Several Western Pennsylvanians secure Final Qualifying spots for U.S. Amateur
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • June 30, 2025
JOHNSTOWN — Experience on a golf course can certainly give a player an edge, even if it’s a narrow one.
On Monday, several Western Pennsylvanians with varying degrees of experience at Sunnehanna Country Club battled to secure a spot in the next stage of U.S. Amateur Championship Qualifying.
Pittsburgh native Ian Bangor shot a 5-under score of 65 on the historic Johnstown course, claiming co-Low Scorer honors in the Local Qualifying event.
“I played Sunnehanna at least two times in tournaments last year… and this is probably my fifth or sixth round here including practice rounds,” said Bangor, the reigning WPGA Mid-Amateur champion. “I’m getting more comfortable with the course. It’s a great course and in great shape.”
Bangor was matched on the leaderboard by Washington, D.C.’s Grant Lester, who also shot 5-under. David Oliver IV and Cam Roam each carded rounds of 3-under.
Nick Turowski, a Harrison City resident who just completed his freshman year playing at West Virginia, was 2-under, securing one of the 12 qualifying positions up for grabs.
“I’ve played a lot of tournament, 18-hole rounds at this golf course,” said Turowski, the reigning WPGA Junior Player of the Year. “It goes back to (Sunnehanna Amateur Championship) qualifiers here. I won my first college event here, played in the Jay Sigel Match Play here and then this summer I got to play in the Sunnehanna Amateur here.”
Beyond simple course knowledge, Turowski found another benefit of the many rounds logged at Sunnehanna.
“For me, it’s the nerves,” he said. “Trying to qualify for the Sunnehanna Am is very stressful and I’ve been fortunate to be really close in that qualifier. Coming down the stretch at (holes) 16, 17 and 18, I was about as nervous as I can be.
“Coming down the stretch today, I was feeling really comfortable. I was still nervous, but I felt like I’ve been there before and that made all the difference.”
For others, like South Hills native Michael Quallich, it was a first look at the course that many young amateur golfers in the region get to know quite well as they age. And that lack of knowledge was perhaps the difference in continuing in the qualifying process.
“It was a really cool and tricky course,” said the 15-year-old who claimed this month’s WPGA Boys Championship and shot 1-under Monday, falling just short in an eight-player playoff that was interrupted Monday evening due to a strong storm and had to be completed Tuesday morning.
“I think a practice round would have helped. The green complexes stood out to me. They were really undulated, fast and overall tricky. It was a good test for golf.”
Daniel Donahue and Hunter Swidzinski – a pair of Western Pennsylvania natives – shot 2-under to match Turowski’s mark. Nico Ward, a 15-year-old student at West Allegheny High School, reached the Final Qualifying stage during the playoff. Chartiers Country Club member Garrett Browning, as well as Cael Ropietski, Ryan Sam and Jude Kim also went through via the playoff. Justin Hueber and Sean Curran clinched alternate spots.
For each player able to earn their spot to the next qualifying round, clutch putt making was paramount, particularly in a field so heavily congested.
“I hit some putts today, a lot more than I usually make,” said Bangor, who dropped in a pair of putts from over 25 feet in the round. “The big difference was holing some putts that you don’t expect to make.”
Turowski found similar success on Sunnehanna’s notoriously deceptive greens.
“I putted really well,” he said. “I missed the green on the first two holes and got up and down. I made a six-footer on hole three then on hole five I made a 25-footer for birdie. That’s the difference, making putts and staying steady the entire day.”
Up next, players will travel out of Western Pennsylvania for Final Qualifying, with hopes of making the 125th U.S. Amateur, set for The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California from August 11-17.
They intend to do so having first conquered a course that has hosted legends of the game for the Sunnehanna Amateur over the years — names that are emblazoned throughout the grounds and clubhouse in Johnstown.
“That was really cool,” Quallich said. “It definitely shows how much of an honor it is to play here and, on top of that, to play well. Just seeing some of the past amateurs was a really great experience.”
Final results for the competition can be found here. (GGID: 25USAMQ).
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.