started the day with a bogey on the first but quickly rebounded by birdieing the par 5 2nd hole and
holing out from the bunker on the par 3 third hole for a birdie. Bradshaw bogeyed the 11th and couldn’t make birdie
on the par 5 12th, but still held a 5 stroke lead and that’s as close as anyone came to him in the final round.
Mason Williams of Bridgeport finished his junior golf career in style, as he finished 3rd place overall
winning the Low Amateur honors along with Low Junior. Williams capped an impressive junior golf season and
career, this summer saw him win the Junior Match Play along with low junior at both the WV Amateur and WV
Open.2 time champion John Ross battled severe back pains during the week to remarkably finish in a tie for 11th
place and claim the Low Senior honors.
Leaders by Round: 1st round, Bradshaw 63, 2nd round Bradshaw 129.

David Bradshaw, Bakerton 63-66-70—199
Will Evans, Charleston 73-66-66—205
a-Mason Williams, Bridgeport 67-68-71—206
a-Chris Williams, Scott Depot 67-71-69—207
Thadd Obecny, Wheeling 69-67-74—210
Davey Jude, Kermit 67-76-67—210
a-Drew Green, Beaver 71-67-72—210
a-Christian Boyd, Charles Town 69-72-70—211
a-Sam O’Dell, Hurricane 72-72-68—212
Jonathan Clark, Hurricane 70-73-70—213

2019: The 86th playing of the West Virginia Open championship took place at Parkersburg Country Club, where
David Bradshaw cruised to a eight stroke victory culminating his 11th West Virginia Open championship title.
Bradshaw who began the day with a 9 stroke lead over Josef Dransfeld of Huntington, and Bradshaw stayed steady
all day and fired a final round score of 3-under par 70 to shoot -17 under par for the week with a three day stoke
total of 202. Dransfeld, who just finished his freshman year of college competing on the Elon golf team, won low
amateur honors to go along with his overall runner up finish. Davey Jude of Kermit fired a day 3 low round 67 in
order to finish in solo third place, and 2nd pro. Phillip Reale of Charleston shot a 5-under par 68 to vault himself
into a solo fourth place finish and 2nd place finish. A few other awards were handed out, with Low Senior honors
ending in a tie and going to Scott Davis of Hurricane and Ty Roush of Mason. Davis is a 4 time winner of the event
while Roush is the reigning WV Senior Open champion. Low Junior honors went to Christian Boyd of Charles
Town who fired three straight rounds of 75 for a three day total of 225.
Leaders by Round: 1st: David Bradshaw- 66, 2nd: Bradshaw- 132

David Bradshaw, Bakerton 66-66-70—202
a-Josef Dransfeld, Huntington 67-74-69—210
Davey Jude, Kermit 74-70-67—211
a-Philip Reale, Hurricane 73-72-68—213
Max Sear, Morgantown 69-75-71—215
Thadd Obecny, Wheeling 72-72-72—216
Craig Berner, Hurricane 70-76-73—219
a-Tad Tomblin, Alum Creek 73-75-71—219
a-Owen Elliott, Hedgesville 73-74-73—220
Winston Canada, Dunbar 68-77-75—220

2020: The 87th playing of the West Virginia Open was one for the record book as multiple players had a chance to
win the title. But when the dust settled after 54 holes it was Kenny Hess of Parkersburg who prevailed after shooting
a 6-under par 66 in the final round to beat Thadd Obecny of Wheeling by 1. Hess entered the final round at even par,
3 strokes back of 36 hole leader Obecny but Hess came out hot early getting to 2-under par at the turn and only 1
back of Obecny. It was at the 15th hole where Hess made his move, his wedge shot from 100 yards lipped out and
he tapped in for birdie to tie Obecny for the lead. Then on 16 after watching Obecny hit it to 15 feet, Hess followed
with his approach to inside of 3 feet and it was needed as Obecny rolled in his putt for a three so they remained tied
going to the 17th. After both players made pars on hole 16 they both were forced to lay-up on the par 5 18th hole
and after Obecny missed the green with his 3rd, Hess hit his to 5 feet. Obecny got his up and down for a par 5, and it
was Hess who rolled in the winning putt in front of many spectators on the 18th green to become the winner of the
87th West Virginia Open Championship. Hess becomes the 32nd different player to win the West Virginia Open
championship. 11 time champion David Bradshaw and 2 time champion Christian Brand both made charges in the
middle of the round, but faltered coming in. Will Evans of Charleston shot the low round of the tournament in the
final round with a 7-under par 65 to get to 2-under par for the championship. Evans’ score looked like it might hold
but Obecny and Hess both got hot late to pull away. On the amateur side, Nick Fleming of Cabins shot even par for
the championship to claim the Low Amateur award. Pat Carter of Huntington won the low senior award with a 1-
over par tournament total.
Leaders by Round: 1st: Kenny Hess-69, 2nd: Thadd Obecny 141

Kenny Hess, Parkersburg 69-75-66—210
Thadd Obecny, Wheeling 71-70-70—211
Will Evans, Charleston 78-71-65—214
David Bradshaw, Bakerton 75-73-67—215
Christian Brand, Scott Depot 72-74-69—215
a-Nick Fleming, Cabins 71-73-72—216
a-David Scragg, Poca 76-70-71—217
a-Cole Moore, Spencer 72-72-73—217
a-Owen Elliott, Hedgesville 72-74-71—217
a-Pat Carter, Huntington 71-74-72—217

2020: The 87th playing of the West Virginia Open was one for the record book as multiple players had a chance to
win the title. But when the dust settled after 54 holes it was Kenny Hess of Parkersburg who prevailed after shooting
a 6-under par 66 in the final round to beat Thadd Obecny of Wheeling by 1. Hess entered the final round at even par,
3 strokes back of 36 hole leader Obecny but Hess came out hot early getting to 2-under par at the turn and only 1
back of Obecny. It was at the 15th hole where Hess made his move, his wedge shot from 100 yards lipped out and
he tapped in for birdie to tie Obecny for the lead. Then on 16 after watching Obecny hit it to 15 feet, Hess followed
with his approach to inside of 3 feet and it was needed as Obecny rolled in his putt for a three so they remained tied
going to the 17th. After both players made pars on hole 16 they both were forced to lay-up on the par 5 18th hole
and after Obecny missed the green with his 3rd, Hess hit his to 5 feet. Obecny got his up and down for a par 5, and it
was Hess who rolled in the winning putt in front of many spectators on the 18th green to become the winner of the
87th West Virginia Open Championship. Hess becomes the 32nd different player to win the West Virginia Open
championship. 11 time champion David Bradshaw and 2 time champion Christian Brand both made charges in the
middle of the round, but faltered coming in. Will Evans of Charleston shot the low round of the tournament in the
final round with a 7-under par 65 to get to 2-under par for the championship. Evans’ score looked like it might hold
but Obecny and Hess both got hot late to pull away. On the amateur side, Nick Fleming of Cabins shot even par for
the championship to claim the Low Amateur award. Pat Carter of Huntington won the low senior award with a 1-
over par tournament total. Leaders by Round: 1st: Kenny Hess-69, 2nd: Thadd Obecny 141

Kenny Hess, Parkersburg 69-75-66—210
Thadd Obecny, Wheeling 71-70-70—211
Will Evans, Charleston 78-71-65—214
David Bradshaw, Bakerton 75-73-67—215
Christian Brand, Scott Depot 72-74-69—215
a-Nick Fleming, Cabins 71-73-72—216
a-David Scragg, Poca 76-70-71—217
a-Cole Moore, Spencer 72-72-73—217
a-Owen Elliott, Hedgesville 72-74-71—217
a-Pat Carter, Huntington 71-74-72—217

