Stimmel, Smith lead Senior Amateur, Capotis on top of Super-Senior
By Mike Dudurich • September 30, 2024
There have been many better days to play golf in Western Pennsylvania, of course, and there certainly have been many worse ones.
But Monday’s first round of the West Penn Golf Association’s 93rd Senior and Super Senior Amateur Championships was completed somehow at The Club at Nevillewood despite mostly despicable conditions all day long.
“We wouldn’t have played anywhere else in Western Pennsylvania today,” said long-time premier amateur Sean Knapp. “It’s a credit to Nevillewood.”
Despite the daylong rain of varying degrees of strength, Nevillewood’s set of challenging greens remained smooth, relatively firm, and very puttable. That wasn’t quite the case on the rest of the course where fairways were soaked, making crisp, clean contact a rarity instead of the norm.
There were stories of players having to move 15-20 yards away from where drives landed to find a spot that was relatively dry.
It was not a day for the faint of heart, with patience and focus being put to the ultimate test.
“I had three towels on the cart and the best I could do was to get my grips almost dry,” said leader Rick Stimmel.
“It really was amazing out there. There wasn’t a single puddle out there on the greens, but the fairways were a different story. And while the fairways are wide, if you miss them, the rough is even more brutal than normal.”
It was a day of a single birdie and two bogeys for Stimmel, as five players posted scores of 100 or more.
Reg Pagani, an amateur from Beaver Valley Golf Club, has played in a few of the bigger amateur and senior amateur events, but the Senior Am was a bit different.
“I’ve been a little nervous all week,” he said with a laugh. “I was playing with those two guys.”
He pointed toward the seats Stimmel and Sean Knapp had occupied earlier at lunch.
“Those guys are two of the best and while I’m out there during the round, scrambling trying to stay dry, they’re going about their business, playing good golf,” he laughed.
Defending champion David Brown was staying in touch with the leaders until he reached the par 3 13th. He missed the green by a short distance, but the ball landed in the deep, wet rough and he couldn’t find it. Just like that, he had a triple-bogey, and according to Brown, “That was that.”
Michael Capotis of the Kahkwa Club in Erie has a two-shot lead over Joe Corsi of Ligonier Country Club after shooting a 74.
Final-round action gets underway at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
For starting times and a live leaderboard, click here (GGID: 24WPGASRAM)
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 34,000 members. The WPGA conducts 14 individual competitions and 10 team events, and administers the WPGA Scholarship Fund and Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame.