Fink, Brown atop leaderboard after first round of 94th West Penn Senior Am
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • September 15, 2025
WEIRTON, W.V. — Artie Fink is getting his first taste of a West Penn Senior Amateur Championship this week at Williams Golf & Country Club. David Brown, on the other hand, has won the event four times and is one of the region’s most established amateur players.
Following Monday’s opening round of the 94th WPGA Senior Am, both men — despite their differing levels of experience — find themselves atop the leaderboard in the prestigious major amateur championship.
Fink, an Altoona native, and Brown, of Canonsburg, each carded 3-under scores of 69 Monday.
“Five birdies, two bogeys,” said Fink afterwards. “It was kind of a ho-hum day, really. I hit the driver good, hit a lot of fairways, kept the ball in play off the tee, and made a couple putts... I’m never going to complain about 69.”
A year after chilly, wet weather dominated the same championship at The Club at Nevillewood, Mother Nature was far friendlier for the first of the two rounds of the event, with temperatures in the low 80’s following a comfortable morning.
Despite having to travel over two hours to the course, Fink did come in with a bit of familiarity with the course, which features rolling hills atop a plateau overlooking the Ohio River.
“I finished second here in the West Penn Mid-Amateur about ten years ago,” Fink said of Williams Country Club, which hosted the Mid-Am Championship in 2014. “That's the last I've been here. I honestly only remembered about three or four holes, but I was lucky. I played with Ed Reidy, who knew the course a little bit, so he kind of held my hand and guided me around.
“If you get the ball in the right spot, just get it on line, it's going in. The greens are immaculate, and the whole golf course is in really good shape. It's a fun play.”
Interestingly enough, that 2014 Mid-Am Championship was won by Brown, a member of Williams Golf & Country Club who was 4-under through his final 11 holes, including a birdie on the 18th hole to grab a share of the lead.
The decorated amateur player has won two of the last three WPGA Senior Amateur Championships and four overall, with wins in 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2023. A title on Monday would give him a record-tying fifth victory in the championship.
Allegheny Country Club’s Bob Crnjarich finished 1-under and sits in third alongside another accomplished senior amateur player in Rick Stimmel.
In the Super-Senior Division, designed for senior players ages 65 and over, Rod Piatt of Oakmont Country Club shot 2-over to claim the top spot heading into Tuesday’s finale. Four players in Alan English, Mike Cushman, Bob Allshouse and Casey Courneen are three shots off the lead at 5-over.
The final round of the 94th WPGA Senior Amateur Championship will begin Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. with the final group of Fink, Brown and Crnjarich scheduled to tee off at 10:20 a.m.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” said Fink, who will stay overnight to avoid the long commute home and back. “I’m 55, so it’s like being a rookie with the seniors. It’s good to get into the heat of the battle.”
For final round starting times and a live leaderboard, please click here. (GGID: 25WPGASRAM)
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.