122nd West Penn Open starts Monday at Sewickley Heights
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • June 14, 2025
SEWICKLEY — One day after a national champion is crowned at Oakmont Country Club, the journey for local amateur and professional players to win a regional Open title commences.
The 122nd WPGA Open Championship begins Monday at Sewickley Heights Golf Club, as 78 players look to add their name to an impressive list of past champions.
The WPGA conducted two qualifying rounds this spring, as players earned their way into a field that includes exempt players who will compete in the 54-hole stroke play championship.
The West Penn Open, which is played over three days, 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 competition has been won five times by three men: Roy Vucinich, Perry DelVecchio and Jock Hutchinson.
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.
Stopperich will be the first player off of the first tee when the championship begins at 8 a.m. Monday.
Also in the field will be Oakmont County Club head professional Devin Gee, 2025 WPGA Spring Stroke Play champion Chuck Tragesser and 2025 Fred Brand Foursomes champion Amani D’Ambrosio.
The 124th WPGA Amateur Champion and 2025 WPGA Men’s Player of the Year Nathan Piatt will also compete Monday, as well as successful professional Mike Van Sickle, 2024 WPGA Junior Champion and Junior Player of the Year Nick Turowski and professional Kevin Shields, who qualified for the U.S. Senior Open earlier this week.
This will be the first time since 2002 that Sewickley Heights has hosted the West Penn Open. It was also played at the Sewickley course in 1977. Past winners at Sewickley Heights are Rick Stimmel and Vucinich.
For starting times and a live leaderboard, please click here. (GGID: 25WPGAOPEN)
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.