Jordan shows resiliency in opening round of West Penn Open
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • June 16, 2025
SEWICKLEY — Following a week in which Western Pennsylvania watched golfers do all they could to avoid the rough at Oakmont Country Club, Scott Jordan did his best to hit into the rough in another Open championship.
Jordan, an amateur who just wrapped up his senior season at Longwood University, carded a 5-under score of 66 in the opening round of the 122nd WPGA Open Championship Monday at Sewickley Heights Golf Club.
“I was trying to miss fairways on purpose because I can control the spin in the rough more,” said Jordan, an Upper St. Clair native. “I’m comfortable swinging hard out of the rough. I just open up the wedge and swing out hard. I know what it’s going to do, it will go high and land soft.”
Using that strategy, Jordan got off to a relatively strong start, with a birdie on his second hole. He sat at 3-under through six holes and, despite a bogey on the 8th, answered with birdies on his next two holes to take a lead over the rest of the field.
“I was feeling pretty locked in after (the 9th hole),” he said. “I had the momentum going.”
The WPGA Open, which is the Association’s only championship that includes professional players, saw a mix of amateurs and pros atop Monday’s leaderboard.
Professionals Easton Renwick and Beau Titsworth shot 3-under and sit in second place heading into the second round Tuesday.
“It’s fun playing with the pros,” said Jordan. “This is a great field and one of the best tournaments I’ll play in all summer. Playing with these guys and their experience, it rubs off on me for sure. I try to play my best and play even better.”
Amateur Chuck Tragesser — who won last month’s WPGA Spring Stroke Play at Pittsburgh Field Club — resides in a tie for fourth at 2-under, alongside professional Connor Schmidt and amateur Hunter Swidzinski, a teammate of Jordan’s this past season at Longwood.
“Our coach (Kevin Fillman) has prepared us so well,” Jordan said of his time with the Lancers. “He’s been doing this for 30 years, so he knows what he’s doing. He’s tough, but it’s great and it is rubbing off on the summer, for Hunter especially.”
Jordan expanded his lead to 7-under before a bogey on the 16th hole. He answred with a birdie on the 17th, but an errant drive into fescue on the 18th hole resulted in a double bogey to close a tremendous round.
“After the bogey on 16, I got up and down from a left bunker on 17,” he said. “That was good. Obviously, I had a bad tee shot after that. It happens though.
“I am looking forward to tomorrow. It was a good way to finish, at 5-under. I’m pretty happy.”
Round 2 will begin Tuesday morning at 8:00 a.m. The field will then be cut from 78 players to the top 30, plus ties, for Wednesday’s championship round.
For starting times and a live leaderboard, please click here. (GGID: 25WPGAOPEN)
For any media inquiries, please contact WPGA Director of Communications Josh Rowntree.
About the WPGA
Founded in 1899, the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association is the steward of amateur golf in the region. Started by five Member Clubs, the association now has nearly 200 Member Clubs and nearly 37,000 members. The WPGA conducts 14 individual competitions and 10 team events, and administers the WPGA Scholarship Fund and Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame.