Defending champs looking for more
FRANKLIN TWP — Troy Loughry is looking to join an elite group. Geoff Patterson is already there.
They’ve combined to win the past three Butler Eagle County Amateur golf tourney titles — and both are registered to compete in the 29th annual Eagle Amateur Aug. 23 at Lake Arthur Golf Club.
Loughry won the 2022 Eagle Amateur by a single stroke over Logan Pistorius last year at Hiland Golf Course. Patterson won the 2020 and 2021 Amateurs, joining Sean Knapp as the only golfers to ever win this event in consecutive years.
“Geoff Patterson is a great, great golfer and I respect his game a lot,” Loughry said. “And Sean Knapp is the class of amateur golf in Western Pennsylvania.
“I’m playing my first found of golf with Sean on Aug. 17and I’m really looking forward to it.”
He’s hoping to have a second Eagle Amateur title of his own to talk about.
Loughry is a two-time All-American golfer from Butler County Community College. He is headed to Point Park University on a full scholarship this fall and will be playing on the golf team there. He plans to major in criminal justice.
“I had a great year at BC3 last fall and winning the Eagle Amateur helped in that regard,” Loughry said. “I’d love to do it again. It’s a great event with all of the top golfers from around the county ... To win this thing, you really have to earn it.”
Patterson knows all about that.
Now 53, he defeated Jeremy Plaisted in a sudden death playoff to win the Amateur in 2020, the last year Lake Arthur hosted the event. He won the event by a single stroke the following year at Slippery Rock, Plaisted finishing two strokes back.
“The funny thing is, Jeremy is a better golfer than me,” Patterson said. “Thar’s how unpredictable this tournament is. I usually tee off in the afternoon, before the morning scores are even posted, so I have no idea what the other scores look like.
“I don’t worry about my score or concern myself about winning. I’ve won it before, so the pressure’s off that way, too. I have a family, kids, my job ... I have other things to worry about. The younger players are stronger than me, can hit it farther than me, but maybe I have an edge mentally.”
Loughry and Patterson both say they’re playing better good golf of late.
“Lake Arthur suits my game,” Patterson said. “I can still reach (the green) on two on most of the par 5’s. My tee shots are pretty straight and there’s a lot of narrow fairways on the back nine. That may play to my advantage.”
Eagle Amateur committee member Rob Voltz said 111 golfers are officially registered thus far, including 70 in the morning. Shotgun starts are at 7:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Only 10 slots remain available in the morning.
Other prominent golfers to register thus far include Plaisted, Pistorius, Ted Marron and Nathan Hoshak. Four women — Donna McClymonds, Sharon Goncz, Liz Werner and Kitt Loeffler — have registered thus far.
“I’m expecting a group of four more women to sign up yet, so those numbers will increase,” Voltz said.
Entry information is available in a flyer on Page 10.
