Pat Carter started collecting West Virginia Golf Association titles in 1989 when he won his first State Amateur. The insurance executive from Huntington is now up to 27 WVGA championships after his victory last weekend in the West Virginia Mid-Amateur held at Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport.

Carter, 42, has won the Mid-Am five times in seven tries. He's been one half of 10 victorious Four-Ball teams, the latest this year. His State Amateur take is 12, second only to Bill Campbell's 15. Ironically, he has yet to win a State Open.

The WVGA has four major tournaments each year. Carter won two of three this season. He tied for 30th in the West Virginia Open, and he missed the West Virginia Amateur because of a business trip to Ireland.

"Any time you win two of the four majors it's a great year," Carter said. "It's not over yet. It's a little more special since I missed the State Am."

Carter has three big tournaments in September. The first stop is the Crump Cup at renowned Pine Valley Golf Club in Pine Valley, N.J. Then he's off to the USGA Men's State Team Championship on Sept. 14-16 at Mayacama Golf Club in Santa Rosa, Calif. The walking-only course designed by Jack Nicklaus is located 65 miles north of San Francisco. The finale is the U.S. Mid-Amateur scheduled Sept. 25-30 at Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton, N.Y.

At Pete Dye, Carter beat Phil Zambos in round one (6 and 5), Aaron Hunting (1 up) in round two, Chuck Workman (8 and 7) in the quarterfinals to get a shot at defending champion Michael Veres in the semis. Veres went 25 holes a year ago to oust Carter in the semifinals. Carter got even, 5 and 4.

"I knew it was going to be a tough match," Carter said of the match against Hunting. "He played well. Carter was 2 down through five and Hunting piled up five birdies in the match.

The big margin against Workman signalled Carter had it together. He was 3 under through 11 holes. "That's when I kind of started playing well," he said.

There was added incentive for Carter against Veres. "A little revenge factor," Carter said. "I didn't get his best game." Carter was even through 14 holes.

In the finals, Carter met Sam O'Dell, a dentist from Hurricane. "Honestly I mishit one shot," Carter said as he described his 3-and-2 win. "Sam played great. I was 6 under through 15 and only 2 up." O'Dell had four birdies up to that point, but never got the honor on the tee as Carter matched him.

"He had some putting issues, went to the long putter and solved that," Carter said of O'Dell. "He's got driver issues now, but he's getting his game back."

Carter is the first to admit technology has given him enough game to stay with the younger players.

"Equipment has helped," he said. "I'm hitting the ball longer than I ever have."

BRAND FALLS SHORT: Marshall's Christian Brand shot 81 in both rounds of qualifying in the U.S. Amateur in University Place, Wash., and didn't make it to match play. He started on Chambers Bay, site for all matches and 2015 U.S. Open, and finished on The Home Course. Conference USA had nine players in the starting field. In addition to Brand, other C-USA reps were Adam Stephenson and Harold Varner of East Carolina, Kody Alexander and Jack Belote of Memphis, Michael Whitehead of Rice and UCF's Connor Arendell.

AMATEURS WIN: The amateurs beat the pros, 7-5, Thursday in the West Virginia Challenge Cup staged at Berry Hills Country Club in Charleston. Format is top eight amateurs and top eight pros in the Mountain State square off in match play, four-ball in the morning and singles in the afternoon.

The teams finished 2-2 in the morning. Tad Tomblin/Jim Grimmett and Pat Carter/Sam O'Dell won for the amateurs. Pro winners were Ty Roush/Jason Robinson and Craig Berner/Jonathan Clark. In singles, Steve Ross, Trent Roush, O'Dell, State Am champion Jonathan Bartlett and Tomblin got wins to secure the win for amateurs.

MCGRAW MEMORIAL: The 2010 Ben McGraw Memorial scramble will be held Oct. 1 on the Cobb Course at The Resort at Glade Springs. Action starts at 11 a.m. $700 per team. Hole sponsorships available. Proceeds benefit First Tee of West Virginia.

David Walsh covers golf for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 304-526-2730. His e-mail is dwalsh@heralddispatch.com.

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