West Penn Wrap-Up: Mid-Am, college success for local players in September
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • September 25, 2025
Western Pennsylvania was well represented at the 44th U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship earlier this month at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
A quartet of locals played in the national championship designed for amateurs ages 25 and older, with two players reaching the match play stage of the competition.
Tom Nettles of St. Clair Country Club, Sewickley’s Jason Li, Erie native Alex Weir and Seneca Valley grad Matt Vogt all competed during the week.
Nettles, who qualified at Nemacolin’s Mystic Rock a couple of weeks earlier, appeared in his first USGA championship, but missed the cut with a 10-over mark over the two rounds.
Weir, who punched a ticket as the last qualifier at Crag Burn Golf Club in Western New York, shot 16-over and fell short of match play.
Vogt, a dentist in Indianapolis who made national headlines this summer when he qualified for the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, received an exemption into the Mid-Amateur.
Vogt shot 2-over during stroke play, receiving the 41st seed in match play. He fell to Bloomington, Ill. native Brandon Holtz 5 and 4 in the Round of 64.
And Li, who played competitively at Sewickley Academy and Carnegie Mellon, carded a 1-over score in stroke play. He earned the 32nd seed but lost his lone match 2 and 1 to Michael Buttacavoli of Miami Beach, Florida.
More Mid-Am Success for Kowalski
It was a strong summer for South Hills Country Club’s Darin Kowalski.
In a playoff, Kowalski won the 40th WPGA Mid-Amateur Championship on September 2 at Green Oaks Country Club. But he wasn’t done there.
Two weeks later, the 39-year-old brought home another Mid-Amateur Championship, winning the Pennsylvania State Mid-Am with an impressive score of 4-under over the two rounds.
Kowalski topped Allegheny Country Club’s Austin Lemieux — the son of Penguins legend Mario Lemieux — by two strokes.
Several other Western Pennsylvanian’s fared well, with Longue Vue Club’s Kevin Koerbel and Oakmont Country Club’s Andrew Friend tying for third. Greensburg Country Club’s Arnie Cutrell shot even par to tie for sixth, while WPGA Mid-Amateur runner-up Jon Pratkanis and Montour Heights’ Ian Bangor each recorded top ten finishes.
Kowalski posted three victories this year that count towards the WPGA’s Honor Roll points list, as he also secured a win in the Tri-State Open this summer. Additionally, Kowalski finished runner-up at the 125th WPGA Amateur Championship, falling by a stroke to David Fuhrer.
Locals Thriving on the College Scene
A handful of local players are making a splash during their fall golf seasons.
Harrison City’s Nick Turowski has broken through in his sophomore season at West Virginia, helping the Mountaineers to a pair of top three finishes — including a team victory in their season opener.
Turowski tied for third at the 2025 Island Resort Intercollegiate at Sage Run Golf Club in Michigan, posting a tournament score of 15-under. His opening round mark of 66 was the best of his collegiate career. His teammates, Ryan Leach and Kaleb Wilson, placed first and second in the event, respectively.
West Virginia finished third in the Swing Gopher Invitational in Minnesota earlier this month, as well. Turowski picked up his second top five finish with a 3-under score, including a 5-under mark of 66 in the second round — the competition’s best single round.
Following fluctuating playing time and results as a freshman, the 2024 WPGA Junior Player of the Year has found a stable spot in the lineup for the Mountaineers, which have received votes to be ranked in the top 25 teams in the nation in the Bushnell/Golfweek Division I Coaches Poll.
Just up the road from Morgantown, Duquesne’s women’s golf team has seen strong play from a sophomore standout, as well.
Hermitage, Pa. native Sasha Petrochko tied for 12th at the Bucknell Fall Invitational earlier this month with a three-round score of 12-over. She took another step forward in the Nittany Lion Invitational, placing third at 2-over in the prestigious event hosted by Penn State, which won the team title.
Mike and Rocco take on Pebble Beach
2025 WPGA Junior champion Michael Quallich capped a memorable summer of golf by playing in the PGA TOUR’s PURE Insurance Championship from September 18-20 in Pebble Beach, California.
Making the experience even better, Quallich was paired with Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Famer Rocco Mediate in the Pro-Junior Amateur competition that was played on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course.
“It’s been such a great time playing with Rocco here,” Quallich told NBC Golf, which carried broadcast coverage of the event. “He’s a fellow Pittsburgher. There’s been a lot of ‘dahn’s and up-and-dahn’s’ and ‘love them Stillers.’”
The competition featured 80 PGA TOUR Champions players, 80 First Tee junior players and 160 amateur players.
Quallich finished tied for ninth in the competition, carding scores of 66—68 for his two rounds.
A premier junior player in the region, Quallich began his playing career with the First Tee Pittsburgh organization.
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.