SISSONVILLE, W.Va. Ƶ The West Virginia Senior Amateur will have a first-time champion.
Chris Daniels of Beckley and Scott DepotƵs John Bumgarner will meet in the Senior AmƵs match-play final on Wednesday at Edgewood Country Club.
Daniels topped Dave Higinbotham of Daniels, 5 and 4, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday before taking out Pat Carter of Hurricane, 2 up, in the semifinals.
Bumgarner advanced to the final by beating Robert McPeak of Parkersburg, 3 and 2, in the quarterfinals and eliminating ParkersburgƵs Michael Koreski, 2 up, in the semis.
Koreski took a two-hole lead on Bumgarner in the semifinal round by parring No. 10 when Bumgarner bogeyed it. But Bumgarner parred the next two holes, both par-4s, while Koreski bogeyed them to tie the match.
Both parred No. 13, birdied No. 14 and bogeyed No. 15 before Bumgarner took the lead to stay with a birdie of the par-5 No. 16.
Daniels similarly rallied down the stretch to knock off Carter.
Carter maintained a one-hole lead after both players parred No. 12. But Daniels birdied par-3 No. 13 to tie the match, and he parred the par-five No. 14 while Carter posted a 6. Daniels led the rest of the way.
Defending champion Bryan Myers, the No. 2 seed, didnƵt make it to the tournamentƵs penultimate day. Koreski knocked Myers out 5 and 4 in the round of 16 on Monday.
Top-seeded Jonathan Clark of Hurricane also fell in the opening round of match play, to Higinbotham, 4 and 2, on Monday.
The senior bracket final of the Senior Am matches Scott Bibbee of Vienna against HurricaneƵs Nevin Wilson.
Bibbee topped Cledus Judd of Huntington in the quarterfinals, 1 up, and knocked out Jim Freeman of Barboursville, 4 and 3, in the semis.
Wilson topped David Eller of Barboursville in the quarterfinals, 4 and 2, and dropped ParkersburgƵs Joe Crislip in the semis, 2 and 1.
Wilson eliminated defending senior division Senior Am champion Bart Willis in the round of 16 on Monday.
Bibbee and Wilson are each seeking their first senior division Senior Am titles, though Bibbee has been victorious in the event before. He won the Senior AmƵs championship division at Edgewood in 2008 and was the stroke play champion a year later.
Dempsey makes ace at Lewisburg CC
For the first time in his life, Trace Dempsey was happy with ball one.
The former Huntington High School and Ohio State University pitcher made a hole-in-one Saturday golfing at the Lewisburg Country Club. The ace was the second for Dempsey, who used a pitching wedge on the par-3, 140-yard 14th hole.
Sonny Wright, Rob Stepp and Tommie Brunswick witnessed the shot.
RioƵs Payton RCSƵs top SID
The University of Rio GrandeƵs Randy Payton is the River States Conference sports information director of the year.
The Wayne County native recently completed his 14th year at the Ohio university. He also won the award in 2016 and is the fourth SID in league history to be so honored more than once.
ƵRandy Payton is a shining example of what an SID can mean to their institution,Ƶ River Cities Conference assistant commissioner Ryan Murphy said. ƵHe is a resource not just on his campus, but across the River Cities Conference; every school should be so lucky as to have a Randy Payton in their sports information office.Ƶ
Before going to Rio Grande, Payton was the sports editor of the Wayne County News for 18 years.
