WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Hurricane’s Philip Reale established himself as one of West Virginia’s top amateur golfers long ago. He now has the state’s top amateur prize in hand and it was earned in resounding fashion. Reale shot a final round 65 to win the 102nd West Virginia Amateur by 9 shots at 10-under par.
“I didn’t even realize I shot 65 until I was done,” Reale said. “I was nervous to start the day. I got the first putt to go, hit the first good shot, loosened up a little bit and started hitting it really well toward the end. I just played good, safe golf coming down the stretch. And I kept putting well, which was the bread and butter all week.”
Reale opened the day with a one-shot lead over former WVU and Marshall golfer Chris Williams. The 37-year-old held that single stroke lead through five holes despite a pair of bogeys. Reale says he received a pep talk from his three-year-old daughter after a bogey in the fourth hole.
“She said, ‘I love you daddy and hit it in the hole’. And I did.”
Reale posted back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh holes, building a lead that nobody would threaten on the back nine.
“I knew I was 3-up at the turn. After the birdie on 12, I knew it was starting to get to the point where if I made pars, I was going to have a good look at it.”
Reale, a Gilmer County High School and East Carolina University graduate, also made lengthy birdie putts on 15 and 18. Despite the large lead, Reale stayed aggressive. He made six birdies over the final fourteen holes.
“We came down 16 and 17 and we talked about maybe laying up. No, we will just stick with what got us here, just hitting solid shots and being committed to what we were doing. That was the big thing this week, staying committed to every single shot.
“It started really sinking in after hitting the green on 18. I have no idea how that last putt went in. It was all I could do to pull the putter back.”
Reale was even par through the first two rounds, but shot 5-under in each of the final two rounds on The Meadows and The Old White.
“65-65 on the ‘weekend’ here is awesome. I am just thrilled to death.”
Reale is the 39th state amateur champion and he joins his younger brother Anthony with his name on the William C. Campbell Trophy. Anthony won the 2007 championship.
Bridgeport’s Hudson Chandler (-1) was the only other player to break par Wednesday on the Old White. He finished as the runner-up. South Charleston’s Joseph Kalaskey (even par) finished third. Chris Williams and defending champion Alex Easthom tied for fourth at 1-over.