2024 Art Wall Preview

Defending champion Colin Sanderson (Stonewall CC) is set to defend his 2023 Art Wall Jr. Championship at Centre Hills Country Club. A year ago, Sanderson finished the 36 holes tied at eight under par with one of the state’s top-rated amateurs Connoquenessing Country Club’s Rick Stimmel. Sanderson won the title on the first playoff hole.

The two-day, 36-hole stroke-play event will determine winners in Championship Division, Senior Division (55-64 years of age) & Super-Senior Division (65 years or older). The Seniors will be paired with championship division golfers and will also be eligible for overall championship. The tournament is presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

Sanderson will have a number of challengers for his title including Kevin Fajt. Fajt has gone on a nice roll this summer and given his past success at the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s (PAGA) Art Wall Jr. Memorial Championship that could be a significant factor when the 20^th edition of the event gets underway on Monday, September 9, at Centre Hills Country Club in State College.

Fajt (Hannastown Golf Club) is coming off some impressive performances including shooting a 65 to claim medalist honors at Carlisle Country Club to claim a spot in the US Mid-Amateur at Virginia’s Kinloch Golf Club later this month. It will be his third trip to that competition and he has also qualified for the US Amateur in the past.

Prior to that that successful jaunt around Carlisle on August 26, he won both the Westmoreland County amateur title for the third year in a row, his 6^th overall title, and teamed up with Darin Kowalski to capture the  Western Pennsylvania Golf Association (WPGA) Four-Ball Championship a few weeks ago. He has enjoyed past success in PAGA events although Art Wall, Jr. titles have been elusive - but just barely!  Fajt has finished as the runner-up three times in the last six seasons and tied for third a year ago just one shot out of the playoff that decided the championship.

Several other players possessing past success are entered in the 2024 version including Rich Owsik (Rolling Green Golf Club), who tied with Fajt for third place last year, Clay Davidson (West Shore Country Club, the 2022 runner-up and Bob Crnjarich (Diamond Run Golf Club), fifth overall a year ago just two shots out of the playoff and runner-up to Stimmel in the Senior division. Past champions Eric Williams (Glenmaura National Golf Club), the 2021 titlist, and Dan Brown (Manada Golf Club), the 2017 winner, also return.

As usual, the Senior and Super Senior are loaded with guys with a litany of PAGA, WPGA and Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) titles. Some of the aforementioned players will compete for both the overall and senior along with past Wall senior champions Don Erickson (Indiana Country Club), Bob Beck (Lehigh Country Club), Mike Capotis (The Kahkwa Club) and John Olszewski (Wyoming Valley Country Club).

Brian Rothaus (Five Ponds Golf Club), the reigning PAGA Super Senior Player of the Year heads that field. He will be joined by other past champions including Erickson, Don Donatoni (White Manor Country Club) and Bob Allshouse (Hannastown Golf Club) along with the Country Club of Scranton’s Mike Vassil, runner-up in the recent GAP Super Senior championship   

The event honors one of Pennsylvania’s all-time great golfers who had 31 professional victories, including 14 on the PGA tour.  None is remembered more than the 1959 Masters when the Honesdale, Pa. native got his biggest career win with five birdies in the final six holes to capture the coveted title by a stroke. That season he won the tour’s money title, Vardon Trophy and PGA player of the year honors. Mr. Wall passed away in 2001.