Hannastown Golf Club ready to host West Penn Amateur for 1st time

By: Paul Schofield
Saturday, July 8, 2023 | 11:01 AM

For the first time in the 123-year history of the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association Amateur Championship, Hannastown Golf Club in Greensburg will host the event.

Hannastown pro Craig Mankins said the course will serve as a great test. Its membership also will be well represented in the field of 78.

Returning champion Brady Pevarnik is one of 16 members of the club to be participating in the event, which begins at 8 a.m. Monday with two 18-hole rounds.

The 54-hole event concludes Tuesday.

In the field from Hannastown are eight-time champion Sean Knapp, Palmer Jackson, Gregor Meyer, Kevin Fajt, Nixen Erdely, Alex Turowski, Nick Turowski, Willie Hoover, Matt Montgomery, Jack Sacriponte, Wade Boyle, Nolan Schilling, Michael Wareham, Sam Brourman and Shane Brant.

“It’s nice because we have a good group of young golfers,” Mankins said. “These guys have joined here for the competition.

“We offer a championship golf course, and we’re just golf. We’re not like other clubs that have pools and tennis faculties. The kids come from afar to play and practice here. They come to battle against some of the top competition in the area.”

Knapp holds the tournament record for consecutive wins with six (1998-2003), and Mankins said there isn’t a better role model.

“Sean is unbelievable,” Mankins said. “He’s a grinder and loves to compete against the youngsters.”

Mankins said Hannastown is ready for the challenge of having the best amateurs in Western Pennsylvania on hand to compete.

“It’s an awesome honor to be picked,” he said. “We’re excited to host the event. We had qualifiers before, and we finally got our bunker project done.

“We’ve also added the driving range. We made subtle improvements on the course, and the WPGA approached us, and the board was happy to host.”

Late golf legend Arnold Palmer won the event five times.

Other past champions include Tanner Johnson, Trent Karlik and three-time winner David Brown.

The first West Penn Amateur was held in 1899 at Pittsburgh Golf Club. It was won by George A. Ormiston.

Other multiple winners are Nathan Smith, William C. Fownes, Jack Benson, Eben Myers and Vincent Zachetti.

William Miller was the last junior to win the tournament in 2006.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.