Former Marshall golfer Clark wins West Virginia Open
Former Marshall Golfer Jonathan Clark wins 2012 WV Open
Six current/former Herd golfers in top nine places
Sissonville, W.Va. - Hurricane’s Jonathan Clark, a former 1996 All-American Marshall University golfer who entered the MU Athletic Hall of Fame just last year, won the 79th West Virginia Golf Open title on Friday by shooting a tournament low round of 65.
Clark, who also won the WV Open tournament in 2001, posting a final round of six under par.
The pro at Hurricane’s Sleepy Hollow Golf Course hit two eagles and four birdies against only two bogies.
Overall, he won the tournament by those six shots, finishing at 12 under par for the tournament at 201, following up on 68s on Wednesday and Thursday with an even better round on Friday.
Clark had eagle-three at par five holes No. 5 and No. 16.
He birdied par four holes No. 1, 3 and 9, and a par five No. 14, with bogies at the par four No. 12 and No. 15.
"I'm sort of stuck in awe," Clark told the Associated Press.
"I've always said you can win one Open. Once you win that second one, it makes me feel validated that it wasn't a one-time wonder."
It marked the best winning score at the Open in relation to par since 1995, when Scott Davis finished at 12 under at Canaan Valley Resort.
The six-shot margin of victory was the most since John Ross beat Clark by seven in 1999 at Guyan Golf and Country Club in Huntington.
Clark finished the tournament with the two eagles, 17 birdies, 29 pars and only only six bogies in the three rounds, although he had a double-bogie on No. 10 on day one and a triple-bogie on No. 3 on day two.
Harper Ferry’s David Bradshaw came up short in his quest to win four straight West Virginia Open titles, shooting a one-under 70 in the final round.
Bradshaw, who had won six of the last eight Open titles, finished in a tie for second with another former Marshall golfer, Charleston’s Christian Brand, at six under par.
Brand, who played in the NCAA Regional as well as the West Virginia Amateur and The Greenbrier Open on the PGA Tour in White Sulphur Springs last year, shot an even par 71 in today’s final round.
The leader heading into Friday, Scott Depot’s Craig Berner, posted a three over 74 in the final round, putting him overall in a tie for fourth at five under par with amateur Sam O’Dell, another former Marshall golfer (1997-2000) at 208.
Rounding out the former Marshall golfers in the top ten were Brian Anania of Hurricane, a sophomore this year with the Herd with year, who finished seventh by shooting a one-over 72 on Friday; another MU HOF member, Scott Davis of Hurricane, who finished eighth with a par 71 Friday; and Bosten Miller, who was a senior at MU this past season, playing for MU in coach Joe Feaganes’ 40th and final year as Marshall men’s golf coach.
The Charleston native finished in a tie for ninth, shooting a one-under 70 on Friday to catch Todd Westfall, who carded a four-over 75 during the final round at the Edgewood Country Club, just outside of Charleston in Sissonville, W.Va..
In all, eight players finished with total scores under 213, which is par 71.
Top Ten 2012 West Virginia Open
Pos. Player City Today Total R1 R2 R3 Total
1 Clark, Jonathan Hurricane -6 F -12 68 68 65 201
T2 Bradshaw, David Harpers Ferry -1 F -6 70 67 70 207
T2 Brand, Christian South Charleston Even F -6 66 70 71 207
T4 O'Dell, Sam (a) Hurricane -2 F -5 67 72 69 208
T4 Berner, Craig Scott Depot +3 F -5 67 67 74 208
6 Donaldson, Darcy Athens -1 F -4 71 68 70 209
7 Anania, Brian (a) Hurricane +1 F -2 68 71 72 211
8 Davis, Scott Hurricane Even F -1 68 73 71 212
T9 Miller, Bosten (a) Charleston -1 F +1 69 75 70 214
T9 Westfall, Todd (a) Clendenin +4 F +1 68 71 75 214
(a) Amateur