New champions are crowned at Bordas & Bordas Golf Classic

WHEELING — New champions were crowned in all seven flights of the 8th annual Bordas & Bordas Golf Classic at the soggy Crispin Golf Club Sunday

The two-day, 36-hole event, which drew nearly 200 participants, endured a nearly 90-minute weather delay on Sunday afternoon and finished just before darkness settled in.

Recent Marshall University graduate Ryan Bilby overcame a four-stroke deficit after Saturday’s initial 18 holes to shoot a sizzling 128 (66-62) on Sunday to finish 14-under par to capture the Championship Flight by one shot over Justin Doerr’s 129 (63-66).

“I’ve probably played this tournament three or four times,” Bilby said. “I was fortunate to win the Best-Ball one year with my partner, but I’ve never really been close.”

The key this weekend?

“My putts finally started to drop. I’ve been hitting the ball really well,” he added. “I have no complaints on that side.”

Bilby said he was 5-under on the front 9 Sunday as he made his charge to the top of the leaderboard.

“I made a bogey on 13 but I made two eagles on (holes) 12 and 15 which really helped,” he noted.

Bilby said the weather didn’t really affect him.

I”In college we played in the spring, so the weather was always cold, windy and gray. So I’m used to it.”

Bilby said he plans to turn pro next month.

“We’ll see what we can do from there.”

Wheeling Park graduate Gavin Goodrich took third with 131 (66-65), while Buckeye Trail alum Jessi Roe was fourth at 132 (64-68). Defending champion Howie Peterson IV, from Weirton, headed up a group of four players that shot 133. The others included first-day leader Adam Gill (62-71), Troy Loughry (64-69) and Bryan Myers (65-68). Gill won the Junior Flight last year.

In the Junior Division, St. Clairsville junior-to-be Mavrik Malin also rallied from 4 shots back after Day 1 to defeat John Marshall freshman-to-be Drew Marling. Malin shot 140 (70-70) to Marling’s 144 (66-78).

“I was able to hit 15 out of the 18 greens each day and that was a big reason why I won,” Malin said. “It really helped when I shot 5-under on the back 9 today.”

Malin said the weather delay actually helped him out.

“I was able to hit a lot more shots at the pin that led to more birdies,” he added.

He said playing the brutal high school schedule that St. Clairsville did last season added to his strong performance.

“It helped a lot because we played in a lot of big tournaments against some really good competition,” he added. “It also helped that I had four quality teammates and we pushed each other every time we stepped on the course.”

He finished fourth last year at the Bordas & Bordas.

Andrew Pennybacker finished third with a 147 (74-73), while Will Koegler 148 (74-74) was fourth. Owen Abraham (76-73) and Brock Carrigan (71-78) tied for fifth with 149.

Joe Doerr won the Championship Senior Flight with a 138 (65-73), which was two strokes better than Brooke Garrison (66-74) and George Templin (67-73) who both carded 140s. Jay Davis was fourth at 141 (74-67) and Bob Clark rounded out the top 5.

The First Flight went to Bryan Courts with a 142 (73-69). That was two shots ahead of Chris Slack’s 144 (75-69). Michael Garman (76-70) and Collin Lybarger tied for fourth at 146.

Winning the Champion Flight’s Best-Ball were the duo of Goodrick and Jack Hritsko with a red-hot 122 (60-62). Bilby and Alex Anderson (61-62) and Joe Doerr and Noah Seivertson (60-63) each fired 123s.

The twosome of Garrison and Garth Honsaker won the Senior Best-Ball with a total of 134 (64-70), which was three shots better than duo’s of Clark and Roger Waialae (66-71) and Keith Phillips and Kent Swinehart (69-68).

The First Flight Best-Ball title ended in a tie at 139 between the teams of Steve Corder and Corey Lewis (71-68) and Andrew and Shawn Pennybacker (70-69).