High school classmates Hansberry, Severns take WPGA Match Play Invitationals
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • July 8, 2025
INDIANA, PA — Griffin Hansberry wanted a strong finish to his junior golf career, and he got exactly what he hoped for Tuesday.
Hansberry buried a 15-foot putt on the 18th hole, topping Michael Quallich 1 Up in the final round of the 51st C.R. Miller Memorial Match Play Invitational at Indiana Country Club.
“This is my third time playing in this tournament,” said Hansberry, who graduated from Peters Township High School this spring. “The first two times, I lost to the eventual champion in the first round. So, to finally come out on top, it’s pretty exciting.”
To do so, he had to overcome a strong performance from the reigning WPGA Junior champion in Quallich, who hopped out to a two-hole advantage by the time the players made the turn.
But that’s when things started to click for Hansberry.
“I was striking the ball well all day, but the putter really started heating up on the back,” said Hansberry, who took the West Penn Junior title in 2023. “That made the difference.”
Hansberry won the first two holes on the back nine to even the match. He then claimed the 14th hole with a birdie to go 1 Up. Quallich notched the match on the 16th with a par. But Hansberry’s par on the 17th set up the dramatic finish.
Quallich, on the 18th hole, found the green on the lengthy Par 5 with his second shot, while Hansberry came up short. Quallich two-putted for birdie before Hansberry drained the long putt for the up-and-down and the dramatic win.
“I looked at it for a while,” he said of the putt. “It was sitting right on the ridge. It could’ve broken left or right, but I decided to play it straight, dead center, with a little pace. Luckily, it dropped right in the heart of the cup.”
One of the WPGA’s more physically demanding competitions, the C.R. Miller pits 16 top junior boys in match play over two days.
Hansberry, the bracket’s No. 2 seed, bested Barron Bitar and Aaron Didjunas on Monday. He then pulled off a 3 & 2 win over Alex Talmadge Tuesday morning, setting up the championship match with Quallich.
“It was definitely a grind,” he said. “I got a good night’s rest beforehand, but I still felt exhausted. After the first 18 (Tuesday), I was wiped. I didn’t really get a chance to rest between rounds. But I went back out there and started feeling good, especially on the back nine.
“It was a friendly battle, back and forth the whole way, right down to the wire. I couldn’t have asked for a better match. Mikey played great.”
For Hansberry, the win caps a strong career in West Penn junior competitions and should be used as a springboard into the rest of his 2025 amateur season and into college in the fall.
“I’m heading to Pitt Johnstown next year,” said Hansberry, who will also play in Monday’s 125th WPGA Amateur Championship. “We’ve got a strong team. And, who knows, maybe we’ll go win a national championship.
“I’m going out (of junior golf) with a bang. What more can I say?”
Another Peters Township product rallies Tuesday
Around 30 second after Hansberry victoriously walked off the 18th green, another 2025 Peters Township graduate clinched a championship at Indiana Country Club.
Sophia Severns sunk a birdie putt on the 17th hole, completing a come-from-behind victory over Mya Morgan in the 6th WPGA Girls Match Play Invitational.
The tournament’s No. 2 seed, as well, Severns fell behind by three holes through the first five, as Morgan — who dominated her way into the championship round — built the lead by using her elite power off the tee.
“Honestly, I didn’t overthink it,” said Severns, who won the match 3 & 1. “I knew there was still a lot of golf left, and I believed I could keep winning holes. I kept getting the ball closer and closer to the pin and tried not to let anything, or anyone, get in my head.
“She was playing her game and I was playing mine. But I knew I had to step it up to win a few more holes.”
And that’s what Severns did. She grabbed four consecutive hole victories to go 1 Up through 11 holes. Morgan answered with a win on the 13th before Severns claimed three of the last four holes played in the match.
“Once I start with a par or birdie, I usually stay in that rhythm,” she said. “Something just clicks. Most of the time, I end with a strong finish, either a birdie or par. I just keep telling myself, ‘finish strong.’”
Severns reached the finals with an impressive 8 & 7 win over Morgan Monteverde in Monday’s quarterfinals. She received a stiffer challenge Tuesday morning, dropping Ava Calandra 2 & 1 to set up the match with Morgan, who went relatively unchallenged in her first two rounds.
But Severns prevailed on the pristine and challenging layout of Indiana Country Club.
“The last few tournaments, I hadn’t had any three-putts,” she said. “Today, I think I had around 20. The greens were tough. Either the ball stuck, or it rolled off. There wasn’t much in between.”
The combination of wins between Hansberry and Severns proved once again that the power program residing at Peters Township High School is alive and well during the summer.
A year ago, also at Indiana Country Club, Peters Township grad Alec Stopperich claimed the 121st WPGA Open Championship with a dramatic win of his own. And current and former Indians have littered the tops of West Penn leaderboards over recent years, including last month’s WPGA Open winner, Connor Schmidt.
“I think it shows how much work we put in,” said Severns who, along with Hansberry, won WPIAL and PIAA titles as juniors in high school. “It’s not just about going out and getting lucky. We earn it.
“We play in these tournaments to get better for the season, and all that work really pays off.”
For final results, please click here. (GGID: 25WPGAJRMATCHPLAY)
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.