Ethan DeVore drains a putt during Thursday's opening round of the 95th Southern Oregon Golf Championships at Rogue Valley Country Club.

Looking confident and relaxed from the get-go, Medford native Braden Shipley pulled off the marquee victory on Day 1 of match play at the 95th Southern Oregon Golf Championships Thursday afternoon.

The 32-year-old former major league pitcher locked in for a 3-and-2 victory over two-time reigning champion Ethan DeVore to shake up the men’s championship flight at Rogue Valley Country Club.

Shipley split the fairway on his opening drive of the day and smartly carried that through, rolling in a 7-foot putt on top of a scrambling DeVore to gain an early advantage and potentially settle the nerves for a matchup between the Nos. 1 and 32 seeds in the top bracket.

The former North Medford High and Nevada star, who was drafted 15th overall in the 2013 MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, advanced to a second-round matchup with No. 16 seed Edward Smith, who also won 3 & 2 on Thursday.

The top-seeded DeVore, 28, had been seeking to become the SOGC’s first men’s champion to win three straight titles since Kevin Murphy (2011-13).

Seedings essentially held up through the rest of the bracket, with the five next highest seeds coming out on top, respectively, in former champion Jimmy White, Ricky Reisner, Logan Artner, Zach Blenkinsopp and two-time SOGC runner-up Daniel Engle.

Recent North Medford High graduate and current Southern Oregon University golfer Andrew Plankenhorn also made waves in his men’s championship bracket debut, ousting No. 7 seed Ben Mertens.

Reigning SOGC women’s champion Quincy Beyrouty began her quest to repeat with a steady victory over Abby Francis, 6 & 4, as all but one of the top eight seeds made it through to Saturday’s quarterfinals.

The lone exception came when 10th-seeded Susie Hammitt was able to secure a 6-and-5 triumph over former champion Amanda Nealy, who was the No. 7 seed. That leaves the SOGC minus a Nealy representative on Day 2 and beyond of the event for the first time in recent memory.

Johnna Nealy, who is not competing in this year’s event, was last year’s runner-up and is a five-time champion — most recently in 2021 and ‘22 — while Amanda Nealy won titles in 1992 and 2000.

Former champions Terry Levis and Trina Jones were part of the group of upper seeds advancing to the quarterfinals.

In the men’s junior-senior championship division, two-time reigning champion Tommy Smith carried over his winning ways from this past weekend’s City Championships while No. 2 seed Travis Brink, 2023 runner-up Trevor Telford and former champions Johnny Mansfield and Todd Couch also moved on to Friday’s second round.

In the men’s senior championship flight, reigning champion Rick Dollarhide advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals along with No. 2 seed Scott Tuttle and 2021 junior-senior champion Michael Stieler to highlight the day.

Men’s super senior reigning champion Kevin Klabunde also advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals, with Jay Miller scoring the top upset of the opening round with a 3-and-2 win over No. 3-seeded Robert Stassi.

SOUTHERN OREGON GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

Thursday’s Results

MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT

Braden Shipley d. Ethan DeVore, 3&2; Edward Smith d. Kristopher Kaufman, 3&2; Riley Kirk d. Travis Sanders, 6&4; Cameron Smith d. Daniel Feest, 19th; Logan Artner d. Chris Strahm, 3 up; Mark Wilson d. Michael Leonard, 4&3; Zach Blenkinsopp d. Adam Reed, 21st; Mason Labow d. Josh Becks, 6&5; Jimmy White d. Jon Robinson, 1 up; Owen Bascom d. Jared Charbonneau, 1 up; Andrew Plankenhorn d. Ben Mertens, 1 up; Jimmy Kelley d. Michael Wurzell, 2 up; Ricky Reisner d. Tyler Elliott, 5&4; Ethan Miller d. Matt Forsyth, 3&1; Daniel Engle d. John Keyser, 3&2; Dylan Knight d. Peyton Lindbloom, 7&6

JUNIOR-SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT

Tommy Smith d. Justin Azevedo, 1 up; Justin Wise d. Brandon Crosier, 1 up; Rob Neff d. Jake Rockwell, 19th; John Mansfield d. Daniel Charbonneau, 2&1; Richard Owens d. Stephen Stellpflue, 3&1; David Cuttrell d. Adam Rezendes, 1 up; Todd Couch d. Bryan White, 4&3; Brandon Francis d. Jeffrey Barker, 1 up; Travis Brink d. Erik Pedersen, 1 up; Brian Berg d. Amos Baker, 6&5; Dustin Wallace d. Ryan Kantor, 1 up; Scott Plankenhorn d. Ian Powers, 4&3; Trevor Telford d. Daniel Hunt, 2&1; Ralph Wallis d. Tag McFadden, 2&1; Scott Wise d. Billy Burke, 5&4; Will Riddle d. Alan Peterson, 2&1

MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT

Rick Dollarhide d. Mark Wilson, 4&2; David Wetter d. Kevin Dixon, 1 up; Patrick O’Bannon d. Russell Horn, 3&2; Jim Mansfield d. Craig Knips, 3&2; Scott Tuttle d. Mitch Weisberger, 1 up; Mike Stieler d. Brad Bills, 6&5; Brooks Gard d. Brent Barr, 1 up; John Ellsworth d. Eddie Bostwick, 4&2

MEN’S SUPER SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT

Kevin Klabunde d. David Orr, 1 up; Glen Clark d. Bill Storey, 1 up; Steven Wood d. Kevin Croucher, 1 up; Jim Hoffman d. Dan Mannen, 2&1; Marty Morlan d. Brian Frick, 3&2; David Card d. Bob Mayer, 1 up; Jay Miller d. Robert Stassi, 3&2; Bob Dickey d. Marshall Holman, 5&3

WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT

Quincy Beyrouty d. Abby Francis, 6&4; Lindsey Crosier d. Marla Parmele, 2&1; Staesha Flock d. Haley Brown, 5&4; Terry Levis d. Mya Oakes, 1 up; Keira Cheng d. Mia Bontrager, 1 up; Susie Hammitt d. Amanda Nealy, 6&5; Kamryn Ford d. Camryn Schaper, 1 up; Trina Jones d. Carley Streitler, 4&3