Championship
The Western Pennsylvania Golf Association was founded in 1899 to conduct competitions and championship golf remains one of our three core functions.
The Championship Committee's mission is to conduct competitions that identify the best players among the Association's range of individual championships and partners events, to arrange team competitions with other golf organizations, and otherwise to promote and administer programs related to these objectives that include but are not limited to Rules of Golf adherence and awareness, identifying and training officials, tabulating player performance points lists (Honor Rolls), maintenance of historical records and promoting the overall program. Also, the committee conducts qualifying rounds for the USGA as requested.
The history of championship golf in Western Pennsylvania is steeped in tradition. Two competitions conducted by the Association are over a century in age and the West Penn Amateur Championship has been played the same number of times as the United States Open. The first West Penn Open Championship and Amateur Championship were played at Schenley Park in 1899. Only wars have interrupted these championships through the years.
Individual Competitions
Team Competitions
Many players who began their careers competing in Association championships have gone on to win on all levels of amateur and professional golf. The Open trophy features four golfers who have also won the US Open (Sam Parks, Lew Worsham, Ed Furgol, and Arnold Palmer). Jock Hutchinson, who captured five West Penn Open’s also won a British Open and a PGA Championship. Eben Byers, William Fownes, Jim Masserio and Nathan Smith have all captured WPGA Championships as well as USGA National Championships. James Simons was the last Amateur to lead the US Open through a complete round and won multiple PGA Tour events.
The Palmer Cup Matches WPGA Amateurs against Tri-State PGA professionals each fall at Latrobe Country Club in a Ryder Cup format competition. The team is selected based on a player’s Honor Roll points achieved throughout the championship season. The Williamson Cup matches four WPGA Junior’s against eleven other Golf Association Junior teams each August and is comprised of winners of Junior Championships as well as players placing high on the Junior Honor Roll.
The Association also conducts ten USGA Qualifying Rounds which date back to 1927. They include the Open, Senior Open, Amateur, Amateur Public Links, Junior Amateur, Mid-Amateur, and Senior Amateur.
Previously Conducted Competitions
| Interstate Challenge Cup (WPGA vs. NOGA) |
| Net Four-Ball Championship |
| Public Links Championships |
| Senior Inter-Club Championship |