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Bradshaw will have to wait for 13th Open golf title

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Jul 1, 2022

Bradshaw

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The Stonewall Resort in Roanoke (WV) hosted its first West Virginia Open golf tournament last week. And the difficult layout frustrated most golfers in the field with its gnarly rough, undulating greens and tight fairways.

Shepherd graduate and Bakerton native David Bradshaw, a 12-time champion and fixture in past West Virginia Open championships, came to the Stonewall course as the defending champion, having won again in 2021.

Other West Virginia Open champions from the immediate past were also there, including Christian Brand a two-time winner who had played at Marshall University.

Both Bradshaw and Brand were near the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the 54-hole event.

However, it was Charles Town resident and Shepherd golfer Mason Kidwell who had the first-round lead with a five-under-par score after his opening day gem of a round.

Boyd

Bradshaw was stationed at three-under along with Brand. And those two were one stroke in back of Thadd Obecny, alone in second place.

After another three-under showing in the second round, Bradshaw and Brand were tied for the lead. Kidwell had skidded with a five-over round and was at even par after 36 holes. Obecny’s one-over score in the second round left him in third place.

In the final round, Bradshaw and Brand were never troubled by anybody else in field and moved steadily along toward the last holes either still tied or just one shot apart.

Brand began a birdie binge that Bradshaw failed to match and eased away to a four-under final round that gave him his third Open championship. Bradshaw finished the third round with a one-under score that left him three shots in back of Brand.

Kidwell completed his tournament with eight-over round of 78.

Brand

Christian Boyd from Charles Town completed the 54 holes with a four-over score of 214.

Bradshaw is still five Open championships shy of the 17 state titles won by PGA Hall of Famer Sam Snead, who represented The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs for much of his lengthy career.

Bradshaw plays regularly on a pro tour in Canada these days but annually returns to West Virginia for The Open in June.

Obecny

Kidwell