2024 PA Open Qualifiers
39 players book spots in 108th Open Championship after this week’s qualifiers
Qualifying for the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s (PAGA) 108th Open Championship started this week with three qualifiers: at Elmhurst Country Club (Northeast Region), Hanover Country Club (Central Region), and Willowbrook Country Club (West Region.) In total, 39 golfers secured spots for the upcoming Championship on August 12.
Willowbrook Country Club (West Region)
Daniel Obremski led a field of 22 total qualifiers at Willowbrook Country Club, finishing the round with a five-under-par 67. Obremski was one stroke below a pair of golfers with scores of 68 (-2) in Jordan Scott (PAGA Individual member) and Matthew Mattioli (Pittsburgh Field Club).
Obremski scattered six birdies across his round (on holes No. 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, and 17) with the only bogey coming on the par three 15th. Scott birdied three holes and added an eagle on 17 while Mattioli began his round with a triple bogey on hole No. 1 but played mistake-free golf with seven birdies after that.
Beyond the top three was a batch of four competitors tied for fourth place after shooting 69 (-3): Chartiers CC’s Austin Malley, Valley Brook CC’s Jeffrey Schmigel, Saucon Valley CC’s Thomas Young, and Hannastown GC’s Nicholas Turowski.
Other qualifiers from the West Region include:
Scott Bitar (Oakmont CC)
Michael Wareham (Willowbrook CC)
Alec Stopperich (Valley Brook CC)
Robert McClellan (Slippery Rock GC)
Justin Moose (Totteridge GC)
Joshua Bartley
Stephen Markovitz (Williams Golf & CC)
Austin Lemieux (The Club of Nevillewood)
Keith Miller (Youghiogheny CC)
Tom Nettles (St. Clair CC)
Michael Donovan (Connoquenessing CC)
Palmer Cuny (Treesdale Golf & CC)
Brett Carman (Valley Brook CC)
Justin Griffith (Wiildwood GC)
Jonathan Madey (Scotch Valley CC)
Hanover Qualifier (Central Region)
14 players qualified from the qualifier at Hanover Country Club, with Jackson Debusschere (The Springhaven Club) finishing atop the leaderboard with a four-under-par 66. Debusschere was two strokes ahead of Morgan Lofland (Phoenixville CC) and Matthew Ujfalusi, who both shot two-under-par 68’s.
Debusschere’s round featured only a single bogey, which occurred late in the round on hole No. 18, but it was smooth sailing the rest of the way—with five total birdies on holes 4, 6, 9, 16, and 17.
Llanerch CC’s Aidan Farkas was fourth with a one-under-par 69 and John Keba of Bethlehem Golf Club rounded out the top five with an even-par 70.
Other qualifiers from the Central region include:
Alex Gekas (Regents’ Glen CC)
Colby Jacobs (Hanover CC)
Keller Mulhern (Whitford CC)
Andrew Bilson (Bent Creek CC)
Christian Deussing (Jericho National GC)
Jake Shmonov (Colonial Golf & Tennis Club)
Samuel Feeney (Applecross CC)
Mathias Wanner (Lancaster CC)
Ross Brown (Fox Hill CC)
Elmhurst Qualifier (Northeast Region)
The qualifying group at Elmhurst was led by Eli Ropietski (Huntsville Golf Club) with a six-under-par 66 that included five birdies and two eagles–one of which came on the par-four 18th hole to clinch a one-stroke victory. Ropietski, a current member of the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown golf team, put together a fantastic back nine that featured the aforementioned eagles on holes No. 10 and 18 in addition to birdies on 11, 15, and 17 that allowed him to hold off runner-up TJ Howe.
Howe’s round of 67 (-5) tallied eight birdies (including four consecutive from holes No. 9 to 12) but two late bogeys on 15 and 17 allowed Ropietski to leapfrog him for the top spot on the leaderboard.
The third and final qualifier on the day was current Millersville University golfer Timothy Peters, the reigning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Athlete and Freshman of the Year. Peters finished the day with a two-under 70 and rebounded after three bogeys on the front nine, birdieing holes No. 10, 11, 12, and 14 to book his spot in August’s Open Championship.
Next up on the PAGA schedule is the 88th Women's Am, Mid-Am, Senior and Super-Senior Championships, scheduled to begin next Monday, July 22 at Waynesborough Country Club. Additionaly, the final Pennsylvania Open qualifier will also be held on Monday, July 22 at Blue Bell Country Club.
The Pennsylvania Golf Association would like to thank the staff and membership of Elmhurst Country Club, Hanover Country Club, and Willowbrook Country Club for the hospitality shown during this week’s qualifiers, with additional thanks going to DICK’S Sporting Goods for sponsorship of the events.