Chris Daniels wins 2025 WV Senior Amateur Championship

Daniels beats John Bumgarner 2&1 to Secure the Match Play Championship

Beckley native Chris Daniels has anguished through his fair share of "almosts" during his highly successful amateur golf career.

Wednesday morning at Edgewood Country Club in the 2025 West Virginia Senior Amateur Championship it was finally Daniels time to bask in the spotlight.

Traversing three grueling days of travel and heat, the former Woodrow Wilson basketball state champion beat John Bumgarner, 2&1 in the match-play final to win the elusive title.

"It was emotional and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I have played long enough and in enough of these events and never seemed to get the trophy," Daniels said. "It's probably my second best golf memory behind winning the (West Virginia Golf Association) Parent-Child Tournament with (my son) Nathan (Daniels) four or five years ago. It was fun."

In order to participate in the match-play field, Daniels had to first qualify among the top-16 from Monday's stroke play round.

Finishing ninth overall, Daniels squared off with No. 8 seed Jason McClanahan Monday evening in the round of 16 where he secured a 3&2 win.

Tuesday's quarterfinal match came against Dave Higginbotham who had knocked off No. 1 seed Jonathan Clark Monday afternoon. Daniels took a 3-up lead through the first nine holes and closed out the match (5&4) with a birdie on hole No. 14.

Waiting in afternoon semifinal was 13-time West Virginia Amateur champion, Pat Carter. Carter also won the Senior Open Championship back in June on the Raven Golf Course at Snowshoe.

"I felt pretty good most of the day. I wasn't really nervous about playing Pat Carter," Daniels said. "I have played with him in the same group three of four times. He is fun to play with and a staple in West Virginia golf. These days he is still winning Senior Amateurs and Opens."

Daniels held the early lead, but Carter never went away. When the duo reached No. 13 tee, Carter had taken a 1-up lead.

A birdie on the par-3, 13th hole and a rare bogey from Carter on hole-14 put Daniels back in command.

"He wasn't his usual Pat Carter on the first hole of the day, but on the rest of the holes, he pretty much parred every hole. That is what he likes to do," Daniels said. "He pars every hole and then he will sneak a birdie in on you every now and then. He is just so steady and he always has been. I managed to par those holes along with him and made a few more birdies than he did."

The win was clearly a milestone golf victory for the former Flying Eagle.

"Just to get over that hurdle in my golf career. I was in the field for all 13 of those state championship titles," Daniels said. "Just to be able to go against him and perform the way I wanted to perform. He didn't hand it to me and I knew he wasn't going to."

While the win over Carter was special, Daniels still had to play the championship match Wednesday.

"You can't get ahead of yourself. You still have to think about every shot against John Bumgarner," Daniels said. "All four of the match play matches were tough matches. They were all trying to beat me as bad as I was trying to beat them."

Daniels opened the final match by winning the first hole before a bad tee-ball evened the match a hole later. After trading birdies to tie the match for the final time, Daniels built a 3-up advantage and closed out the match on No. 17 for the 2&1 win.

"I steady-parred all the way around. Sometimes you have those weeks where the putts that you need to make, tend to go in," Daniels said. "I made a big one Tuesday on the 18th hole against Pat Carter to finish that round off. I had been doing that the entire tournament."

The newest WV Senior Amateur Champion now turns his attention to the Mountain State Golf Classic this weekend, formerly known as the BNI Tournament.

"I have a lot of second-place finishes in the Mountain State Golf Classic," Daniels said. "I have had some history where I played well, but just didn't end up winning. Somebody else always picked it up at the end or played just a little bit better."

Could Daniels wipe-out a second "almost" in less than a week? The momentum gained from the Senior Amateur Championship may be the difference maker.

"I would have to consider myself one of the favorites," Daniels said. "There is always good players and always somebody that maybe you don't know that will sneak up there and post some good scores the first two days. Hopefully that is me. I have struggled the last few years at Grandview, which used to be my go-to course. I have been stumbling through that first round."

The Mountain State Golf Classic opens Saturday at Grandview Country Club, with round two played at Pipestem State Park Sunday. The championship round with be flighted and played on the Cobb Course at The Resort at Glade Springs Monday.