Austin Lemieux at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort after winning the 38th WPGA Mid-Amateur Championship

It was going to happen, that's been obvious for some time now.

The young man had a lot of things going for him. He is 6-4, quite athletic, can hit the golf ball a mile and has one more thing. He's the son of Mario Lemieux, one of the all-time athletes not only in Pittsburgh but throughout the world of hockey, and some of those genes have made their way into the young man, Austin Lemieux.

At the 38th West Penn Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship at Nemacolin Woodlands on Wednesday, Lemieux won his first big tournament.

WPGA Vice President, Ken Flisek, with David Brown, Senior Amateur Champion (left), and Bob MacWhinnie, Super-Senior Amateur Champion (right)

Sure there were several guys within reach of the lead at the 92nd West Penn Golf Association's Senior Amateur at Chartiers Country Club. Four players were within three or four shots but if you were a betting man chances are you might have been focused on Rick Stimmel and David Brown.

Both have been around the golfing block and both have had plenty of success. And after a pleasant afternoon around Chartiers, it was Brown who overcame a two-shot, first-round deficit to win by a pair over Stimmel.

Brown's group played in front of Stimmel's group so the drama didn't get settled until the 18th green.

Brown finished his round with a routine par and settled in behind the 18th green to nervously watch Stimmel finish. The long-hitting Stimmel hit a good drive, just short of a bunker on the left side of the fairway. He chose a hybrid club for his second shot. It had the distance but drifted off into the right greenside bunker.

Rick Stimmel playing into the 18th green

What a first day of competition in the 92nd West Penn Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship!

For starters, nobody, yes, nobody, broke par. Thirty-five men above the age of 50 played 18 holes at Chartiers Country Club and the closest anyone finished to par was the leader, Rick Stimmel, who posted a one-over 71.

Seventeen seniors didn’t break 80 and those who did knew they had been in a battle when they walked off the 18th green.

Even Stimmel, who has had a terrific summer both regionally and nationally, had his moments.

He made bogeys on three of the first four holes and recovered with one birdie on the front nine to shoot 37. On the back, there were two two birdies and a bogey for a 34 that added up to a 71.