Hempfield Township father, son win WPGA event

Arnie Cutrell has won numerous amateur golf events in his career.

But probably none was bigger than teaming up with his son Arnie Jr. to win the 101st Western Pennsylvania Golf Association Father-Son Tournament this week at Diamond Run Golf Club by carding a 7-under gross score of 64.

The Hempfield Township duo also won the 2011 Pennsylvania Golf Association Father-Son Championship at Hershey Links and Hershey East Country Club. They shot 134.

Cutrell’s list of titles include the R. Jay Sigel Match Play in 2005, 2006 and 2008, the WPGA Mid-Amateur in 2004, 2005 and 2011, the WPGA Senior Amateur in 2021, the Westmoreland County Senior Amateur four times and numerous others.

For Cutrell, who has won all those competitions over multiple decades, it was a first-time victory in the Chapman format event.

“We won the 2011 Pennsylvania Golf Association’s Father-Son Championship,” Cutrell said. “We played when he was a junior in the West Penn Father & Son.

“Then Arnie (Jr.) went off to college and moved away and worked in Fredericksburg, Va., and worked for the Navy as a civilian. He was able to come back and work from home remotely, but his job changed.”

Now the younger Cutrell, 30, has been able to tune up his golf game.

“We are playing in as much stuff as we can,” the elder Cutrell said. “We are playing in the WPGA Amateur at Sunnehanna Country Club next month, and I cannot wait to compete against him.”

The Cutrells edged two other father-son teams: Trent and Chuck Meyers finished second at 5-under while Gregor and Gregor Meyer placed third at 4-under.

Arnie Cutrell Jr. said: “My dad’s taught me a lot. I’ve watched him play, and he’s always kept his composure. That’s one of the biggest things.”

Arnie Cutrell also won the WPGA’s first Senior Series event this year.

“Winning this is very special,” Cutrell said. “We are making this like our last hurrah.

“We were struggling early, but Arnie got us going by sinking a birdie putt on No. 8 and an eagle putt on No. 9. I added a birdie on No. 10, but he kick-started our round. He contributed in a big way.”