2021: Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport had not hosted a West Virginia Open since 2000, but that all changed in
2021 when the 88th playing of the states biggest event came to the beautiful Pete Dye layout. Familiar faces were at
the top or near the top of the leaderboard during the week but it was David Bradshaw who did everything he needed
to on the final day to hoist the Joe Taylor trophy for the 12th time. After beginning the round with a 3 stroke victory
over Grant county native and current Wingate sophomore, Nick Fleming, Bradshaw was only seriously tested by
hometown player, Woody Woodward, when Woodward’s birdie on the 1st hole (All players started the Final Round
started on #10) fell he was only one stroke back of the lead but a wayward tee shot right on #2 ended up being a lost
ball and led to a double bogey 6 for Woodward and he never got any closer than that. Another hometown favorite,
Mason Williams, never seriously challenged the lead during the final round but shot the low round of the day to
secure solo runner up and Low Amateur. Pat Carter of Huntington won the low senior award with his T9 finish.
Leaders by Round: 1st: Mason Williams and Nick Fleming-71, 2nd: David Bradshaw 140

David Bradshaw, Bakerton 72-68-71—211
a-Mason Williams, Bridgeport 71-74-69—214
a- Woody Woodward, Bridgeport 74-72-72—218
Kenny Hess, Parkersburg 73-73-73—219
a-Nick Fleming, Cabins 71-72-77—220
a-Chris Williams, Morgantown 75-70-77—222
a-Trent Tipton, Orient (oh) 79-70-74—223
a-Joseph Kalaskey, South Charleston 76-75-72—223
Sam Berry, Morgantown 73-76-75—224
a-Pat Carter, Huntington 74-73-77—224

2022: This was a West Virginia Open of many firsts, including the first time ever in the 89th playing of the West
Virginia Open it was hosted at Stonewall Resort in Roanoke. Christian Brand of Scott Depot made another first in
tournament history as the first pending amateur to win the coveted Joe Taylor trophy. Brand, the 2014 and 2015
champion, played professionally for 10 years prior to applying for his amateur status which will not come until
December of 2022, was allowed to play in the Open but could not accept any gift certificates or prize money, just
the trophy, but that’s all that mattered to Brand who let the state know he was back with his -10 par showing to win
by three strokes over long time rival David Bradshaw. Brand and Bradshaw began the final round tied for the lead,
but Brand went out in 33 to take a two stroke lead, which grew to four when Bradshaw double bogeyed the par 4
11th hole. Brand gave Bradshaw a glimmer of hope when he had a lost ball on the par 4 13th hole and Bradshaw
made a birdie, but Brand quickly rallied with birdies on the 14th and 15th to pad his lead then finished with a closing
birdie to shoot -10 and win by three strokes. Nick Fleming of Cabins and current college golfer at Wingate finished
in a tie with Sam O’Dell of Hurricane for Low Amateur, this is Fleming’s 2nd low amateur in the last 3 Opens.
Shepherd University golfer and Charles Town resident, Mason Kidwell along with Marshall University player and
fellow Charles Town resident, Christian Boyd shared low round of the week honors with Kidwell’s coming in round
1 and Boyd’s in the final round to catapult him into the top 10.
Leaders by Round: 1st: Mason Kidwell 67, 2nd: David Bradshaw and David Bradshaw 138

Christian Brand, Scott Depot 69-69-68—206
David Bradshaw, Bakerton 69-69-71—209
Thadd Obecny, Wheeling 68-73-72—213
a-Sam O’Dell, Hurricane 73-71-71—215
a-Nick Fleming, Cabins 71-75-69—215
a-Brian Anania, Hurricane 75-75-69—219
a-Howie Peterson, Weirton 72-74-73—219
a-Cam Roam, Huntington 75-70-74—219
Kenny Hess, Parkersburg 76-72-72—220
a-Christian Boyd, Charles Town 72-81-67—220