WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS - Winston Canada let the weather delays just roll off his shoulders Tuesday at the 93rd West Virginia Amateur.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS - Winston Canada let the weather delays just roll off his shoulders Tuesday at the 93rd West Virginia Amateur.
The former Oak Hill High School standout shot the lowest score during the second round, firing a 3-under-par 67 on the par-70 Old White TPC at the Greenbrier Resort to forge a tie for second place.
Seventeen golfers didn't complete their second rounds after thunderstorms forced three weather delays and finally a stoppage. The first delay lasted 1 hour, 18 minutes, the second 1:03 and the third 43 minutes.
Play was suspended at 8:06 p.m. because of darkness, and players still on the course will finish their second rounds starting at 7:30 a.m. today. After a cut of the low 40 players (including ties), which was projected at 16-over 158, competitors still alive will head over to the par-72 Greenbrier Course at approximately 9 a.m. for the third round.
Chris Williams of Scott Depot was the leader when play was suspended with a 1-over 71 through 12 holes, which put him at even for the four-round tournament.
Canada, Wheeling's Joey Seabright, the Wheeling Jesuit golfer who was the West Virginia Conference's player of the year, and Trent Roush of Mason, the first-round leader after shooting a 69 on the Greenbrier Course, were tied for second at 1 over. Seabright was at 2 over through 14 holes Tuesday on historic Old White while Mason stood at 4 over.
The three play stoppages didn't seem to faze Canada, who was one of only two players who finished his round under par Tuesday on Old White. After a triple bogey on the par-5 fifth hole, he turned in six birdies, including three straight spanning holes No. 8-10. Canada closed out with a birdie on the par-3 No. 18.
Tuesday was the first time the state's amateurs played on Old White as part of the Amateur rotation since its renovation last year.
"The guys in my group were a lot of fun,'' Canada said of enduring the weather. "We kind of just goofed around a little bit. I still had that triple in the back of my head and I just started laughing about it.''
Huntington's Pat Carter, the 12-time Amateur champion, and David Dent of White Sulphur Springs were tied for fifth at 2 over for the tourney. Carter was 3 over through 14 holes Tuesday, while Dent was 1 over through 12.
"I hit a bunch of good shots,'' said Carter, an insurance firm manager. "I made some good saves, but I didn't make any birdies. I'm pretty pleased with the way I played. I hit a bunch of close shots.''
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS - Winston Canada let the weather delays just roll off his shoulders Tuesday at the 93rd West Virginia Amateur.
The former Oak Hill High School standout shot the lowest score during the second round, firing a 3-under-par 67 on the par-70 Old White TPC at the Greenbrier Resort to forge a tie for second place.
Seventeen golfers didn't complete their second rounds after thunderstorms forced three weather delays and finally a stoppage. The first delay lasted 1 hour, 18 minutes, the second 1:03 and the third 43 minutes.
Play was suspended at 8:06 p.m. because of darkness, and players still on the course will finish their second rounds starting at 7:30 a.m. today. After a cut of the low 40 players (including ties), which was projected at 16-over 158, competitors still alive will head over to the par-72 Greenbrier Course at approximately 9 a.m. for the third round.
Chris Williams of Scott Depot was the leader when play was suspended with a 1-over 71 through 12 holes, which put him at even for the four-round tournament.
Canada, Wheeling's Joey Seabright, the Wheeling Jesuit golfer who was the West Virginia Conference's player of the year, and Trent Roush of Mason, the first-round leader after shooting a 69 on the Greenbrier Course, were tied for second at 1 over. Seabright was at 2 over through 14 holes Tuesday on historic Old White while Mason stood at 4 over.
The three play stoppages didn't seem to faze Canada, who was one of only two players who finished his round under par Tuesday on Old White. After a triple bogey on the par-5 fifth hole, he turned in six birdies, including three straight spanning holes No. 8-10. Canada closed out with a birdie on the par-3 No. 18.
Tuesday was the first time the state's amateurs played on Old White as part of the Amateur rotation since its renovation last year.
"The guys in my group were a lot of fun,'' Canada said of enduring the weather. "We kind of just goofed around a little bit. I still had that triple in the back of my head and I just started laughing about it.''
Huntington's Pat Carter, the 12-time Amateur champion, and David Dent of White Sulphur Springs were tied for fifth at 2 over for the tourney. Carter was 3 over through 14 holes Tuesday, while Dent was 1 over through 12.
"I hit a bunch of good shots,'' said Carter, an insurance firm manager. "I made some good saves, but I didn't make any birdies. I'm pretty pleased with the way I played. I hit a bunch of close shots.''
Canada, who played at Division I Campbell, who opened the tourney with a 76 Monday. After his triple bogey Tuesday, he piled up six birdies and didn't play another hole worse than par.
"I had played this course before and my best round was a 64,'' said Canada, who works for Big Sandy Superstore. "It wasn't a course I didn't think I could play, but with the changes it made it a little tougher.
"Other than that triple, I hit the fairways all day and my greens. I had to scramble a little bit. Before I started the week I played my practice round, that was the first time I played Old White since the changes, and I just told myself, 'Shoot the low round on Old White and you've got a chance.' ''
Jay Woodward of Bridgeport, the Penn State junior who was in second after the first round, clubbed a 5-over 75 through 13 holes, which dropped him into seventh at 3 over.
Sam O'Dell of Hurricane, who lost in a playoff last year for second place, was at 2 over through 12 holes and sat eighth at 4 over for the tournament. Derek Brooks of Mullens carded a 1-under 69 for the only other under-par round Tuesday, which vaulted him into a three-way tie for 12th after an opening-round 80.
Jess Ferrell, the Fairmont State junior-to-be who was last year's runner up and earned one of two sponsor's exemptions to play in the Greenbrier Classic, was in line to make the cut with a 7-over 77 Tuesday and stands at 15-over 157.
Reach Tommy R. Atkinson at tatkin...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-4811.
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