Preview: Final West Penn Open qualifying round Thursday at Willowbrook
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • May 7, 2025
APOLLO — The second and final qualifying round for the 122nd WPGA Open Championship is set for Thursday at Willowbrook Country Club.
The competition is 18 holes of stroke play, as 22 qualifying and three alternate spots will be earned. The first qualifying round was held at Montour Heights Country Club on April 30.
Qualifiers will advance to the West Penn Open June 16-18 at Sewickley Heights Golf Club, joining exempt players for the competition.
Brian Cooper was the top finisher at the Montour Heights qualifier, shooting a 2-over 74.
The West Penn Open is the second-longest running championship in the region. It has been played continuously since its inception in 1899, with the exception of two years during World War I (1917-1918) and World War II (1943-1945).
Past champions include Fred Brand, Sr., Eben Byers, W.C. Fownes, Jock Hutchinson, Ed Furgol, Ted Luther, Sam Parks, Jim Masserio, Lew Worsham, Arnold Palmer and Neal Shipley.
Winners of the WPGA Open Championship have gone on to claim 13 USGA National Championships and six Major Championships at the professional level.
The reigning champion of the West Penn Open is Alec Stopperich, who pulled off one of the most dramatic comebacks in WPGA history a year ago at Indiana Country Club, rallying from six strokes down entering the final day of competition to bring home his first title.
The competition has been won five times by three men: Roy Vucinich, Perry DelVecchio and Jock Hutchinson.
The Open Championship is 54 holes of stroke play over three days. The qualifying rounds will help narrow the final field down to 78 players.
For starting times and a live leaderboard, please click here. (GGID: 25WPGAOPENQ)
For any 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.