WHEELING, W.Va. — Morgantown’s Chris McGinnis could sleep a little easier knowing he put himself in contention at the West Virginia Open after riding a strong front nine to take the first-day lead at Oglebay Resort.
McGinnis fired a 4-under-par 67 Wednesday on the Palmer Course for a one-stroke edge over Sissonville’s Matt Hicks. McGinnis was two ahead of Hurricane pro Jonathan Clark.
This year marks the first time the Open is being played on two courses, both par 71s. The top six golfers played the Palmer Course.
Shooting 1-under 70s were Concord assistant golf coach Darcy Donaldson, Bridgeport pro Tyler Franklin and Davin amateur Jim Grimmett.
With the field split between the Palmer and more difficult Robert Trent Jones-designed Speidel courses, many players struggled. But not McGinnis.
“The last thing I wanted to do was come out and shoot 75 or worse and put myself behind the eight ball because it is going to be hard to make up shots on (the Jones Course),” McGinnis said.
McGinnis, 36, the head pro at Pikewood National Golf Club, said he has played the Oglebay courses only a handful of times and is in a more comfortable position then he has ever been after Day One at the Open.
After finishing 26 strokes off the lead in 2008 at Charleston’s Berry Hills Country Club, McGinnis’ front nine Wednesday consisted of two birdies, eagles on two of three par-5s, and a bogey.
McGinnis blamed the thought of an even lower score on trying to carry a bunker when he double-bogeyed the par-4 16th. He three putted for bogey on No. 17 before finishing his round with a birdie.
McGinnis said his play has been strong early in the season compared to previous years, evidenced by a ninth-place finish two weeks ago at the Tri-State Open in New Castle, Pa.
“This is about as good as I’ve started in a season,” McGinnis said. “Usually with winter rust or whatever it takes me a while to warm up, but I feel really comfortable with my game.”
Hicks, a 2008 graduate of nearby West Liberty, had six birdies — four on the back nine — and three bogeys.
“I started off slow and didn’t make a lot of putts,” Hicks said. “I turnaround on the back nine and I just kind of caught fire by hitting everything close.”
The joke around the Oglebay clubhouse was that three-time champion David Bradshaw was also the “leader” after an even-par 71 on the Jones Course, the best of any competitor on that venue.
“I feel like I played bad but still shot even, so to be quite honest if I had it my way I’d play this (Jones Course) three days,” Bradshaw said. “I feel I could separate myself on this golf course.”
Bradshaw, who played the Oglebay courses while a student at Shepherd College earlier this decade, was 2 under through 12 holes but double bogeyed No. 13 after reaching the fairway and overshooting the green.
“This is my seventh year, and (the Jones Course) is by far the toughest golf course,” Bradshaw said. “The golf course is so tough because good shots aren’t always rewarded, and you have to lay yourself back on some holes that are so long.”
Bradshaw said it was possible for someone to shoot as low as 64 on the 6,800-yard Palmer Course in the final two days of the tournament.
Golfers who played either the Jones or Palmer courses on Wednesday will have to play the other Thursday, and the final round will be played on the Palmer Course.
“If you can keep the ball out of the high grass and get it on the green then you can shoot a (low) number,” McGinnis said. “I expect the guys tomorrow to come off the Jones Course and shoot a lot of low scores. That’s all it was today was trying to keep yourself in it.”
Defending champion Barry Evans shot 75 on the Jones Course.
