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Van Sickle chasing his 3rd Western Pa. Golf Association Open Championship

Paul Schofield
| Tuesday, July 23, 2024 9:42 p.m.
Paul Schofield | TribLive
Pittsburgh’s Michael Van Sickle celebrates a birdie putt on No. 18 at Indiana Country Club on July 23, 2024, during the second round of the 121st WPGA Open.

Mike Van Sickle hasn’t won the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association’s Open Championship since 2015.

But the 37-year-old Pittsburgh native finds himself atop of the leaderboard at the 121st Open heading into Wednesday’s final round at Indiana Country Club.

Van Sickle shot a 6-under-­par 65 during the second round Tuesday for a two-day total of 8-under 134 and leads Greensburg native Kevin Fajt by a shot and Irwin native Dan Obremski by two shots.

Fajt also shot a 6-under 65 during the second round and is at 7-under 135, while Obremski had his second consecutive 3-under 68 and is 6 under at 136.

The trio will tee off at 9:50 a.m. for the final round.

The field was trimmed to 34 players after the second round.

Van Sickle started fast during the second round with three-consecutive birdies. He added a fourth birdie on No. 6 and then two more on the back nine — Nos. 11 and 18.

The birdie on No. 18 gave him the lead after he got up and down from a bunker.

“I didn’t have much room,” Van Sickle said. “My third shot was in the back of the bunker near the lip. I had a foot between my ball and the back lip, and I hit a good shot to 12 feet and then made the putt. I was a little surprised.”

Van Sickle said when he talked to his wife and mom Monday night, they said, “you don’t sound too concerned.” “I told them if I played like I did on Monday, I’d be OK. I was.”

Van Sickle also won the Open in 2013.

“All I am going to do during the final round is play the best I can and make some birdies,” Van Sickle said. “I made the putts early. It would be nice to get a sizeable exemption into this.”

Fajt, 46, got off to another good start and played well throughout the round.

“I’ve played here a lot,” Fajt said. “This is where I played when I went to college. I know the course fairly well and it certainly went well.”

Fajt just missed an eagle putt on No. 18 when he hit a 3-wood 240 yards to the front of the green. He rebounded from a bogey on No. 16 by dropping a 25-foot putt on No. 17 for birdie and getting another birdie on No. 18.

“I made a really good putt for birdie on No. 17,” Fajt said. “I finished OK Monday, but I didn’t let that bad stretch in the middle of the round bother me. I got off to another good start again.”

Obremski was a tri-leader with Scott Jordan and Gregor Meyer. He finished with four birdies and a bogey. He birdied Nos. 16 and 17 after a bogey on No. 15.

Peters Township’s Jake Sollon is fourth at 5 under, while Easton Renwick and Nathan Platt are tied for fifth at 4 under. Justin Griffith is seventh at 3 under. Tied for eighth at 2 under are Louis Olsakovsky, Alec Stopperich, last year’s winner Beau Titsworth, Matthew Mattioli and Jordan.


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