Historic Chartiers Country Club set for 124th West Penn Am
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • June 14, 2024
PITTSBURGH — Western Pennsylvania’s top amateur golf competition begins Monday with the 124th WPGA Amateur Championship.
Chartiers Country Club, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024, will play host to the two-day contest that features an accomplished field vying for the coveted Fownes Trophy.
“The West Penn Amateur has a long and storied history that includes many of the top amateur players in the region, with many going on or continuing to have strong careers in the game,” said Terry Teasdale, Executive Director of the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association.
“What makes this year’s Amateur special is that it is not only occurring during our 125th anniversary year, but it corresponds with the 100th anniversary of Chartiers Country Club, which will provide players with a challenging but fun competition.”
The tournament — one of the oldest amateur events in the country — will feature 54 holes of stroke play, with 36 occurring Monday. 78 players are scheduled to compete Monday, with the field being cut to the best 32 scores and ties for Tuesday’s 18-hole championship round.
“Monday, the goal is to have it very playable,” said Joe Klinchock, Head Golf Professional at Chartiers. “Tuesday, I know they’re going to play at the back of every tee box and the length will be the biggest challenge.
“With the forecast we’ve had, with high temperatures and zero rain, it’s going to be firm and fast. The greens will be challenging, but fair. Tuesday evening, we’ll crown the best champion, for sure.”
This will be the first West Penn Amateur to occur at Chartiers Country Club since 1989. It has also held the competition in 1985, 1961 and 1948. The 1985 competition was won by Bob Friend, the son of Pirates four-time all-star Bob Friend.
“The membership is very excited,” said Klinchock. “Obviously, we’re celebrating 100 years, but we’re also holding one of the oldest championships in the City of Pittsburgh.”
Historically, the WPGA Amateur Championship has brought out some of the biggest names in local golf since its inception in 1899.
Arnold Palmer claimed the event five times, including four-straight from 1949-1952. He and Fred Brand are the only players to ever win the WPGA Amateur and WPGA Junior Championships in the same year.
All-time, Sean Knapp has won the most West Penn Amateur Championships, including the 2023 contest at Hannastown Golf Club, where he shot 8-under to edge Darin Kowalski by two strokes. Knapp won six titles in a row from 1998-2003, the longest stretch of consecutive victories in the tournament’s history.
He is currently scheduled to compete in this year’s competition and is in a group Monday with accomplished players J.F. Aber and 2024 Masters Low-Am finisher Neal Shipley.
Over the last month, three qualifying rounds have helped establish the field. Those took place at Green Oaks Country Club, The Country Club of Meadville and The Latrobe Elks Golf Club. Qualifiers from that competition will join exempt players at Chartiers Country Club.
For more information on the WPGA Amateur Championship, please click here.
Click here (GGID: 24WPGAAM) for the Live Leaderboard.
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.