Local golfers seek medals in WPIAL Class AA championships
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Carmichaels’ Remmey Lohr plays from the fairway on the first hole at Uniontown Country Club during a non-section match against Uniontown on Aug. 31. Lohr earned a berth into today’s WPIAL Girls Class AA Individual Golf Championship at Allegheny Country Club after qualifying for the boys final last year.
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Southmoreland’s Clay Sipple chips from just off the sixth green at Duck Hollow Golf Club during the FCCA Golf Open on Sept. 18. Sipple is one of eight boys playing in today’s WPIAL Class AA Individual Golf Championship at Allegheny Country Club.
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Carmichaels freshman Liam Lohr keeps his head down as he plays off the fourth fairway at Uniontown Country Club during a non-section match against Uniontown on Aug. 31. Lohr and his sister Remmey will play in the WPIAL Class AA Individual Golf Championships today at Allegheny Country Club.
Remmey Lohr created quite a stir a year ago when the Carmichaels golfer medaled in the WPIAL Boys Class AA Individual Golf Championship and qualified for the PIAA western regional.
Lohr eventually advanced through the PIAA western regional for a spot in the state final.
Now, in her senior season, Lohr returns to Allegheny Country Club, but this time in the girls Class AA championship. She played in the girls tournament two years ago.
COVID-19 concerns and restrictions have changed the qualifying process into the state tournament in all four of the district golf championships.
The western qualifier has been wiped out, meaning those who earn a berth out of the WPIAL championships advance straight to the PIAA Championship. The state final will be a one-day tournament, as well.
So, while nine girls out of the field of 12 advanced to the PIAA regional last year, now only six spots are available in a pretty loaded field.
Quaker Valley sophomore Eva Bulger, who won the WPIAL title last year, and the Zambruno twins, Ella and Meghan, playing at Greensburg Central Catholic, the silver and bronze medalists, return.
Lohr will get to size up the contenders early with the senior joining Bulger and Meghan Zambruno in the first group off the tee at 10:52 a.m.
Geibel Catholic’s Claire Konieczny was the ninth and final qualifier into the regional last year as a freshman. She is the second group with Ella Zambruno and Ambridge’s Dina Bailey at 11 a.m.
Elizabeth Forward junior Meagan Lewonas is in the final group with an 11:16 a.m. tee time.
Eight local boys advanced to the WPIAL championship, but only Kyle Clayton has a previous appearance. The Jefferson-Morgan sophomore qualified last year and fell one stroke short of advancing to the western qualifier.
Clayton had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot last year, but is in the final group off the tee at 10:44 a.m.
The field of 43 boys will be whittled down to 12 qualifiers who advance into the state final. Eighteen golfers advanced to the western regional in 2019.
Carmichaels’ Liam Lohr, Elizabeth Forward’s A.J. Palmer and Logan Monzak, Frazier’s Chase Hazelbaker, Southmoreland’s Clay Sipple and Austing Goehring, and Mount Pleasant’s Jonathan Wagner are all playing in their first WPIAL championship.
A new champion will be crowned with the graduation of Sewickley Academy’s JF Aber. Sewickley Academy’s Navin Rana and Tim Fitzgerald are the only returning golfers in the top-10 finishers from 2019.
Mount Pleasant’s Tim Pisula finished ninth last year as a senior.
(A link for live scoring for both championships is available on the WPIAL website.)