Patience pays off for Turowski in WPGA Junior Championship
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • June 10, 2024
PITTSBURGH - Nick Turowski didn’t find as much ease during this top finish as he did a week ago, but he’s certainly not going to complain.
Turowski, a member at Hannastown Golf Club, shot a 1-under score of 141, taking the 104th WPGA Junior Championship Monday at Shannopin Country Club.
“I’m extremely happy,” said Turowski, a West Virginia recruit. “I’m extremely happy with the way I battled back.”
‘Battling back’ describes not only how Turowski’s day went, but how this current season is playing out compared to 2023.
A year ago, Turowski finished in a tie for second — a common trend — at the WPGA Junior Championship, shooting even par at The Links at Spring Church. But this time around, he ended up separating late from the field, edging four players by five strokes to exorcise some demons from last summer.
“It’s a testament to the work I put in during the offseason,” Turowski said. “I was kind of ‘Mr. Second Place’ last year. There were articles written about how many second places I came in. I used that to fuel me in the winter and let all of those second places boil up.”
Following a first-round score of 73, Turowski came alive in the second 18 holes, shooting a 3-under 68 — the day’s best round.
“What I’m most impressed with is that I’ve never played the golf course before — or I played when I was eight,” he said. “I didn’t remember a thing. It was very difficult for me, standing up on a tee box and saying, ‘where do I hit it?’
“I tried to do my best and manage my game in the first round, almost like a practice round, and then go attack the second round.”
Included in that second round was a stellar run early, kickstarted by a chip-in eagle on the Par 5 10th hole.
“In that first round, I was hitting the ball really well, but the putts weren’t falling,” said Turowski. “I was trying to stay patient and learn the golf course. And then I chipped in for eagle… It was kind of like something fired in my brain. All forces go. Let’s do this.”
He followed the eagle with two birdies in his next four holes, conquering a course that saw just one score under par throughout the 36-hole contest.
Jacob Crissman, David Fuhrer and Nixen Erdely all finished 4-over, as did Neil Joon, who was tied with Turowski late before three late bogeys.
Last week, Turowski was the top qualifier at Quicksilver in the USGA’s U.S. Junior Championship qualifying competition. He shot a 7-under 65 to earn his ticket to the nation’s top junior competition.
But much of Monday was a stiffer challenge, both from the field and from the course, known for its uneven lies and blind shots.
“I think this shows how my game can travel,” he said. “At Quicksilver, that’s a perfect golf course for me because I can bomb it there. It’s open. But here, you can hit it right down the fairway all day and it’ll end up in the rough. I like how well my game traveled.”
A recent Penn-Trafford grad, Turowski understands the significance of a Westmoreland County product winning a prestigious event like the Junior Championship. Over 70 years ago, another Westmoreland native went back-to-back in the competition: Arnold Palmer.
“That’s insanely special,” he said. “Anytime you put your name in the realms of Arnold Palmer, you’re doing something good. I know I’m only a junior golfer, but I have the aspirations and goals to become a professional and to try to do the things that Arnold Palmer once did.
“I don’t think there’s any reason I can’t do it. I don’t think there’s any difference between me and professional golfers. It just depends on how bad you want it.”
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For media inquiries, please contact WPGA Director of Communications Josh Rowntree.
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 nearly 37,000 members. The WPGA conducts 14 individual competitions and 10 team events, and administers the WPGA Scholarship Fund and Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame.