Published: June 25, 2009 11:38 pm      

Lead shared at West Virginia Open

WHEELING —David Bradshaw’s anticipated takeover didn’t happen and Chris McGinnis’ lead didn’t hold up, bringing the likelihood of a free-for-all on the final day of the West Virginia Open.

Morgantown’s Bob Friend shot a 2-under-par 69 Thursday to move into a tie for the lead with Bradshaw at even par with many others in close pursuit at Wheeling’s Oglebay Park.

“That’s what I wanted to do today,” Friend said. “I knew I could shoot something in the 60s to put myself back in the game.”

Friend, director of golf operations at Pikewood National Golf Club in Morgantown, finished second in 2005 and 2007, the latter occurring at Morgantown’s Lakeview Resort when Bradshaw won the last of his three Open titles.

Friend and Bradshaw were paired in that round and will be together again today on the Palmer Course.

The final round could be considered a chase among champions.

Among the 10 players within four shots of the lead including 2001 Open winner Jonathan Clark and two-time champion John Ross, both at 2 over, and five-time champion Brad Westfall and two-time state Amateur winner Tim Fisher, both at 3 over.

First, they’ll have to catch Friend and Bradshaw.

Friend played on the PGA Tour for five years, finishing runner-up to Billy Andrade at the 1998 Canadian Open. He played for nine years on the precursors to the Nationwide Tour, winning the 1991 Fort Wayne Open.

With half the field playing the difficult Robert Trent Jones-designed layout, Friend took advantage of his turn on the shorter Palmer Course. Bradshaw couldn’t.

Bradshaw birdied four of the five par 5s but went 4 over on the par 3s and shot 71.

“Ideally I would have shot four or five under the first two rounds,” Bradshaw said. “I just have to pick it up a little bit, but I’m still in good shape.”

Marshall golfer Bosten Miller, Bridgeport’s Justin Caroli and Concord golf coach Darcy Donaldson were within 1 shot of the lead. Miller’s 4-under 67 on the Palmer Course included six birdies and an eagle despite a string of three bogeys on the back nine.

“I’m just trying to play like I did today,” said Miller, who will join Friend and Bradshaw in the final group.

One of those out of contention is McGinnis, who shot 11-over 82 on the Jones Course. He held his own for a while, parring the first seven holes. But he unraveled after that with six bogeys and two double-bogeys on the back nine and is seven shots behind the leaders.

This year’s winning score could be the highest in two decades. The last time a champion did not shoot even par or better was in 1985, when Buddy Cook shot 1-over at the Guyan Golf and Country Club in Huntington. Bradshaw’s winning score in 2007 was 1-under.