Four local golfers qualify for states at WPIAL Class 2A championship
OAKMONT – When the U.S. Open comes to Oakmont Country Club, as it did last year, the course usually takes center stage and overshadows the professional golfers that make their way to Western Pennsylvania.
It’s known for being one of the toughest tests in golf and riddling the game’s greatest players.
Charleroi junior Levi Large, along with the other local golfers that played Oakmont Tuesday in the WPIAL Class 2A championship, have a better understanding of that now.
“I can see why the winner (of the U.S. Open) is usually over par here,” Large said.
Large started the day as the leader, but like many of his peers, had to grind out a difficult round and ultimately fell shot of winning the title.
He shot an 84 and finished seventh at +14 and was one of four local golfers to qualify for the state tournament. McGuffey’s Josh Rusmisel, who was in the final group with Large, had the best finish of a local golfer. Rusmisel finished in a tie for fifth at +13.
Avella’s Tristan Davis finished in a tie for 11th at +21 and McGuffey freshman Max Mezyk got the final spot in states by winning a three-way playoff against Riverview’s Ian Stempfer and Riverside’s Tyler Holsinger to finish 17th.
The state championships are October 19-21 at Penn State.
Shady Side Academy’s Alex Avi won the WPIAL tournament at +8. He birdied three holes in a row on 13, 14, and 15 to seize control. It was an impressive stretch considering not many birdies were made by anyone on Tuesday, let alone three in a row.
Large was at +1 entering the final round, but started off with a double bogey and a bogey, which knocked him out of the lead. He went out in 43 and had a 41 on the back nine.
Though it wasn’t his day, Large still enjoyed playing a meaningful tournament at Oakmont.
“The pin placements and greens and bunker placements defend this course a lot,” Large said. “It’s a great course though. It was a great experience either way. I was looking for a win today, but couldn’t get it. Just didn’t have it.”
Large is returning to states, but this will be Rusmisel’s first time earning a spot in the PIAA tournament.
He finished his round strong with a birdie on 18. It was his lone birdie on the scorecard. He shot an 82.
“It was a cool experience to get to play the same place as the pros do and see how tough it is,” Rusmisel said. “It’s a great feeling to get to states. I’ve come up short before, to finally succeed and get there is pretty cool.”
Davis finished an hour or so before Large and Rusmisel, but he knew after he signed his scorecard he had done enough to earn his first trip to states.
He shot 86 and didn’t have any birdies, but entered his round with a mentality that bogey was a good score and par was a great score.
“The greens were very firm and very fast,” Davis said. “I had a hard time making a committed swing on the front nine, because I was scared of going over the back of the green into the deep Oakmont rough, but on the back nine I really pulled it together.
“A bogey out here is a great score. If I make a bogey at my home course Indian Run, I beat myself up about it, but here bogey sometimes feels like birdie.”
Davis had a neat moment on 18 during. He noticed he had a similar putt to the one J.J. Spaun made to clinch his U.S. Open victory last summer, which gave him a greater appreciation for Spaun.
“Spaun made that putt look like a piece of cake,” Davis said. “I had something similar and it was very difficult.”
Mezyk had the most dramatic ending of the local state qualifiers.
He and the two other golfers he was tied with played hole No.1 for the playoff. Mezyk made a bogey, which was one shot better than Stempfer, to secure his spot.
He said he knew for about an hour after his round that he’d likely be in a playoff to get to states.
“I just stayed calm, got something to eat and went to the range to hit a few balls,” Mezyk said. “I just stayed warm.”
Mezyk had a nice chip from just off the green that gave him a short putt for bogey. After Stempfer missed his bogey put, Mezyk sank his to win.
“It was just one of those chips that I always practice and I felt really comfortable with it,” Mezyk said. “I was a little nervous (on the putt), but overall it’s just golf. You just have to stay positive and hit it with confidence.”