Formeck leads after round one of the WPGA Women's Amateur Championship
By Mike Dudurich • July 17, 2024
VERONA – In a nutshell, it was a very nice day for a pair of golfers who had never stepped onto Green Oaks Country Club before.
The occasion was the first round of the West Penn Golf Association’s Women’s Amateur Championship Wednesday. Samantha Formeck and Caroline McConnell top the leaderboard after posting scores of 72 and 73.
“This was the first time I saw the golf course,” Formeck said. “There are a lot of blind shots and you’re not sure lines you should pick. But I liked the layout and the greens rolled very well.”
Formeck, of Northern Cambria, attended Youngstown State from 2008-2011, and is now a pharmacist at Conemaugh Hospital near Johnstown.
She didn’t stay overnight in the area, opting to make the 1 ½ -hour drive home after her round and driving back again for the final round.
“I played pretty well,” she said. “I liked the course. There were a lot of blind shots, which made it hard to really know finding the lines sometimes.”
Formeck played in this event last year when it was held at Sunnehanna Country Club.
“I played on a boys team at Northern Cambria and we were invited to the Sunnehanna Am,” she said. “I don’t play a lot, maybe 11 or 12 times a year. I keep saying I’m going to play after work, but I end up not going. Then I’ll say that I’ll play on Saturday and that doesn’t happen.
Formeck made birdies on the 7th and 12th holes, but they bogeyed the 13th and 14th and parred out for her 72. McConnell’s round was a bit more complicated, however. She started her round with a par, but she doubled the second and bogeyed the third.
Two holes later, she ran off three straight birdies. Two bogeys and one birdie later, she had a 37 and was a shot out of the lead going into Thursday’s final round.
“I got off to slow start, but I made some putts and I’m usually pretty good with my putter,” McConnell, who’ll be attending college at Bradley this fall after opening his career at Michigan State University. “I had a great experience there, but I was looking for more opportunities (to play).”
She played in one event at East Lansing, but was an Big 10 Distinguished Scholar, one of 19 MSU student-athletes to carry a perfect 4.0 GPA.
“It was a bit frustrating,” she said. “I’m a competitive person and I’m really looking forward to getting a fresh start.”
Alexandra Petrochko of Lawrence County eClub and Marissa Malosh of Southpointe Golf Club finished with 74s and Eva Bulger of Allegheny Country Club and Mya Morgan of USGA/Western Pennsylvania Golf Club are in at 75.
In addition to the final round of the Women’s Amateur today, the Seventh Women’s Senior Amateur will be held for six players with tee times beginning at 8 a.m. The Women’s Amateur tee times begin at 8:30.
For starting times and a live leaderboard, click here (GGID: 24WPGAWMS).
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.