Amateurs Todd Duncan, Ryan Bilby and Bosten Miller join pro Mason Williams at the top of the leader board
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Amateurs Todd Duncan of Daniels, Ryan Bilby of Follansbee, and Bosten Miller of Hurricane join professional (p) Mason Williams of Bridgeport at the top of the leader board at to under par 68.
Sitting in a seven-way tie for fifth, at one under par 69, are Ben Palmer of Parkersburg, Alex Easthorn (p) of Ravenswood, Jack Michael of Huntington, Sam O’Dell of Hurricane, Jeff Ferrell of Fairmont, defending champion Christian Brand of Scott and Jonathan Clark of Hurricane.
As the afternoon wave began at 12:30, the temperatures began to rise into the 90s. “This is a tough test of golf,” said WVGA Interim Executive Director Chris Slack. “We’re excited that this state championship is being held back at Berry Hills Country Club for the first time since 2015 and we are looking forward to the next two days of competitive golf among our state’s best professional and amateur golfers.”
The annual Coca-Cola Shootout took place Tuesday afternoon on the front nine at Berry Hills Country Club. Coca-Cola is one of the longest standing sponsors of the West Virginia open and has been host to the Coke shootout over the last 25 years. 12-time West Virginia Open Champion David Bradshaw was victorious, winning the specialty event for the fifth time in his career.
“We are pleased to serve as the presenting sponsor for the 90th West Virginia Open Championship,” Dr. Greg Rosencrance, president and CEO of WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals said. “Part of our mission is to support the communities we serve and we are thrilled to welcome this tournament to the Kanawha Valley this year. We wish all of the players luck as they compete for the championship this week.”
Round two of the championship will begin Thursday morning at 7:30 with tee times off of the front and back nine. At the conclusion of play, the field will be cut to the lowest 60 scores and ties who will advance to the final round on Friday.
The WVOPEN Championship has a rich 89-year history. Legendary professional golfer Sam Snead holds the record for the most WV OPEN victories at 17. The defending champion is three-time winner Christian Brand. The WV OPEN features the best amateur and professional golfers in West Virginia.
— About the West Virginia Golf Association (WVGA): Founded in 1913, the West Virginia Golf Association is dedicated to promoting and preserving the game of golf in West Virginia. It is our privilege to protect and share the rich history of golf in West Virginia through the West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame. We serve as a central source of information for our Member Clubs and generally represent the United States Golf Association (USGA) through administering the USGA Handicap System and Course/Slope Rating System, conducting qualifying rounds and overseeing amateur status matters. We introduce elementary school children to golf and safety, core values and healthy habits through the First Tee of West Virginia and develop young players through our Callaway Junior Rookie League and Callaway Junior Tour events for boys and girls under 18. We host one-day events and tournaments, which highlight the best amateur and professional golfers in the state, throughout the season for men, women, juniors and seniors. We encourage people of all ages to pursue and benefit from the opportunities for competition, camaraderie and health offered by the sport of golf. Our membership consists of 85 Member Clubs and over 11,000 individual golfers throughout the state of West Virginia.
