Fox Chapel grad Gregor Meyer is having a winning summer on the golf course
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Not too many Western Pennsylvania golfers have had a summer quite like Gregor Meyer’s.
The Fox Chapel grad has won four tournaments — two this past week, including a course-record 62 at Edgewood Country Club on Thursday to win the Pennsylvania Open qualifier.
Meyer capped his successful week with back-to-back 1-under-par 69s at Hannastown Golf Club to win his first Westmoreland County Amateur title.
The High Point rising sophomore also won the Sunnehanna Amateur qualifier June 29 with a 2-under 68 at Sunnehanna Country Club. He also placed first at the Pennsylvania Golf Association Amateur qualifier June 15, also at Hannastown.
Meyer said his solid play might be a product of the work he put in during the coronavirus shutdown.
“My dad owns a driving range called Pine Creek, so I was able to hit balls all the time,” Meyer said. “We were closed for a while, so it was actually just me over there hitting balls by myself. So I was able to practice all throughout the quarantine, and that practice just led into my play.”
His round last Thursday might have been his best of the summer. The 2016 WPIAL champion carded nine birdies and a bogey en route to an 8-under 62 and qualifying for the 104th Pennsylvania Open in August at Oakmont Country Club.
Heading into the round, Meyer said he knew if he hit fairways and got within 90 yards of the greens, he felt like his short game could carry him. That gameplan came into play on the fourth hole.
“My driver was going dead straight, and once I got to No. 4, which is this really tight par-4 where, if you hit it left, you’re (out of bounds), and, if you hit it right, you’re in the trees and making a six,” Meyer said. “So you kind of have to hit it down a chute, and I made birdie on that hole. So that really got me going.”
From there, Meyer birdied the final two holes on the front nine then shot 30 on the back nine with a little help from a friend.
Meyer was paired with former Fox Chapel teammate and 2019 WPIAL champion Scott Bitar. Bitar struggled on the front nine, shooting a 3-over 38. But when it came to the final nine holes, the Miami (Ohio) commit started to surge. He shot 29 and motivated Meyer during the final nine holes.
“It was so fun playing with him,” Meyer said. “He was a little nervous on the front nine, and he didn’t really play well. But we were just feeding off each other on the back nine. Any time he would make a birdie, I would tell myself that I had to drop in a putt, too.”
Meyer said he made a 20-footer for birdie on No. 13 and felt good about the rest of the holes.
Meyer said he also attributes his recent play to the quality of his opposition. Earlier this summer, he became a member at Hannastown, which allowed him to play alongside some of the better golfers in the area.
“I wanted to play with the best,” Meyer said. “Palmer Jackson plays over there. Mark Goetz plays over there, and a couple other guys like the Fajts (brothers Kevin and Brian) and Sean Knapp, as well. There’s a good group of guys, so I’ve been playing out there a lot, and it’s prepared me well for this summer.”
He is looking forward to returning to Oakmont, where he won his WPIAL title in 2016 as a sophomore.
“I love playing that course, and I caddie over there, too, so I get to see it a good bit,” Meyer said. “But it’s definitely up there. It’s one of my favorites. I didn’t play too well there last year in the West Penn Am, but I’m really excited for this year for sure. I think this year is going to be a lot better.”