Glover seizes second-day lead at Fayette County Open
Dan Glover is very pleased with how the C. Harper Chevrolet Fayette County Open has grown in recent years.
鈥淲ith the participation we鈥檝e got from the last couple years, being able to grow it to where we鈥檙e kind of putting people on a wait list to play has been very rewarding in itself,鈥� said Glover who is helping run this year鈥檚 tournament along with Justin Goletz and Greg Moore.
There鈥檚 one storyline that鈥檚 evolved at the 2025 event that even Glover is stunned about.
He鈥檚 in the lead.
Glover shot an even-par 70 for the second best score of the day during Saturday鈥檚 second round at Pleasant Valley Golf Club in Connellsville and holds a four-stroke lead over two-time defending champion and seven-time overall winner Jeremy Enslen and 18-year-old Logan Voytish who both sit a 145 heading into Sunday鈥檚 final round at Uniontown Country Club.
Glover is the only golfer under par for the tournament. He鈥檚 a 1-under after shooting 1-under 71 during the opening round at Duck Hollow Golf Club.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting to be anywhere in this,鈥� Glover said. 鈥淚 just went kind of unconscious for two days. It鈥檚 uncharted territory. When you go in without a lot of expectations and just kind of play golf it makes life a little easier.鈥�
First-round leader Chris Bonchosky followed a 68 with a 78 on Saturday and is alone in fourth place at 146. Matt Karpeal shot his second straight 74 to stand alone in fifth place at 148 and Matt Ondra fired the best round of the day with a 2-under 68 to put himself in sixth at 148.
Santino Marchitello, John Lenkey and Chase Richardson are all tied for seventh place at 151. Fred David and Pat Calvaresi are tied for ninth at 154.
Enslen, Richardson, Mike Revak and Ronnie Jones each carded a 73 to follow Ondra and Glover on Saturday. Voytish was one of five golfers who shot a 4-over 74 along with Karpeal, Marchitello, Jeff Golembiewski and Bob McLuckey.
Glover has the extra weight of helping run the tournament on his shoulders but also is very familiar with the UCC course.
鈥淚 feel comfortable,鈥� Glover said. 鈥淯niontown is the course I typically play at so I have a little bit of a comfort level going in, kind of knowing where my misses should be. If I had to pick a course to go play with a lead, Uniontown would be it.
鈥淗opefully I鈥檒l put up a good number and see what happens.鈥�
Glover cited his driving and putting as keys to his round at Pleasant Valley.
鈥淚 hit my driver really well, kept it in play,鈥� Glover said. 鈥淚 kept the ball in the right positions around the greens. I made three birdies, three bogeys, so just kind of really steady. I made a few really good putts coming down the stretch on 14, 16, 17 and 18.鈥�
Glover was surprised at his performance on Saturday.
鈥淧leasant Valley is usually my nemesis,鈥� Glover said. 鈥淭his is by far my best two rounds, back to back, on these two courses. I had fairly low expectations coming in here today and was just hoping to keep it under 80.鈥�
Voytish has had plenty of success in the Fayette County Junior Open in the past, which is a yearly matchup within the Fayette County Open of four high school golfers, one each from Albert Gallatin, Connellsville, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown.
鈥淚 won the Junior Open three times in a row, from my sophomore year to my senior year,鈥� Voytish pointed out.
Laurel Highlands鈥� Sevi Vecchiolla leads this year鈥檚 Junior Open with a two-day score of 171, 11 shots ahead of Connellsville鈥檚 Hunter Konieczny.
Voytish has his sights set on a bigger prize this year with the Fayette County Open title within his grasp.
鈥淚 feel good about it,鈥� Voytish said. 鈥淚 feel confident considering Uniontown has been my home course since they reopened it. I鈥檓 just going to go out and play my game. If Danny goes out and shoots a 64 and I shoot 65 I鈥檓 not going to be upset, because I played a good round of golf.
鈥淚鈥檓 just going to play and see how it unfolds. If I play good golf, that鈥檚 all I can control.鈥�
Voytish was seeking pars on Saturday.
鈥淕oing into it I just wanted to make as many pars as I could, just hit the green and two-putt and if I made a couple putts, great,鈥� Voytish said. 鈥淚 was just trying to get through the course because the pins weren鈥檛 awesome, they were in some hard spots, the tee box was way back and it was real windy and I hit the ball high.
鈥淚 started out pretty good. The front nine I had two birdies and all the rest pars, so I was 2-under. The back nine I parred the first hole then I got on the bogey train I couldn鈥檛 get off of. I had three bogeys in a row that took me down to 1-over. I just couldn鈥檛 get back my momentum and ended up shooting 6-over on the back. I could not find a rhythm.鈥�
Voytish is looking for more from his driver on Sunday.
鈥淭he driver was not where it usually is today,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 usually a long ball hitter that gets me out there ahead of everybody and it was just kind of not doing anything for me.
鈥淏ut my putting was pretty good all day. I鈥檝e been putting pretty well all weekend.鈥�
Bonchosky singled out two holes that foiled what he felt otherwise would鈥檝e been a solid round.
鈥淢ore or less I had 16 really good holes but I lost my concentration on two holes. It was a costly double bogey on No. 7 and I ended up taking a 9 on No. 17, the island green,鈥� Bonchosky said.
鈥淥n 17, I wasn鈥檛 confident with my tee selection shot. I tried to force a shot that I probably shouldn鈥檛 have played then I let that get to me and it compounded my troubles on the hole. I came back with a solid par on 18 to close it out with a 78.
鈥淎nother difference between today and yesterday was that the putts were lipping in yesterday. I had four birdie putts where if it was yesterday they would鈥檝e lipped in, but today they lipped out. The golf gods giveth and the golf gods taketh away.鈥�
Still Bonchosky will be part of the final pairing on Sunday along with Glover, Enslen and Voytish.
鈥淗ey, I鈥檓 only five off the lead in the final group. I can鈥檛 ask for much more,鈥� Bonchosky said. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 competed in like 20 years. It鈥檚 fun. I鈥檓 just having a good time out there.
鈥淚鈥檓 just going to go out, have a good time again and see what happens tomorrow.鈥