Final Chance
PENN TWP — Youth versus experience.
That is the theme as the West Penn Amateur Golf Championship enters its third and final round Tuesday at Butler Country Club.
Leading the field is 19-year-old Josh Stauffer, who managed a 2-under-par 138 (70-68) in the first two rounds Monday.
One shot behind him is David Brown, a two-time winner of the event in 2004 and 2011. He carded a first-round low of 67 before shooting a 72 for a total of 139.
“I'd love to have a 10-stroke lead entering the third round,” said Brown, laughing. “My morning round actually started off with two bogeys, but then I birdied five holes by the end.
“My afternoon round was very uneventful,” added Brown, 52, of Pittsburgh. “But I did putt very well. If I hit fairways (Tuesday), I'll give myself a chance.”
Monday's first round was played in light to moderate rain, but it actually included more scores under par (five) than the afternoon slate (three), which was played under sunny skies.
“The fairways were wet this morning,” said Stauffer, “but there were still some low scores out there. I didn't hit the ball well (off the tee), but my short game was strong. My putting was spot on.”
Stauffer, a resident of Bradford who will be a sophomore at St. Bonaventure University in the fall, was in a four-way tie for sixth place after his first round, but bested the field in the afternoon with a 68.
“I thought the second round was a bit easier, the course dried out,” added Stauffer. “I hit nine or 10 greens in both rounds, usually I get about 13 or 14. If there's one thing I need to improve on, it's to hit more greens.”
Sean Knapp, a seven-time champion of this event, including here in 2001, enters today's action in third place with a 141 (71-70).A total of 72 golfers attempted to make the cut Monday, but only 35 succeeded in doing so. The cutoff was at 149, coincidentally, the same as in 2001, the last time the West Penn Amateur was held at Butler Country Club.Earning a spot in the third round was Slippery Rock's Brett Rinker, who rebounded with a 71 after carding a first-round score of 75.“I wanted to shoot two scores in the low 70s,” he said. “I hit the ball a lot better in the second round.“I golfed here three times before and it's a pretty tough course,” added Rinker. “I need to make more putts (Tuesday).”Jon Pratkanis, a Butler High graduate now living in Pittsburgh, also made the cut with a 147 (74-73), despite a first round that included a triple-bogey and five bogeys.“The rain was annoying, there was no spin on the ball on drives,” he said, “but I wouldn't say it was necessarily tough to play in. I hadn't golfed competitively since 2009, but was still hoping for a better performance.”Mike McNulty, of Harmony, survived the cut, but is staring up at a lot of golfers. He enters today's round with a total score of 148 (71-77).“I try not to have a score in mind before competing in an event like this,” he said. “I just want to go out and do my best. The course played a little longer with the rain in the morning, but the greens held up well.”Butler Country Club is proving once again to be a worthy host of the event.“Play was delayed for about 30-40 minutes,” said Jeff Rivard of the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association. “They did a really nice job of getting the course ready.”Notes: Stauffer and Brown were scheduled to tee off at 9:46 a.m. Tuesday. ... Last year's champ, Erie's Greg Podufal, missed the cut after carding a 150 (77-73).
