Mountain State Golf Classic: Four-time champion Davey Jude holds first-round lead

Jack Williams is two shots back, while Josh Arbaugh and Matt Tincher are within three shots of the lead

Four-time champion Davey Jude stated his success over the first two rounds of the 2026 Mountain State Golf Classic would boil down to putting.

In round one Saturday at Grandview Country Club, the putter was on fire.

Rolling in three straight birdie putts to start his round, the Kermit native added five more down the stretch for an opening round 65, seven-under par, placing him atop the leader-board after the first 18 holes of competition.

Round two will move to Pipestem State Park Sunday, with the championship round played Monday on the Cobb Course at The Resort at Glade Springs.

Jude followed his opening birdie barrage with two more (holes six and eight) to shoot 31 on the front nine (par 36).

Birdies at holes 10, 12 and 13 pushed his score to 8-under par before a bogey on No. 17 dropped him back to his final score of 7-under par.

Concord University golfer Jack Williams, who helped lead Shady Spring to a state championship golf title, sits in second place two shots back.

Josh Arbaugh and Matt Tincher are three shots back at 4-under par.

Kelly Shumate was also in red figures at 3-under par, while Dewayne Durham, J.R. Scott and Tanner Vest ended their day at 1-under par.

Just like Jude, Williams was red-hot on the first nine holes making five birdies, including four straight from holes 3-through-6.

The back nine for Williams, however, was a golfing roller-coaster.

Birdies on holes 11 and 13 were negated by bogies on 12 and 14. Williams then momentarily dropped back to 4-under after a bogey on 17, but finished his round on a high note, dropping a birdie on the final hole.

The former Shady Spring standout finished fourth in the 2025 event.

Arbaugh was steady through the first 12 holes making five birdies before bogeys on holes 14 and 16 slowed his momentum.

Last year's runner-up then made par on No. 17 before securing his sixth birdie of the round on the final hole.

Saturday's round was extra special for Tincher who shot the lowest round of his golfing career.

The Meadow Bridge native was steady all day making five birdies against just one bogey.

Shumate opened with a birdie, but quickly moved back to even after a bogey at No. 2.

Birdies on holes six and eight sent Shumate out in 34 before he added another birdie on No. 16 for a round of 69.

Tournament veteran Mike Mays leads the Senior Division after matching Jude with a round of 67.

Full results can be found at the link below.

https://wvga-2026mountainstategolfclassic.golfgenius.com/pages/6114997