125th West Penn Am features strong fight to finish
By Mike Dudurich, Contributing Writer • July 15, 2025
JOHNSTOWN – The 125th West Penn Amateur added another outstanding chapter to the event’s rich history Tuesday when David Fuhrer rolled in a birdie putt on 18 to avert a playoff and win the title outright.
But the battle that ensued behind the one for the top spot was a pretty good one, too.
A shot behind Fuhrer’s 8-under total were Carson Kittsley (Oakmont Country Club) and Darin Kowalski (South Hills Country Club) at 7-under.
J.F. Aber (Allegheny Country Club) was 6-under and Hunter Swidzinski (Olde Stonewall Golf Club) finished 5-under, while Nick Turowski (Hannastown Golf Club) and Matthew Mattioli (Pittsburgh Field Club) ended at 3-under.
“Well, it was disappointing for sure,” said Aber, who was seriously in the mix on Monday but couldn’t get much going on Tuesday.
In the first round, Aber overcame a run of four bogeys to stay in contention. In the second round, he put up four straight birdies to become a factor. And, in the final round, Aber posted eight consecutive pars in the middle of the day, ending his title hopes.
“A lot of those putts I hit right where I wanted, they just didn’t go in,” he said. “I hit the ball good, just couldn’t get the ball in the hole.”
Darin Kowalski, 39, is a little older than the other players at the top of the leaderboard. But while he’s been around the course a few more times, he’s still able to grab plenty of attention when he plays.
“With a couple kids and a job, I don’t play as much as I used to, but I’ve won a couple Tri-State events,” he said. “I’ve played well, but it’s tough sometimes.”
His second place finish this week gives him three runner-up trophies in the West Penn Am in the last four years.
“When I play well, I can compete with anyone,” Kowalski said.
Eleven players posted scores in the 60s in the final round on the virtually immaculate Sunnehanna Country Club layout.
Perhaps none were as impressive as Kittsley, a 16-year-old Oakmont member and Fox Chapel High School student, who nearly became the youngest winner of the WPGA Amateur since its inception in 1899.
Kittsley carded Tuesday’s lowest round with a 5-under 65, and finished all three rounds under par.
“Going into today, I just tried to stay patient,” he said. “I was around the hole all day Monday, and when the putts finally started dropping, I figured if I just kept doing the same things, they’d keep falling. That’s exactly what happened today. I played well.”
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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.