Wire, staff reports
Tazewell’s Garland Green saw his run through the 95th VSGA Amateur Championship come to end in a Friday quarterfinal loss to Blacksburg’s Lanto Griffin, who won on the 22nd hole.
Green, who led qualifying after opening day, won two matches on Thursday before falling in a marathon to Griffin at Kingsmill in Williamsburg.
Green, a former Tazewell High star, now plays at Virginia Tech.
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WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Roger Newsom and Brinson Paolini each won a pair of matches in stroke play on Friday, setting up an all Virginia Beach duel over 36 holes on Saturday for the Virginia State Golf Association’s 95th State Amateur Championship.
Newsom, 44, an ophthamologist, beat Forrest Shuford IV of Williamsburg 3 and 2 in the quarterfinals, then took out Virginia Commonwealth University junior Lanto Griffin of Blacksburg 2 and 1 in the afternoon on the River Course at the Kingsmill Resort and Spa.
Paolini, 17 and a rising senior at Frank W. Cox High School, defeated VCU junior Vincent Nadeau of Penhook 3 and 2 in the quarterfinals, then ousted University of Richmond graduate Jordan Utley of Richmond 2 and 1 in the semifinals.
Both finalists will be making their first appearance in the championship match.
Paolini, who won the VSGA’s State Junior on Kingmill’s Woods Course last August, trailed Utley 1 up after 10 holes, but made a birdie at the par-4 12th hole to draw even, then hit to 8 feet on the par-5 15th and made birdie to go 1 up, his first lead of the match.
Paolini clinched it with an up-and-down par at the par-3 17th.
“I was grinding it out, but I was pretty pumped up the whole round,” Paolini said. “I was swinging well, putting well and just tried to put it together and hit fairways and greens.”
No player has held the VSGA Junior Am and State Am titles in the same year.
Newsom erased a 1 down deficit at the turn in the semifinals with a birdie at No. 12, then grabbed the lead by rolling in a 20-foot putt at No. 14 for an unlikely birdie. His second shot came from a very awkward lie on a steep upslope right in front of a greenside bunker.
“Lanto gave me everything that he could give me and I don’t see how Brinson can give me any more,” said Newsom, the reigning VSGA Four-Ball champion.
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By JOHN RABY
AP Sports Writer
CHARLESTON (AP) — Barry Evans finally has a West Virginia Open victory that eluded him for so many years.
The host pro made six birdies on the back nine, including on the final four holes, for a three-stroke victory Friday over David Bradshaw at Berry Hills Country Club.
“Chalk one up for the old guys,” said Evans, 46. “If I never win another tournament, I’m good. I wanted this one in the worst way.”
With a home-course following urging him on with every shot and the two-time defending champion Bradshaw applying the pressure, Evans shot a 5-under 65 — the best round of the tournament — and finished at 9 under.
“I got emotional a number of times out there,” Evans said. “I was just trying to get it done.”
After eight top five finishes but no previous titles dating to his first Open in 1991, Evans earned a record $7,500 first-place check.
The 24-year-old Bradshaw, trying to become the first to win three straight Opens since Harold Payne from 1986-88, stayed close until the final two holes. Bradshaw carded a 2-under 68 and earned $4,250.
“He simply outplayed me at the end,” Bradshaw said. “I wasn’t going to let him take this easy, and I didn’t. I broke 70 all three days, but shooting 65 is just too good. It was fun to be a part of.”
Hurricane pro Drew Whitten finished in third place 10 shots back at 1 over and former West Virginia Amateur champion Tim Fisher was fourth at 2 over.
Evans adds a state Open title to his 2002 PGA National Club Pro championship.
The last time the 54-hole tournament was played at Berry Hills, Evans finished 13 shots out of the lead.
The difference this time was a hot putter. Both entered the final round tied at 4 under and Bradshaw led by one stroke at 5 under at the turn.
Evans’ back nine got a jump-start from a tournament official who pointed out he had forgotten to place his ball on the proper spot on the 10th green. Evans had moved his coin over one putter-head length to avoid being in an opponents’ putting line. Had he failed to replace it properly, it would have meant a two-stroke penalty.
Instead, Evans sank the 11-foot downhill putt for birdie.
“I had all kinds of help making that putt,” Evans said, walking to the 11th tee.
Bradshaw made bogey at No. 10 after his tee shot found the rough, and Evans sank a 20-footer for birdie at No. 11 to take a two-shot lead.
The pair were tied heading to the par-3 16th and Evans hit his tee shot within 5 feet of the cup. Waiting for Craig Berner’s chip shot to the green, Evans put his arm around Bradshaw and the pair shook hands.
“He said, ’however this turns out, you’re a hell of a player,”’ Bradshaw recalled. Evans sank the putt to the crowd’s roar.
On the short par-4 17th, Evans sank a 40-footer for birdie while Bradshaw hit his approach shot into a bunker and made bogey to fall three shots back. Both birdied the par-5 18th.
“Playing against David Bradshaw is brutal,” Evans said. “Every time I thought I had a leg up, he came back. It was really a hard-fought win today.”
Bradshaw, a Harpers Ferry native, will head back to his home near San Diego and attempt to qualify for the PGA Tour next season.
Evans will go back to his desk to open a bagful left unanswered from a week of golf to remember.
“I’ll get caught up this weekend, hopefully,” he said.
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CHARLESTON (AP) — Final scores Friday from the West Virginia Open golf tournament at the par-70, 6,345-yard Berry Hills Country Club:
Barry Evans, Charleston 66-70-65 — 201
David Bradshaw, Harpers Ferry 69-67-68 — 204
Drew Whitten, Hurricane 71-71-69 — 211
Tim Fisher, Statts Mills 71-69-72 — 212
Brad Westfall, Grafton 74-67-73 — 214
Craig Berner, Scott Depot 71-67-77 — 215
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
Christian Brand, Charleston 75-67-76 — 218
Matt Hicks, Sissonville 78-71-70 — 219
Hop White, Scott Depot 76-70-73 — 219
Pat Carter, Huntington 73-76-71 — 220
Will Johnson, Charleston 72-72-76 — 220
Nathan Kinker, Barboursville 74-73-74 — 221
Benjamin Palmer, Parkersburg 74-76-72 — 222
Jason Robinson, Charleston 73-71-78 — 222
Jonathan Clark, Hurricane 70-73-79 — 222
Ty Roush, Mason 70-75-78 — 223
Tim McKee, Summit Point 77-74-73 — 224
Ryan Mason, Bridgeport 74-77-73 — 224
Scott Davis, Hurricane 72-78-75 — 225
Brian Bailey, Morgantown 77-73-75 — 225
Craig Callens, Martinsburg 70-75-80 — 225
Ken Lacy, Chapmanville 74-72-79 — 225
Aaron Gizzi, Morgantown 71-81-74 — 226
Tad Tomblin, Alum Creek 78-74-74 — 226
Bosten Miller, Charleston 80-71-75 — 226
John Duty Sr., Hurricane 74-73-79 — 226
Brian Meador, Morgantown 73-75-79 — 227
Christopher McGinnis, Morgantown 73-75-79 — 227
Steve VanHorn, Morgantown 75-78-75 — 228
Tyler Franklin, Evans 82-70-76 — 228
Michael Koreski, Parkersburg 74-75-79 — 228
Dave Wentz, Charleston 78-73-78 — 229
Adam Skaff, Charleston 71-73-85 — 229
Carson Schambach, Glen Dale 82-74-74 — 230
Brandon Watkins, White Sulphur Springs 78-78-74 — 230
David Boggs, Sheperdstown 78-76-76 — 230
Marion Cunningham, Harrisville 76-80-75 — 231
Brad Gardner, Huntington 75-80-76 — 231
Jim Grimmett, Davin 75-79-77 — 231
Trent Roush, Mason 78-76-77 — 231
Matthew Gissy, Weston 78-76-78 — 232
Kelly Shumate, Crab Orchard 79-75-78 — 232
John Brautigam, Morgantown 73-79-80 — 232
Ken Frye, Barboursville 73-80-79 — 232
Michael Veres, Chapmanville 72-78-82 — 232
Ian Hogue, Clarksburg 84-71-78 — 233
Fred Swisher, Clarksburg 73-76-84 — 233
Jeffrey Nehls, Morgantown 77-77-80 — 234
Steve Fox, Huntington 77-74-83 — 234
Larry J. Kalaskey, So. Charleston 79-77-79 — 235
Anthony Zappin, Huntington 79-77-79 — 235
Tony Dugan, Rutland, Ohio 78-77-80 — 235
Phil Zambos, Huntington 75-78-82 — 235
Jeffery Whitman, Hurricane 79-71-85 — 235
Josh Boswell, Alderson 81-73-85 — 239
Aaron Barna, Hurricane 77-78-85 — 240
Rusty Staubs Jr., Charles Town 79-75-86 — 240
