Stoops, Hinish, Labella victorious in final Senior Series event
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • August 28, 2025
CORAOPOLIS — Occasionally, the phrase, ‘it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,’ doesn’t apply to the game of golf.
Such was the case for Rob Stoops Wednesday at Montour Heights Country Club.
Stoops picked up his second WPGA victory this summer, shooting 1-over to take the Senior Division of the third WPGA Senior Series event at the course in Coraopolis.
After building a comfortable lead for the majority of his round, Stoops avoided a collapse over his last two holes, surviving bogey and triple bogey on his final two holes to win by a stroke.
“I got enough,” said Stoops with a sigh of relief. “On 18, I don’t even know what I was trying to do, to be frank. I hit it in the left fescue and almost had an unplayable lie. It took me two (shots) to get out… It’s never easy to win.”
Stoops was 3-under through the first ten holes, easily ahead of the rest of the field that all sat over par.
“I played really well for 16 holes,” he said. “I built up enough goodwill to that point. On (hole) 15, I kind of over-protected left so I didn’t go into the water. Maybe my nerves were starting to get to me there. But I played well and it’s great to win.”
Paul Bangor, a Montour Heights member, shot 2-over alongside Allegheny Country Club’s Todd Renner. Each placed second, while Mike McCullough at 4-over and Michael Engler at 7-over rounded out the Senior Division’s top five.
The Super-Senior Division was claimed by Iron Masters Country Club’s Ron Hinish, who fired off an even-par score of 72 to win by three strokes over Alan English and Montour Heights’ Bob Ofcharka. Edward Elliot was fourth at 4-over and Brian Flannigan and Shaun Lacey tied for fifth.
In the Net Division, JJ Labella won his second Senior Series event of the year with a net adjusted score of 3-over. Walter Dillon finished second, while Anthony Araujo and Dale Flohr each shot 6-over and placed third at Montour Heights, which provided a significant challenge due to its sloped fairways and blind shots.
“It’s tricky, up and down,” said Stoops. “You’ve got to put your ball in the right spot. Everything is up and down and it’s not right in front of you like a lot of places. And you can’t get into the fescue, I’ll tell you that.”
Stoops’ win is his second during the WPGA season, having teamed up with Renner to win the Semple Century Foursomes earlier this year at Allegheny Country Club.
“It’s great to play these West Penn events,” said Stoops. “West Penn does such a great job and I always love the way they do things. It’s great to get a chance to compete still at my age. It was a fun day.”
For all results please click here. (GGID: 25WPGASS3)
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.