Tragesser prevails in chilly playoff for Spring Stroke Play title
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • May 27, 2025
FOX CHAPEL — Seeing Chuck Tragesser atop a WPGA leaderboard should come as little surprise, even if it did catch him off guard Tuesday.
Tragesser shot 1-over at Pittsburgh Field Club, triumphing in a one-hole playoff to claim his first-ever victory in the WPGA Spring Stroke Play Championship.
The 21-year-old was propelled by a first round score of 70. But a run of two bogeys and double bogey to begin his final nine holes seemed to push him out of contention.
“To be honest, when I had my hiccups on my final nine holes today, I really thought I was out of the tournament,” said Tragesser, who just completed his redshirt sophomore season at Robert Morris. “I don’t leaderboard watch at all. I made two bogeys and a double. I checked on (hole) 15 to see what was going on, and I was two (strokes) back.”
To his surprise, Tragesser looked at his phone and saw him sitting just two strokes off the leading spot, as Matt Barto and Jeff Varga jockeyed for the title.
“It was more of just not thinking I was in the tournament,” Tragesser said of his first peek at the leaderboard of the day. “I was just checking to see what was going on. I really didn’t think I had a chance to win.
“But then I finished really strong.”
Tragesser, through nagging, chilly conditions, finished his round with two birdies and two pars, shooting a score of 73 and thrusting his name to the top of the leaderboard, alongside Barto.
An Erie native and former standout player at Gannon, Barto finished par-bogey, putting he and Tragesser into a playoff.
On the only playoff hole needed, Tragesser posted a par, converting a lengthy two-putt from the front of the green. Barto was unable to get up-and-down from the right rough, carding a bogey and delivering Tragesser the victory.
The two went through the playoff in the day’s toughest conditions. Rain set in during the second round, as temperatures plummeted over ten degrees while the competition entered the evening. By the finish of play, temperatures sat in the low 50’s, as the region continues to deal with unusually cold weather for late May.
“The wind was pretty consistent all day, outside of the first nine holes,” said Tragesser, a top qualifier last year for both the WPGA Amateur and WPGA Open Championships. “And then it started to pick up and it started to rain. The second 18 holes is when the rain started to come in. You get a little wet, you get colder. And the wind makes you even colder.”
With the rain came higher scores, as only one player — West Virginia freshman Nick Turowski — carded a second round under par with a 68. That tied fellow Westmoreland County native Arnie Cutrell’s first round mark of 68 as the day’s best rounds.
Behind Tragesser and Barto, Varga finished 2-over due to a bogey on his 18th hole. David Fuhrer nearly snuck into the playoff but also posted a bogey to close his day at 2-over.
Nolan Shilling and Hunter Swidzinski rounded out the top five of the leaderboard at 3-over. Matt Mattioli, Nathan Piatt, Jon Pratkanis and Michael Quallich shot 4-over.
For Tragesser, the win validated some of the work he’s been putting in over the last year. He played well for Robert Morris this season, finishing as the team’s top player with one victory, two top five finishes and another top ten result.
“I’ve be working on some changes,” said the Franklin Regional High School graduate and Willowbrook Country Club member. “I didn’t have the greatest spring. My fall was definitely a little bit better. I’m looking to hopefully keep working with these changes, get better and have a great summer.”
This win could be the jolt he needed considering the challenging conditions, the difficulties that Pittsburgh Field Club presents and, above all else, the talented field that he conquered.
“West Penn golf is just really good competition all the way around,” he said. “A lot of great players, a lot of really good college players, a lot of good older players. There’s just a lot of really good competition. To come out on top today feels good.”
For final results, please click here. (GGID: 25WPGASSP)
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.