Oct 19, 2015 5 min read

BLAIRSVILLE – Every winter, as if it was an annual ritual, Connor Schmidt had to buy new golf clubs. Most golfers would beam with excitement gripping a new driver, but all he could do was shake his head in frustration.

He wasn’t breaking the clubs. In fact, Schmidt was slowly developing into a very good golfer who could strike the ball down the fairway.

Schmidt, now a senior at Peters Township, was simply outgrowing every set of clubs.

Since his freshman year, Schmidt has grown almost seven inches. With each growth spurt came countless hours readjusting his swing and breaking in those new clubs.

Though he is likely done growing beyond his 6-4 frame, Schmidt’s game is reaching new heights. That was obvious Monday when he shot a 2-under-par 70 to finish first at the PIAA Class AAA West Region Golf Championships at Tom’s Run Golf Course, punching his ticket to next week’s PIAA Championships in York.

He might want to settle on this set of clubs.

“Over the winters, I would have to work so hard changing my swing and get new clubs every year, which was tough,” Schmidt said. “I finally settled in and it’s helping me. It was a little frustrating at times. I just wanted to stop growing.”

As he grew, his shots off the tee went further and his control on the greens became precise. With a swift breeze cutting through the fairways Monday, Schmidt had six birdies and carded a 4-under on the course’s back-9.

One year after being eliminated in the WPIAL semifinals, Schmidt is now headed to York and he isn’t alone. Peters Township senior Alec Stopperich took second with a 2-over-par 74 and junior Tanner Johnson tied for third with a 3-over. Sophomore Hunter Bruce, who won the WPIAL championship, lost in a two-hole playoff for the final qualifying spot.

In AAA girls, Peters Township junior Mia Kness finished fifth to clinch her third consecutive trip to Heritage Hills Golf Resort.

“He’s grown almost seven inches, and with that there have been changes in his swing. But more significantly, there have been changes in his mental game,” said Peters Township head coach Dave Kuhn, who also works as Schmidt’s instructor. “I’m really proud with how he’s matured. The scary thing about him is he is still getting better. He’s 6-4 but his ceiling is still higher.”

Schmidt, who is deciding to continue his golf career at either St. Bonaventure or Drexel, started on No. 4, a 442-yard par-5 that many golfers felt was the most difficult with the wind blowing in and a narrow fairway. He made par after a solid shot off the tee and took off from there, scoring five birdies on the back-9.

“I wanted to keep making pars and stay focused. I was hitting it great all day. I just had to roll some putts in,” Schmidt said. “I was focused on hitting the center of the green. I didn’t put it really close all day. I just put it to within 15 to 30 feet, then tried to make those.”

Finishing with two of the most difficult holes on the course – No. 2 and No. 3 – Schmidt bogeyed the former with a three-putt and finished his round with a birdie.

“I’m pretty happy with my score. It gives me a lot of confidence and motivation,” Schmidt said. “It shows I can play with all of these guys.”

Stopperich played a strong short game to earn his second trip to York. His luck and confidence changed after the seventh hole. Heading into the par 3 No. 8, Stopperich was 3-over-par, but he made birdie and had three birdies on the back-9.

“This gives you the feeling of playoff golf and the atmosphere,” Stopperich said. “It’s a relief just to move on. Now, it’s all about focusing on Heritage Hills and the biggest prize is still out there.”

In Class AA, Luke Dziak of Bentworth, Austin Lis of Burgettstown, Liam Shea of Carmichaels, Mike Kondratik of Charleroi and Cody Dobbin of Burgettstown qualified for the PIAA Championships.

Lis and Dobbin, who are both students at Avella but compete for the Blue Devils as part of a co-op, finished tied for fourth and 17th, respectively.

“I actually hit the ball well,” said Lis, who was just four strokes behind the winner. “It’s good to go into states after a round like this. I haven’t had a good round in weeks. This course is tough and I struggled on a few holes, but I got it done.”

Like many golfers, Shea, who earned a trip to the qualifier by winning a one-hole playoff at the WPIAL Class AA Championships, had trouble with the narrow fairways on Nos. 3 and 4. He lost two balls on the latter, but carding a 3-over-par on the back-9 helped him salvage his round.

“I started out pushing the ball, but I settled down and started finishing my swing,” Shea said. “Everyone knows (holes 2-4) are the hardest. You can always make it up and that’s what I did.”

The nine local qualifiers will begin competing Monday in York with the championship rounds Tuesday. The team championships are Wednesday. Two-time WPIAL champion Peters Township is entering the tournaments after another strong round, but this time it was Schmidt who led the way.

“I’m really proud of those guys,” Schmidt said of his teammates. “It was tough to see Hunter come up short in that playoff, but we’ll all be together in the team championships. We’re excited.”