Braddock Damore

There have been a few firsts for Braddock Damore during the Warren senior’s 2023 high school golf season.

Damore recently won his first District 10 3A Boys Golf Championship. A day prior, Damore and his Dragon teammates won the school’s first-ever D10 team title.

Damore was ranked first during the Region 6 regular season with an 18-hole average of 71. He shot a two-day 147 on Oct. 2-3 at The Country Club of Meadville to win the individual D10 title by three strokes.

Now, he’ll tee off at 9:10 a.m. today at Penn State University’s Blue Course among 72 PIAA qualifiers.

“Everything seems as normal as usual,” said Damore. “I want to win. My main goal is to win states. My game is feeling really good and I really think that it can show that this Monday and Tuesday. I could not be more excited to compete for this state title. I have been waiting for this opportunity since I started my high school career, and I just have to trust the work I’ve put in and go with it.”

While this is Damore’s first trip to states, it’s not his first trip to Penn State University’s Blue Course.

“I played an AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) qualifier at this course last summer, but that was in good, warm weather,” he said. “I am not to sure what to expect when it is in bad, cold weather, so it should be interesting.”

Cathedral Prep’s Cooper Wierzchowski was runner-up at the D10 3A tournament with a two-day 150 — three strokes back. He also advanced to states as the top two from District 10 qualified for the PIAA Championships.

The son of an area golf pro, Damore has really improved since he was a high school freshman playing in his first season of competitive golf. Two-and-a-half years later, he finished third in the Pennsylvania Boys Junior Amateur Championship and became fully exempt on the AJGA Tour, qualifying for nationals next month in Louisiana. He was fifth in the D10 tournament as a sophomore and sixth as a first-team all-region and all-district junior. This is his first trip to the PIAA tournament after becoming Warren’s first D10 champion since current WAHS golf coach Nate Sandberg won it in 2014. Once the postseason is finished, Damore will concentrate on picking a college.

“I believe Braddock is one of the better players in the state,” said Sandberg. “If he keeps his composure and avoids big numbers, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends his (high school) career with a high finish. I am so proud of all the work he has put in this season and am fortunate to be his coach.”