D’Ambrosio and Wymard take Brand, while Stoops and Renner claim Semple Century Foursomes
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • May 20, 2025
SEWICKLEY — In a year where a long-running WPGA competition had to move away from Longue Vue Club, two members made sure that the Verona club was still very well represented.
Amani D’Ambrosio and Jack Wymard used a strong finish, shooting 3-over to claim the 71st WPGA Fred Brand Foursomes Championships Monday at Allegheny Country Club.
“One of the other members at Longue Vue who played in this was saying that since it’s been at Longue Vue, no Longue Vue member has ever won,” said D’Ambrosio afterwards. “It switches to here and a Longue Vue team wins. It’s pretty nice.”
Longue Vue has hosted the Alternate Shot event since 1983. However, due to course construction, the event was played at Allegheny Country Club this year, where it was contested from its inception in 1954 to 1981.
The duo’s first round was a little bit of a mixed bag. The first nine holes featured four birdies, but a bogey and double bogey. Their back nine had two bogeys, a double bogey and a birdie for a 2-over score of 72.
“The wind was really tough, and the greens were flying, especially on the back nine,” said Wymard, a John Carroll graduate currently working in finance in the Pittsburgh area. “The pins were in some tough spots, so if you were above the hole, you were playing a lot of defense.”
The team seemed to find a rhythm — and consistency — during their second round.
Despite a triple bogey on the 12th hole, D’Ambrosio and Wymard kept their play level. They posted three birdies in the first ten holes en route to a 1-over mark of 71, finishing them 3-over for the day.
“We started the day off hot,” said D’Ambrosio. “Jack hit a few great approach shots and we were hitting some putts. We hit some adversity, which will happen in this type of format. We managed it pretty well."
D’Ambrosio, who played collegiately at Barry University and is now exploring the rigorous world of amateur golf, has played quite well in WPGA and USGA qualifying events over the years.
He and Wymard have gotten to know each other through Longue Vue over the last year and now play together regularly, setting them up for a team competition that certainly adds a unique element to play.
“It’s hard to get momentum when you’re waiting and then watching someone else hit a shot,” said Wymard. “It helped playing two rounds. We got used to what we were doing. But it definitely felt weird.”
Behind the winning pair, Patrick Kelly and Evan Rowane, as well as Brady Moran and Dan Thompson, shot 6-over scores of 146. Mike Wolfe and Alex Weir were fourth, and Trey Carbeau and Michael Showery placed fifth.
In the 30th Semple Century Foursomes Championship, Rob Stoops teamed up with Todd Renner to win going away at 5-over.
Course knowledge came in extremely handy for the duo, as Renner is a member at Allegheny Country Club and a 15-time club champion. He and Stoops are long friends and have played plenty of rounds at the club together over the years.
“We’ve played so many rounds of golf together, particularly in the wintertime,” said Renner. “It’s not unheard of for us to play 80 rounds in the winter.”
Added Stoops: “We have a lot of mutual friends. We played a lot here, especially during COVID. The weather that year was pretty good and no one could do much. We’ve had some mild winters, too. So, we’ve been able to play a lot here.”
The combo sat 2-under through their first nine holes but had four bogeys on the back nine of their first round, opening the door for an intriguing afternoon finale.
“We were a little shaky our first nine holes,” said Stoops, a member at Butler Country Club. “And then we played really solid for the next 18 or 20 holes. When we got close to maybe thinking we could win, well, we weren’t nervous, but we got a little loose closer to the finish line.”
The rest of the field slipped further behind the leaders, and a hot start to the second round for Stopps and Renner — with three birdies in the first four holes — proved to be all they needed, despite a close that featured a trio of bogeys.
The pair both felt that the familiarity with the course and with each other paid off handsomely.
“Todd can read the greens,” said Stoops. “He’s played more rounds here than anybody. He’s won so many championships here. I don’t even question him when he says, ‘putt it here, putt it there.’ He knows the place.”
With the triumph, Stoops has now joined an impressive list of players to win both the Semple and the Brand Foursomes Championships. He teamed up with Rick Stimmel to win the Brand in 2017 at Longue Vue.
Following Stoops and Renner were Bill Rosemeyer and Bob Crnjarich (9-over), and Alan English and Rich DuCarme (15-over).
For the final results, please click here. (GGID: 25WPGAFOURSOMES)
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.