WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — The mano-a-mano battle between Tim Fisher and Anthony Reale not only developed, it took center stage at the 89th West Virginia Amateur at The Greenbrier Thursday.

Fisher took advantage of a late Reale mistake with a birdie on No. 17 then parred No. 18 to win his second amateur title.

Fisher, a native of Statts Mills, also won the 2005 State Am. Reale was the defending champion.

“I didn’t want to be a one-hit wonder,” said Fisher, who also won the state 4-ball title and was the low amateur at the West Virginia Open. “To win two (state amateurs) means you’re one of the best players in the state.”

“It got pretty intense. I can’t remember a bigger crowd following us for the last four or five years,” Reale said. “The last three holes were really intense. We all had pretty good looks on No. 16 and 17. I didn’t play well all week and it caught up with me today. You have to hand it to Tim. To shoot a 68 to win it? He earned it.”

Fisher also easily claimed the player of the year title over runner-up Pat Carter, the 12-time state amateur champion.

Reale, of Glenville, entered the tournament with a 1-shot lead but a bogey on No. 3 evened things up and the shootout was on.

The lead changed hands twice and Reale and Fisher were tied on several occasions on the windy day. The final round also was delayed for 22 minutes when a thunderstorm blew threw the area with the final group on No. 13.

Fisher seemed to take charge on 12, when he bravely took his driver out on the fairway and, from 259 yards out, drove the ball to the edge of the green.

“Definitely the shot of the tournament,” Reale said. “I know Tim’s game and for him to have the gumption to try to do that, to step up there with a driver off the deck, was amazing.”

Fisher would birdie the hole and take a 1-shot lead.

He gave it back, however, on 14, when his tee shot left him on an embankment in the rough.

His second shot flew the green and his chip rolled past the hole and he would two-putt for a bogey from there.

Reale had a chance to take control but missed a four-foot birdie putt which would have given him the lead.

The duo remained tied.

No. 16 provided some drama, when Reale stuck his second shot within four feet of the hole. Fisher then stuck his shot within two feet as the two remained tied.

“Actually I thought that was the shot of the tournament for me,” Fisher said. “To stick it in there like that was big.”

No. 17 would be the difference.

Reale second shot on the par-5 left him in some low rough to the left of the green. From there, he chunked his shot and it ended up on the other side of the green. He wound up parring the hole, which was a good save in most cases.

However, Fisher’s second shot went to the edge of the green and he easily made birdie to take the lead.

My caddie (Matt Sisson) told me that Anthony had made a bad shot,” Fisher said. “At the time, I was having some problem with my club selection. It was either going to be a 24-degree hybrid or a five-iron. His shot took the guessing game out of my club selection.”

The five-iron worked it’s magic.

“I misclubbed on my second shot. I had a three-iron,” Reale said. “And my third shot, it was obvious that I came too far inside because I scalded it.”

Reale needed a birdie on the undulating No. 18 par-3 and didn’t get it.

Fisher knocked in a three-foot putt to win it and celebrated his second title with a fist pump.

“At breakfast this morning I told my caddie if I shot even par (70) I’d probably win it,” Fisher said. “To go 69 and 68 on Old White for me was great. I was three-under par (on the Old White) and three-under par on the Greenbrier (course).”

Mike Veres, originally from Chapmanville, the former pro who regained his amateur status, finished fourth.

Veres, who was two-stroke back entering the final round and played in the final group with Fisher and Reale, had double bogeys on No. 6 and 8 which took him out of contention.

“I’d like to have six and eight back. I had a triple and three doubles this week and you can’t do that against these guys, they’re too steady,” Veres said. “One thing is for sure. I definitely had the best seat in the house (for the duel between Fisher and Reale).”

“I’ll be back next year,” Reale said. “This will just fuel the fire.”

The three leaders from the first day Monday finished that way Thursday, as Bridgeport’s Justin Caroli finished third.



W.Va. Amateur scores

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS (AP) — Final scores from the West Virginia Amateur golf tournament at The Greenbrier resort. The first and third rounds were played on the 6,675-yard, par-72 Greenbrier course. The second and final rounds were played on the 6,790-yard, par-70 Old White course:

Tim Fisher, Statts Mills 69-69-72-68 — 278

Anthony Reale, Glenville 69-70-70-70 — 279

Justin Caroli, Bridgeport 69-72-72-72 — 285

Michael Veres, Chapmanville 72-70-70-74 — 286

Pat Carter, Huntington 71-71-75-70 — 287

Christian Brand, Charleston 70-71-76-70 — 287

Bosten Miller, Charleston 72-73-71-71 — 287

Ben Palmer, Parkersburg 78-71-68-74 — 291

Kenneth Hess, Parkersburg 70-75-74-75 — 294

David Fields, Fort Gay 75-74-74-72 — 295

Sam O’Dell, Hurricane 72-73-73-77 — 295

Matthew Gissy, Weston 73-71-75-76 — 295

Trevor Hedges, Martinsburg 75-71-77-73 — 296

Michael Hines, Lindside 72-74-74-76 — 296

La. Clinebell Jr., W.S. Springs 74-74-77-74 — 299

Nathan Kinker, Barboursville 77-75-74-74 — 300

Will Johnson, Charleston 72-74-76-78 — 300

Matt Hicks, Sissonville 70-75-76-79 — 300

Stephen Fox, Huntington 73-74-69-84 — 300

Bryan Snow, Ranson 72-78-82-69 — 301

Craig McGlothlin, Huntington 74-78-77-72 — 301

Joshua Arbaugh, Canvas 76-73-77-75 — 301

Trent Roush, Mason 75-70-80-76 — 301

Scott Miller, Princeton 72-77-75-77 — 301

Kelly Shumate, Crab Orchard 77-74-71-79 — 301

Clark Priddy, Nitro 76-70-76-80 — 302

Zachary Yochum, Wheeling 76-74-71-81 — 302

Sam Booth, Hurricane 80-72-77-74 — 303

Carson Schambach, Glen Dale 72-71-85-75 — 303

Jeremy Tucker, Mason 74-77-75-77 — 303

Phil DiLorenzo, Weirton 76-75-77-76 — 304

Jeff Bryant, South Charleston 72-77-83-73 — 305

Nathan Flint, Alderson 79-73-75-78 — 305

Aaron Boggs, Madison 74-76-76-80 — 306

Tad Tomblin, Man 72-80-74-80 — 306

Stacey Shy, Huntington 78-72-80-77 — 307

Jamie Whitt, Huntington 76-71-81-79 — 307

Justin Windon, Lewisburg 78-74-76-79 — 307

Josh Boswell, Alderson 78-71-79-79 — 307

Jim Grimmett, Davin 78-73-81-77 — 309

Patton Couch, Logan 76-74-77-82 — 309

Michael Mays, Lester 74-74-85-80 — 313

Jeffrey Estep, Bridgeport 76-76-79-82 — 313

Scott Bodden, Huntington 71-80-78-88 — 317