Indiana Country Club set to host the 121st WPGA Amateur
By WPGA • July 12, 2021
On Monday and Tuesday, Indiana Country Club will play host to the 121st playing of the WPGA Amateur Championship. In a return to normalcy since last year’s Championship, a full field of 78 of the region’s best will battle over 54 holes to join a decorated list of Past Champions; a list that includes Arnold Palmer. This will be Indiana Country Club’s third time hosting the event and the first time since 2005 when Scott Phillis came out on top.
“I always look forward to this one,” said Mac Wolfe, the WPGA’s Director of Competitions, referring to the WPGA Amateur. “The depth of talent in western Pennsylvania is incredible, and it’s always amazing watching these guys play. This should be a fun couple of days.”
With the two-time defending champion, Connor Schmidt, withdrawing after accepting an invite into the Southern Amateur, the event is even more wide open. Western Pennsylvania golf legend, Sean Knapp, will look to win his 9th WPGA Amateur title. Just last week, the 59-year-old qualified for the 2021 U.S. Amateur Championship and proved, once again, he can still play with the best young players. The reigning 2020 WPGA Player of the Year, Brett Young, hopes to improve on his T-4 finish from a year ago and win his first title, as does the defending Pennsylvania Open Champion, Jimmy Ellis. Another player to keep your eye on is the Indiana Club Champion, Kyle Grube. Grube was one back heading into the final round of the WPGA Amateur at Oakmont two years ago before ultimately finishing in a tie for 6th.
Hickory Heights Golf Club, The Country Club of Meadville, Scotch Valley Country Club and Latrobe Elks Golf Club hosted the four Championship qualifiers. Hickory Heights proved to be the toughest test, as those who finished 5-over or better to get into the Championship and Mark Cimarolli was the only player to finish under par. At The Country Club of Meadville, seven players finished under par, including Austin Lemieux, the son of Penguin-great Mario Lemieux. Scotch Valley’s qualifier also had a touch of hockey flavor, as Pittsburgh Penguin winger Sam Lafferty got through with a 2-over par round of 74. A trio of players shot 4-under at Latrobe Elks Golf Club to lead the way, including 2021 U.S. Junior Qualifier Aidan Oehrle. In total, 51 players qualified across the four sites.
Indiana Country Club will play roughly 6,600 yards for the 121st WPGA Amateur Championship. The 54-hole competition will take place over two days with 36-holes being played on Monday and a cut to the low 32 players and ties before the 3rd round on Tuesday. First round pairings are now available here, and live scoring for the Championship can be found on the WPGA website. For all the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association updates, follow the WPGA on all social media platforms.
About the WPGA
Founded in 1899, the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association is the steward of amateur golf in the region. Started by five Member Clubs, the association now has nearly 200 Member Clubs and 33,000 members. The WPGA conducts 14 individual competitions and 10 team events, and administers the WPGA Scholarship Fund.