1980: Ken Frye, 32, of Huntington came from behind on the final day to capture the title on the tough Greenbrier course. Frye shot a 75 in the last round to win by two strokes with a 306 total. Frye grabbed the lead when he birdied the 516-yard 12th hole while third round leader Jim Fankhauser of Vienna drove out of bounds and took a triple-bogey eight on the hole. Harold Payne’s hopes were crushed by a triple-bogey seven on the 13th hole. Round leaders: First, Payne-73, by two; Second, Ty Roush-149, by three; Fankhauser-227, by one.
Kenny Frye 79-76-76-75—306
Jim Fankhauser 81-73-73-81—308
Larry Spotloe 81-76-76-76—309
Harold Payne 73-79-76-82—310
Everett Wray 80-77-80-73—310
Ty Neal 83-73-77-78—311
Denver Rawlings 76-79-79-77—311
L.D. Simmons, II 75-84-74-79—312
Danny Warren 76-76-82-78—312
1981: Marshall University senior Mike Owens, 21, of Huntington broke a three-way tie on the final three holes and won by four strokes. His 298 total was the best score in the three Amateurs played on the Jack Nicklaus-redesigned Greenbrier course. Danny Warren, Jr., 22, of Beckley and Greg Meade, 20, of Chapmanville were in contention until the final holes and wound up tied for second. Round leaders: First: Owens-74, by two; Second, Owens-145, by four; Third, Warren-223, by one.
Mike Owens 74-71-79-74—298
Danny Warren, Jr. 76-74-73-79—302
Greg Meade 76-75-77-74—302
Matt Cooke 77-74-80-75—306
Chris Curry 79-75-79-74—307
Steve Fox 77-72-81-79—309
Harold Payne 78-74-78-80—310
Bill Ward, Jr. 80-73-79-80—312
Joel Davis 80-74-79-79—312
Bill Campbell 80-73-81-78—312
1982: The Amateur changed its format to alternate rounds on the Old White and Greenbrier courses. Marshall University student Greg Meade, 21, of Chapmanville shot par on the first hole of a playoff to defeat South Charleston dentist Jack Shamblin, 44, for the title. Meade put his approach shot on the green and two-putted for his par four. Shamblin hit his second shot 30 yards short, chipped on and two-putted for a bogey. Meade and Shamblin both posted 294 totals. Heavy rains and lightning caused the third round to be suspended for the day with the final two groups on the 16th tee. Round leaders: First, Mark Wheaton-69, by one; Second, Meade-144, by one; Third, Meade-207, by one.
Greg Meade 70-74-73-77—294
Jack Shamblin 72-74-72-76—294
Bill Campbell 77-71-70-78—296
Brad Westfall 71-79-73-73—296
Doug Weaver 77-76-70-74—297
Matt Cooke 71-77-76-73—297
Danny Warren 71-76-76-75—298
Steve Fox 75-76-74-73—298
1983: For the second straight year, a playoff was needed to decide the winner. Danny Warren, 23, of Beckley defeated high school champion Todd Satterfield, 17, of Bluefield on the third hole of sudden death. Warren parred all three playoff holes while Satterfield bogeyed the par-5 third hole on the Greenbrier course after driving into a hazard to the right of the fairway. Warrensank a 35-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force the playoff. Satterfield shot a 69 in the fourth round on the Greenbrier course. Third round leader Doug Weaver of Madison was five shots ahead with nine holes left but faltered and missed the playoff by one stroke. Round leaders: First, Reid Carroll-69, by one; Second, Weaver-144, by one; Third, Weaver-216, by two.
Danny Warren 75-71-72-72—290
Todd Satterfield 73-73-75-69—290
Doug Weaver 71-73-72-75—291
Larry Spotloe 70-75-77-76—298
Ty Roush 71-78-75-76—300
Ty Neal 79-76-72-74—301
Harold Payne 73-75-78-76—302
Bill Campbell 72-79-73-79—303
Brian Meade 77-75-75-76—303
1984: Steady Scott Gilmore, 26, of Vienna held off a rally by David Wallace, Jr., 20, of Charleston to win by two strokes. Wallace fell five strokes behind in the final round but fought back to tie Gilmore on the 69th hole. Gilmore parred the final three holes on the Greenbrier course to capture his first state title while Wallace had sand trap trouble and bogeyed the last two holes. The best round of the tournament was an opening 66 by Wallace on the Old White. Round leaders: First, Wallace-66, by three; Second, Wallace-142, by three; third, Gilmore-216, by one.
