Jul. 22—There was a crazy finish Wednesday at the 118th Western Pennsylvania Golf Association’s Open Championship at Westmoreland Country Club.
A little wizardry from Fox Chapel native Gregor Meyer during the final three holes, which included an unbelievable par on No. 16 and a chip-in birdie for the win on No. 18, pulled out the win.
Meyer was tied playing partner with Murrysville native Palmer Jackson and Greensburg native Mark Goetz at 6-under-par heading to the final hole.
The trio of amateurs are members of Hannastown Golf Club.
Meyer put his tee shot in the middle of the fairway about 75 yards out. Jackson pulled his tee shot a little left and needed relief from a cart path. He was 20 yards from the green.
Meyer pulled his shot left and long. His ball landed just off the green, and he was faced with a downhill chip. Jackson’s chip landed past the hole and left him a 30-foot putt for birdie.
“I had a spot picked out and I knew if I hit it, I had a good chance it would do it,” Meyer said. “I knew when I hit the spot it was going in.”
Meyer gave a first pump to celebrate the birdie. Jackson still had a chance to match the birdie, but his putt ended up a little short.
Goetz and Jackson congratulated their club member.
Meyer shot a 2-under 69 and, after opening his final round with three consecutive bogeys, he birdied five of his final 15 holes. He birdied No. 17 to final get even with Jackson, who shot a 3-over 74 during his final round.
He finished with a 7-under 206. Jackson and Goetz were at 6-under 207.
“It was a lot of fun, exciting,” Meyer said. “I didn’t expect to chip-in for sure, that was just a bonus.”
Goetz, last year’s champion, had the best round of the day, a 4-under 67.
“That was awesome the way it ended,” Goetz said. “Gregor works his butt off. We hang out a lot together and play a lot of golf together. I’m happy for him.
“From No. 11 to 18 green, I really played solid. I missed a short one for par on No. 14, but I hit a good putt. I was solid down the stretch.”
Amateur Jack Sollon of Peters Township and pros Dan Obremski, a Penn-Trafford grad, and Allegheny Country Club pro John Aber tied for fourth at 3-under. Obremski and Aber were the low pros and shared the first-place prize.
There were six players tied for seventh place at 1-under. They were Greensburg’s Kevin Fajt, Butler’s Rob McClellan, Pittsburgh’s Sasha Lobel, Pittsburgh’s Beau Titsworth, Altoona’s James Gillam and Peters Township’s Tanner Johnson.
Meyer’s par on No. 16 proved decisive. He hooked his tee shot 50 yards left and had trees between him and the green. He hit a low draw with a 7-iron that missed the trees and rolled over the green into a bunker.
He hit his bunker shot and was left with a 40-foot putt for par, which he made.
“I wanted to hit a cut off the trees because the wind was blowing right and ended up hitting a draw,” Meyer said. “So I had to hook a ball under the trees, and it almost stayed on the green but it tickled into the bunker. I hit the bunker shot to about 40 feet, and I ended up making the putt. I had a lot of momentum heading to the final two holes.”
Jackson and Meyer almost had the same putts on No. 17. Jackson lipped his out, and Meyer made his.
“I got off to a good start on No. 1, and then I made two early bogies,” Jackson said. “I never felt I was playing poorly. Gregor got off to a poor start as well.
“I set goals for myself: I wanted to get to 14-under, and I quickly realized that I had to reset my goals. So I battled to make some good pars, and I gave myself birdie putts and I felt I was hitting my line but they didn’t go in. My hats are off to him. He deserved to win.”
Jackson said he missed makeable birdies on Nos. 14 and 17.
He began the final round with a four-shot lead after a 7-under par 64 on Tuesday.
Paul Schofield is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul by email at pschofield@triblive.com or via Twitter .