PITTSBURGH — In a year of historic moments in WPGA competitions, even more groundbreaking accomplishments were made this week as the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association unveiled its Player of the Year award winners for the 2026 golf season.
Carson Kittsley, a 17-year-old senior at Fox Chapel High School, made history by becoming the first player to claim WPGA Men’s Player of the Year and WPGA Junior Boy’s Player of the Year honors in the same year.
Mya Morgan, a freshman at Central Michigan University, became the first player to claim the WPGA Girl’s Junior Player of the Year title in three straight seasons.
And Rick Stimmel was named the WPGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year for a fourth consecutive season, having now won the title each year of his age-based eligibility.
For Kittsley, the double dip by a junior player is unprecedented and continues a strong run of play for the Penn State recruit.
“At the start of the season, I would have never thought that I would be in the position that I’m in now,” said Kittsley. “I’ve just worked really hard and have been trying my best. Everything that I’ve been doing is really paying off and I’m super proud of that.”
Kittsley made history this summer, winning the 126th WPGA Amateur Championship at The Kahkwa Club, becoming the youngest winner in the event’s history at 17 years, 3 months and 25 days old.
He joined Arnold Palmer, William Miller and Fred Brand Jr. as junior golfers to win the WPGA’s longest running and most prestigious amateur title.
“That means a lot,” he said. “Just looking at it and seeing that I’m in a similar spot to Arnold Palmer when he was my age, that’s pretty cool to think about.”
Kittsley, a member of Team Pennsylvania in the U.S. National Development Program, also picked up honor roll points in the 123rd WPGA Open Championship with a top ten finish. He was third at the Pennsylvania Amateur Championship on his home course at Oakmont Country Club. He finished top 30 in the Pennsylvania Open Championship and tied for 14th in the WPGA Spring Stroke Play. He also qualified for and played in the Sunnehanna Amateur Championship this summer.
Several of those results applied to his Junior Player of the Year award. In addition, he finished runner-up in the Pennsylvania Junior Championship, reached the semifinals of the WPGA’s C.R. Miller Memorial Invitational, had a runner-up finish at the AJGA Junior at Indiana Country Club and was top 20 in the WPGA Junior Championship.
“It feels really good to win those awards,” he said. “It shows that my efforts don’t go unnoticed and it just makes me proud of myself and makes me want to work harder and continue to become the best player that I can be.”
Morgan, meanwhile, became the youngest winner of the WPGA Women’s Amateur Championship this summer. At 18 years old, she shot a 2-over score at Green Oaks Country Club in late July, securing the title in the final event she played as a junior.
“Thank you to the WPGA,” said Morgan, a member at Nemacolin Country Club who has had a strong start to her collegiate career this fall. “Being named the West Penn Golf Girl’s Junior Player of the Year for the third time means so much to me.”
On top of the major championship, Morgan finished runner-up in the WPGA Girls’ Junior Match Play Invitational. She also qualified for the U.S. Girls Junior Championship and reached the match play portion of the national championship. She earned top 20 finishes in the Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur and Junior Girls Championships, as well.
“West Penn Golf has been such a special part of my journey, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities, memories and people who have shaped my life through this game,” she said. “I’m proud to be a part of an organization making history for women and girls in golf.”
Stimmel, a member at Connoquenessing Country Club, made his own history this September when he won his first WPGA Senior Amateur Championship. With the victory, the 59-year-old became the first player ever to win the West Penn Amateur, Senior Amateur and Open Championships in a career.
“That’s pretty cool,” said Stimmel after the victory in which he broke the championship’s scoring record. “I would’ve figured that Sean (Knapp) might’ve caught that. That’s pretty good. The West Penn Open is the hardest one to get, or so I thought. But apparently this one was the hardest one for me to get. Grabbing those top three, it’s a pretty cool achievement.”
Stimmel’s accomplishments this season, as they have been for the past several years, are lengthy.
In addition to his win in the West Penn Senior Amateur, he won the Pennsylvania Senior Amateur. He reached the Round of 32 at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, advanced through U.S. Open Local Qualifying, tied for seventh at the Sunnehanna Senior Amateur, tied for fifth at the Pennsylvania Mid-Amateur, won the 85th George Dressler Memorial Senior Championship and tied for 17th at the Tri-State Open Championship.
On top of those finishes, Stimmel also performed well in several non-point-earning competitions, including a victory in the Art Wall Senior Championship and a third-place mark in the Pennsylvania State Senior Open.
The WPGA uses a point system to calculate the yearly honor roll for the four divisions.
Player of the Year award winners will be recognized at the Champions and Hall of Fame dinner on November 12 at Oakmont Country Club.
For media inquiries, please contact WPGA Director of Communications Josh Rowntree.
