Penn-Trafford’s Turowski brothers help amateur team win Palmer Cup

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, September 24, 2023 | 11:01 AM

When the Turowski brothers play, they usually are battling against each other.

That wasn’t the case Sept. 14 when they were teammates for the first time since 2020 when they were paired at Penn-Trafford.

Alex, a junior at Fairmont State (W.Va.), and Nick, a senior at Penn-Trafford, competed together in helping the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association amateurs defeat the Tri-State Section PGA professionals in the annual Palmer Cup at Latrobe Country Club.

WPGA won 10-7.

The brothers dropped the morning Four-Ball match to Brett Carmen and Steve Hopley, 3 and 2. But they bounced back in the afternoon to grab their singles matches.

Nick defeated Carmen, 4 and 3, while Alex toppled Michael Gervais, 3 and 2.

“It was unbelievable to share this with my brother, a surreal experience,” Alex Turowski said. “We both played well. It was really fun. We hadn’t played together since high school. We usually are playing against each other.”

Nick also played in the 2022 Palmer Cup. Now, his focus is trying to win his second WPIAL Class 3A title. He won the championship in 2021.

“This is an unforgettable memory playing with my brother and competing in an event named after Arnold Palmer,” Nick Turowski said. “This event has so much meaning. Helping the amateurs win was big, too.”

Nick started his quest at his second title Sept. 18 by shooting a 70 at the section qualifier at Manor Valley. He couldn’t wait for the first round of the WPIAL tournament at Latrobe Country Club on Sept. 25.

The WPIAL championship finals are Oct. 2 at Valleybrook Country Club in Canonsburg.

“I can’t wait to play,” Nick Turowski said. “I think my length benefits me, especially at Latrobe.”

Alex Turowski’s season at Fairmont has gone well.

He has a Top 10 finish and two Top 20 finishes.

“I’m playing well,” Alex Turowski said. “I’m averaging 72.5. I have a big conference tournament coming up at Avalon Lakes (Ohio). My best round was at Canaan Valley (W.Va.) when shot 5-under par.”

Fairmont State competes in the Mountain East Conference. Alex has also played events at Glade Springs Resort (W.Va.) and Berry Hills Country Club in Charleston, W.Va.

“I’m playing some of my best golf,” Alex Turowski said. “I’m looking forward to the conference tournament. Winning the conference tournament gives us a berth in the NCAA regionals in the spring.”

Penn-Trafford tied for second in the section and missed out of qualifying for the WPIAL team tournament. The Warriors lost a tiebreaker against Indiana.

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.

Tags: Penn-Trafford