Janet Anderson, Class of 2022 of Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame

October 31, 2022
By Mike Dudurich

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Janet Anderson has her name on a special list in the world of golf.

She is a U.S. Women’s Open champion.

In 1982, Anderson came to Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, California as a good player but not one thought to be a strong candidate for the Women’s Open title. After all Anderson was surrounded by women’s golf superstars like JoAnne Carner and Beth Daniel to name just two.

At the time, she was 26 years old, a native of West Sunbury, which is just north of Butler. She could play, as evidenced by making it to the quarterfinals of the 1977 U.S. Amateur and she was named LPGA Rookie of the Year by Golf Digest.

She made headlines just over a month before the Women’s Open by finishing fourth in the PGA Championship.

“I was playing well for sure,” Anderson said. “And I was very calm during Open week. It was a wonderful week all in all.”

Dennis Darak, Sr., Class of 2022 of Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame

October 31, 2022
By Mike Dudurich

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Dennis Darak grew up on and around a golf course. His father, John, was the long-time golf professional at what was known as Aliquippa Country Club and would take little Dennis to work with him.

When things got busy John would give his son a putter and a ball and sent him to the putting green. The youngster found that exercise interesting … until it got too interesting.

“That ended as soon as my dad found out I was putting for quarters,” he said. He became a clubhouse assistant, starting a journey that led to him being the Executive Director of the Tri-State Section PGA from 1973-2016.

And that led him to a career bound for the West Penn Golf Association Hall of Fame.

“I was flabbergasted,” Darak said without hesitation. “This is such an honor and to be recognized like this by the West Penn, well, it’s very special.”

S. Davidson Herron, Class of 2022 of Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame

October 31, 2022
By Mike Dudurich

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The 1919 U.S. Amateur was the first major championship to be played at Oakmont Country Club and produced one of the best “hometown boy does good” stories in the early days of the game in the United States.

S. Davidson Herron grew up across the street from the gates of OCC and used to sell lemonade to players in his younger days as they made their way around what was to eventually become one of the best championship courses in the world.

Little did anyone know that this young man, who most likely drew very little attention in the days leading up to that U.S. Am, would eventually slay a field full of plenty of the greats of the day. That list would include some names that might be familiar: Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet, Harry Vardon and Charles “Chick” Evans.

Herron played Oakmont as often as he could, often getting on with his friend, “Heinie” Fownes, the son of Henry C. Fownes, the founder and designer of Oakmont. Legend has it that on those long summer Pittsburgh days, Herron could make it around Oakmont as many as six times in a day.

Paul Schlachter, Class of 2022 of Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame

October 31, 2022
By Mike Dudurich

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Take a casual stroll though the record books of the West Penn Golf Association and you won’t find much mention of Paul Schlacter. At least in the “early part” of WPGA golf existence like the Junior, Amateur or Mid-Am.

But there’s a good reason for that. He wasn’t able to play in many of them.

“I was a teacher and didn’t get the opportunity to play on Mondays and Tuesdays,” Schlacter said. “By the time school was out, it was summer, and I missed some events that were played earlier.”

But that wasn’t always the case. Once he retired from the Upper St. Clair School District, he was able to become a force on the Senior side of golf and that’s when he started making his way to his place in the WPGA Hall of Fame class of 2022.

He was named the WPGA Senior Player of the Year, winning the Senior Amateur five times. Schlachter holds the scoring record for both the 18-hole version and the current 36-hole version of the event. Schlachter set those records with rounds of 69-68—137 at the Field Club.

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