West Penn champion
Victory covers up daily struggle of semi- pro golfer
Beau Titsworth claims prestigious West Penn Open championship.
In the moments after Beau Titsworth sunk a 4foot putt to clinch the West Penn Open title Thursday at Valley Brook Country Club in McMurray, Washington County, he took off his cap, shook hands with his playing partner and smiled to a cheering crowd beside the 18th green.
It was a realization of the scene that played through Titsworth’s head countless times as a kid who grew up obsessed with the game, idolizing Tiger Woods like everyone else in his generation.
Then, he walked off the green, through a crowd that numbered in the single digits and into the parking lot to collect a $ 7,200 check for his efforts — a 16under score across three days that included a course- record 62 Wednesday. Tomorrow, he’ll be back at work, searching for his next opportunity to earn a paycheck, as meager as it may be.
This is Titsworth’s reality, masked by the shiny silver trophy that he hoisted Thursday.
“It’s tough to struggle, but it’s also fun to grind sometimes and figure it out and see the results,” Titsworth said after the trophy ceremony, standing in the shade of the clubhouse’s shadow. “It’s happening now for me, fortunately, but it can drag you down. It’s what makes it fun, seeing how much you’re willing to withstand before you throw in the towel. Because a lot of guys do throw it in at some point, but it’s nice to keep fighting.”
The trophy is rewarding — “it’s nice to have something to show for it later,” he says — but the week’s real value is an acknowledgment of how far his game has come. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 2016, his first few years as a professional took him to exotic locations such as Brazil and the Dominican Republic, but the results didn’t follow.
In his lone appearance on the now- Korn Ferry tour — one level below the PGA Tour — he shot a secondround 82 and missed the cut.
Titsworth’s game, he says now, was marred by inconsistency, a continuation of four college seasons that saw his scores rise every year after winning the Ohio state championship his senior year of high school.
“I just graduated, I didn’t know what else to do,” he said. “I probably should’ve stayed amateur and seen how I would’ve done.”
This past offseason, though, he began working with Kellen Erdman, a high school friend who works as a swing coach in Florida. Slowly, his ballstriking ability has returned, and now the results are starting to come with it.
“I’ve been watching him grind for the last two, three years,” said his father and caddie, Todd. “Just hitting balls and working on the swing and all that other stuff. And to see it all come together — now, it’s starting to come together.
“He’s not there yet. ... But to have it all come together — as a father, you couldn’t be prouder.”
But as nice as it is to be in the moment, both father and son know that winning occasional semi- pro tournaments won’t make for a successful career. That’s a lesson T. J. Howe, Beau’s playing partner Thursday, realized two years ago when he became an assistant coach at Penn State University.
In search of that elusive next step, Titsworth’s next stop is the pre- qualifying tournament for the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship. That’s in two weeks, before the Pennsylvania State Open in August. More semi- pro events surely will be interspersed around the two.
All of it builds toward Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School, the annual shot at career stability for any aspiring pro. Otherwise, it’s back to the scant paychecks of the PGA Tour Latinoamerica.
But even if it is, Titsworth has one simple reason for continuing to push: “I like golf. There was a time when I didn’t and it wasn’t very fun. It’s getting fun again.”
More weeks like this won’t hurt.