WPGA Amateur Postponed Due to Renewed COVID-19 Gathering Ban

After the Allegheny County Health Department reinstated a ban on gatherings of more than 25 people due to the rising number of local COVID-19 cases, the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association has postponed its Amateur Championship indefinitely.

The annual tournament, which was scheduled to take place Monday, July 6 and Tuesday, July 7 at Allegheny Country Club in Sewickley, falls right in the middle of the timeline for the renewed gathering restrictions. Health Department director Dr. Debra Bogan announced that the ban is scheduled to last through Friday, July 9.

Due to concerns about excessive interpersonal contact, the 120th WPGA Amateur was already set to include a smaller field than usual (54 players) and last just 36 holes, as opposed to the usual 54. The WPGA said in a statement Friday that it would communicate the tournament’s rescheduled date “when practical.”

As the governing body for amateur competition in western Pennsylvania, the WPGA has already cancelled most of its team-oriented events out of caution. But the Amateur, the Open and the Four-Ball Championship were still all scheduled to be played this summer.

Obviously, with Allegheny County shattering its single-day record for new COVID-19 cases this week, it remains to be seen how the WPGA schedule might be further affected.

Although its length was shortened and its field reduced, it seemed the Amateur was well-positioned on the calendar to give players enough time to sharpen their skills following COVID course closures. The two qualifying tournaments went off without an issue last week.

Peters Township High School alum and current Drexel University standout Connor Schmidt is the defending Amateur champ, as he outlasted the competition at Oakmont Country Club last July.