Before Wednesday, Kevin Shields had never tasted victory in one of the bigger tournaments for local golf professionals and top amateur players. He tied for second place in the Tri-State Open last month and the West Penn Open last week. That streak ended yesterday when the 31-year-old Bethel Park resident won the Tri-State area’s biggest title of the season. Shields captured the prestigious Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational at The Longue Vue Club in Verona by two strokes, holding off a challenge from wily veteran John Aubrey of Butler. The assistant golf professional at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa shot an even-par 70 in the final round and finished the three-day, 72-hole event at 6-under-par 274. Aubrey, the head professional at Aubrey’s Dubbs Dred, also shot 70 in the final round. She finished at 276. Oakmont Country Club pro Bob Ford, a four-time winner of the event, and amateur Nathan Smith of Brookville tied for third place at 1-under 279. Tygart Lake (W.Va.) Golf Course pro Brad Westfall and amateur Sean Knapp of Oakmont tied for fifth at 2-over 282. Amateur Arnie Cutrell of Greensburg finished seventh at 283, and Allegheny Country Club pro John Aber was eighth at 283. “My wife (Marcia) is going to like this,” Shields said after receiving the $20,000 first-place check from tournament sponsor Frank Fuhrer Jr. “This is a huge victory for me for many reasons; the money, the prestige and the way Mr. Fuhrer has treated me. We go back a few years. He’s a special guy.” Shields had trouble fending off Aubrey, the 1994 winner. He followed his game plan and started quickly when he carded birdies on Nos. 2 and 4 to get to 8 under. He also opened up a four-shot lead in the process. But Aubrey refused to go away. He drained a long downhill putt for birdie on No. 5. He followed with another birdie on No. 7 to pull within two shots. “John had a putt on five that was impossible, and he made it,” Shields said. “It was awesome. I was very impressed.” Shields then pushed his lead back to three shots with a birdie on No. 8, but a birdie by Aubrey and a bogey by Shields on No. 9 trimmed Shields’ lead to one. “The game was on when he made the birdie and I had the bogey at nine,” Shields said. “That closed it to one and turned up the heat.” But Aubrey’s putter went south on the back nine. He missed birdie putts on 10, 12 and 17, and he had two other par putts lip out. “John missed several short putts that I thought he’d make,” Shields said. “When he stuffed it on No. 10, I thought he’d tie it. There was a lot of pressure out there.” Aubrey was unable to catch Shields on the back nine. Both players had a bogey on No. 11, and after consecutive pars, the duo headed down No. 14. That’s where Aubrey’s putter cost him. He barely missed a 40-foot putt for birdie and was left with a short three-footer for par. But the ball caught the right edge and lipped out. “My eyes aren’t that good anymore,” said Aubrey, who earned $10,000 for his second-place finish and another $1,000 for being the top senior player. “I putted where I thought, and I thought wrong. “I kept hanging around. If I don’t miss those two little ones and make the one on 17, it’s a different story. But that’s golf. I’m sure everyone missed those little putts out there.” Shields picked up another stroke on No. 15 to push his lead to three when Aubrey suffered another bogey. Aubrey had his problems with the rough on the left side of the fairway. He then left a 12-foot par putt two inches short. “I just tried to make some pars and get it close,” Aubrey said. “Missing those short putts (10, 11 and 12) didn’t help. They were just bad strokes. I’ve been playing pretty good for an old guy, but Kevin just outclassed me.” Aubrey didn’t give up. He missed a 25-foot birdie putt by inches on No. 16 and then knocked his second shot to within three feet on No. 17. “Once I got three up, I really calmed down,” Shields said. “I was just trying to get to the front of the green with my second shot. I didn’t expect John to hit it stiff on No. 17. That was a two-shot swing ready to happen.” But it didn’t happen. Aubrey missed his birdie putt but still trimmed the lead back to two shots when Shields missed his par putt. Both golfers reach the 18th green in two, and each two-putted for par. When Shields dropped his par putt from eight feet, he celebrated by pumping his right fist. “I’ve had leads before, and I’ve won a bunch of mini-tour events. But no one really cares,” Shields said. “This is big. Now my name is on a plaque, and I’ll be forever invited back to this tournament. It’s a special win for me.” Shields said his maturity as a player and improved golf swing were the main reasons he was able to pull out the victory, especially after playing the first 24 holes of the event at 5 over. “I needed something good to happen, and all of the sudden, boom,” Shields said. “I love to compete. The bigger the moment, the better I like it.”

---

Copyright ©2026— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---