Scott Gilmore 72-73-71-74—290
David Wallace, Jr. 66-76-75-75—292
Brian Hamric 69-77-74-77—297
Harold Payne 74-74-75-75—298
Jim Fankhauser 69-79-75-76—299
Steve Fox 75-73-72-81—301
Reid Carroll 70-78-73-80—301
Mike Tennant 73-74-74-82—303
Larry Spotloe 74-79-73-77—303
1985: Danny Warren roared from six strokes back in the final round to catch Jim Fankhauser of Vienna and then defeated him in a playoff by sinking a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole of the Old White course. It was the second time that Warren won the title in a playoff. Warren, 25, shot a 69 in the final round to overtake Fankhauser, who had a 75. Harold Payne missed the playoff by one stroke. David Wallace, Jr. led the first two rounds but then fell back. Joel Davis shot a 69 on the Greenbrier course in the third round. Round leaders: First, Wallace-71, by two; Second, Wallace-143, by one; Third, Fankhauser-217, by four.
Danny Warren 74-73-76-69—292
Jim Fankhauser 73-71-73-75—292
Harold Payne 80-69-73-71—293
Bill Campbell 78-72-75-70—295
Charles Yanen 75-71-75-75—296
Jack Shamblin 76-73-74-73—296
Scott Gilmore 74-80-73-71—298
Steve Fox 75-72-76-75—298
Brian Hamric 75-70-83-70—298
1986: Wearing his lucky pair of golf knickers, Harold Payne captured his second Amateur crown by a four-stroke margin. Payne moved into the lead by shooting a 70 on the par-72 Greenbrier course in the third round and stayed ahead with another 70 on the par 70 Old White in the fourth round. Floyd Shuler of Wheeling had a final round 69 to finish second. Bill Campbell fired a 67 on the Old White course in the second round. Poca postmaster Carl Bailey led the first two rounds before faltering. Round leaders: First, Bailey-70, by two; Second, Bailey-144, by two; Third, Payne-220, by four.
Harold Payne 79-71-70-70—290
Floyd Shuler 77-75-73-69—294
Evans Harbour 75-71-78-71—295
Eddie Morrison 78-72-75-71—296
Jim Fankhauser 74-73-79-70—296
Scott Gilmore 79-75-75-69—298
Steve Fox 74-74-76-75—299
Pat Carter 80-71-74-74—299
1987: Harold Payne shot a blistering 65 in the final round on the Old White to edge his brother-in-law, Steve Fox of Huntington, by one stroke and gain his third Amateur title. Payne and Fox were tied going into the par-5 17th hole, and Payne eagled the hole for his winning margin. Payne’s 65 was his best round ever in the Amateur and his 284 was the lowest score since the tournament went to a two-course format in 1982. Fox played his last three rounds (69,70, and 68) in five under par for a 285 total. Pat Carter, 19, of Lesage fired a 68 in the first round for the best score ever in the Amateur on the Greenbrier course. Round leaders: First, Carter-68, by three; Second, Carter-144, by two; Third, Fox-217, by one.
Harold Payne 73-76-70-65—284
Steve Fox 78-69-70-68—285
Chip Yanen 72-75-71-72—290
Scott Gilmore 76-72-75-70—293
Pat Carter 68-76-78-72—294
Todd Satterfield 77-70-78-70—295
Floyd Shuler 74-72-75-76—297
Jim Fankhauser 77-72-76-73—298
1988: Huntington businessman Steve Fox, 34, kept the Amateur trophy in the family by succeeding brother-in-law Harold Payne as the champion. Fox shot a final round 71 and won by
two strokes. He outplayed Jim Fankhauser, Chip Yanen and Todd Satterfield in a four-man battle. The key hole was the 417-yard 16th on the Old White when Fox sank a 25-foot birdie putt whileYanen hit into the wood and took a double bogey six. Yanen, a former pro who regained his amateur status, fired a 65 on the Old White in the second round. Payne had a 69 on the Greenbrier course in the third round. Round leaders: First, Floyd Shuler-72, by one; Second, Yanen-140, by five; Third, Yanen-216, by three.
Steve Fox 73-74-72-71—290
Jim Fankhauser 77-68-75-72—292
Chip Yanen 75-65-76-77—293
Todd Satterfield 76-72-74-72—294
Reid Carroll 73-77-77-68—295
Harold Payne 81-71-69-75—296
Scott Gilmore 76-72-74-76—298
Mike Mays 75-76-74-74—299
1989: Marshall University senior Pat Carter, 21, came from behind with a final round 71 on the Greenbrier course to gain the title. Carter edged Floyd Shuler by one stroke while Todd Satterfield and Jeff Votaw finished two shots back. Carter closed strong with two birdies and then five straight pars on the last seven holes. Shuler just missed a 20-foot putt on the final green when the ball nicked the hole. Satterfield was tied for the lead until he hit into the lake on the 160-yard 17th hole for a double-bogey five. Satterfield posted a 66 on the Old White in the third round. Round leaders: First, Scott Gilmore-67, by two; Second, Shuler-142, by two; Third, Shuler and Satterfield-213s.
Pat Carter 70-78-68-71—287
Floyd Shuler 69-73-71-75—288
Todd Satterfield 72-75-66-76—289
Jeff Votaw 72-72-74-71—289
Eric Shaffer 72-75-70-73—290
Scott Gilmore 67-78-73-75—293
Steve Fox 72-75-69-77—293
Jeff Jones 72-74-76-72–294