By:
Ted Sarneso
Saturday, October 4, 2025 | 5:35 PM
Fox Chapel golfer Clara Koteski
Kiski Area golfer Max Mottura
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Clara Koteski
School: Fox Chapel
Class: Junior
Sport: Golf
Claim to fame: Clara finished fourth in the WPIAL Class 3A girls golf finals with a 7-over-par 79 at Sewickley Heights Golf Club on Wednesday. The top seven finishers qualified for the PIAA championships at Penn State on Monday, Oct. 20. Clara’s 9-hole competitive average this year is 39.5. The Foxes are 15-0 overall — the most wins in the WPIAL and good for Section 4-3A champs. Before she heads off to Penn State, Clara will help the team shoot for a WPIAL title Thursday at Cedarbrook Golf Course.
Going back to the first round at Seven Oaks Country Club, you finished tied for sixth with a 10-over-par 82. How disappointed were you in that score, and what went wrong for you that day?
I was not too mad about the score. I thought I made a few dumb mistakes that led me to shooting in the 80s. Things like, I shouldn’t have hit driver on this hole, maybe I should have hit something safer that led to some of those double bogies. Still, with those mistakes, I wasn’t too mad about shooting an 81/82. It was also a tight course.
Nearly a week in between the first round and the final round. How did you go about righting those wrongs and prepare for the finals?
I practiced what I thought my weakness was in the first round, which were my driver and my irons. I also practiced what I was good in to keep that sharp and in check.
What were your thoughts that morning before the finals? Any nerves?
I wasn’t nervous, I just wanted to make states, I didn’t care where I placed, just as long as I finished in the top seven to qualify. I knew all the girls playing that day, like Mya Morgan and Ellie Benson who won WPIALs last year, and knew I had a chance to make the top seven, that anyone could.
Had you played at Sewickley Heights before?
I did one practice round the Saturday before.
Take me through the first nine that day and how you felt you were doing and how the course was playing.
The first hole, I actually double bogied it and thought, ‘This is going to be a long day.’ The second hole I didn’t do to well on, making a 40-footer for bogie. Once I made that putt, I got excited and it grew my confidence.
How would you assess how you played the second nine?
I did the same thing. I doubled number 10 and I was like, oh no. But I remained calm, knowing I could do well, took it shot by shot and knew that if I got in trouble, trying to figure out how I could keep the number the lowest, not hit sixes or sevens, try to get away with a par or bogey,
Finished with a 7-over-par, and with so few spots that qualified for states, at the time were you concerned that you might have missed the cut?
I was scared to check the leaderboard the whole time, so I didn’t. On the final hole my partner that day, her mother was talking to us as we waited on the green and told us she thought we were good to make the cut. I felt more relaxed on the last hole. When I finished, I was excited, mentally exhausted and proud of myself for keeping my position in the top five.
First time headed to states, how excited are you to go?
I’m excited to play more competition than the girls I typically play against. I’m excited to get up there, I’ve played the courses a bunch, and see what I can do.
Longer period in between the WPIALs and the PIAAs, how will you prepare?
I think I’m going to dial in on my clubs and knowing exactly how far my distances are and feel confident in my swing so that when I get to Penn State I feel ready to go.
How far can you hit your driver?
I don’t hit my ball very far, only maybe 220 yards. What I’ve learned is it doesn’t matter if I have an 8-iron in my hand and someone else has a sand wedge, it doesn’t matter how you get there, just that you get a good score. Girls who do hit the ball farther don’t always score better.
What’s your go-to club?
My pitching wedge. Inside 110 yards I’m pretty accurate.
What’s the best round you’ve ever scored?
This past high school season I shot a 4-under-par 32 against Pine-Richland on a nine-hole match.
Which course in PA do you look forward to playing the most?
Oakmont. I play there a lot, and I think it’s fun to play up there with my friends and see how challenging it can be.
Is there a golf course in the country you would like to play?
Maybe Augusta.
Which pro golfer would you like to shoot 18 holes with?
John Daly. I like how funny he is, and he doesn’t take golf too seriously. He just likes to have fun on the golf course.
Who would be in your ideal foursome?
Bryson DeChambeau. He hits the ball hard, and it would be fun to watch. Nelly Korda would be fun to see and maybe Tiger Woods.
What’s it like having your dad as your coach?
I like it. I think its fun, enjoyable. He’s always wanting the best for us and makes us want to do our best for him.
You and your sister were standard bearers at the U.S. Open at Oakmont this year. What was that experience like?
It was really fun to see all the players and the atmosphere as they played good golf. We got to be bearers for Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler and others. We talked to a lot of the guys, and they were all really nice.
Max Mottura
School: Kiski Area
Class: Senior
Sport: Golf
Claim to fame: Max placed fourth in the WPIAL Class 3A boys golf finals that took place Monday at Butler Country Club. He shot a 1-over 71. His performance qualified him for the PIAA championships that will be held at Penn State on Oct. 20.
You shot an even-par 72 in the first round of the championships at Willowbrook Country Club. What do you feel you did well in, and what do you think you needed to sharpen before the finals?
At Willowbrook, I hit the ball fantastic all day, The driver was on, good irons and big wedges. Then I just couldn’t make a putt. I shot a 72 and qualified for the final round, which was fine. I spent that week in between putting a lot, changed a couple feels and the looks of the putter and how it felt. Went to Butler, and it seemed to help.
Last year you didn’t do well in the final round, so were there any nerves going into the final round this year?
Before the event started I had thoughts going through my head, like what if, but I tried to block those thoughts and everything else around me out. When I got on that first tee it became just another round of golf for me. I knew if I hit the ball like I normally do, there was going to be no issue with me making the cut.
Had you played at Butler Country Club before?
I’ve played it a few times.
What did you notice about how the course was playing that day?
The greens are always so quick up there, and that day they were really firm, which made it challenging.
Did all your putting practice help?
I like putting on faster greens because if you get the ball started in the right line, the ball’s going to go in. That’s how I like to putt, and that’s how the greens were rolling. They were pure, fast and in great shape.
How did you do on the front nine?
First hole of the day, I piped one down the middle off the tee and ended up with a birdie. I felt that the hot start was a sign of a good day to come. Then on the par-five second hole I hit driver and I plugged the ball into the lip of a fairway bunker. I barely got it out. Hit a mud ball way left and ended with a double bogey on the hole. All the momentum I had was gone. Then I had a few more stupid bogies and made another double somewhere, and I was five-over through eight. I was standing on the ninth tee box and said if I didn’t do anything about it, I wasn’t going to qualify. I asked myself if I wanted it badly enough, and I just started firing and making putts.
What about the back nine?
When I’m playing, I try to stay in the moment, so I was letting everything that happened on the front nine go. I felt I played to timid on that first nine, so I decided to become more aggressive on the back.
Which hole was your best that day, and which did you struggle with?
Number 11 is a big dogleg left. I hit a great seven wood but missed the green with a wedge. Then I had a chip to the short side of the pin with the green rolling away from me. I hit a nice soft nine, and it rolled in. That really got me going on the back nine.
The most challenging was Number 2. It was a 600-yard par-5, and I was teeing off directly into the wind.
What were you pleased with in that round overall?
It was the way I carried myself. I never let my bad play get to me mentally or bring me down. I stayed positive all day and kept playing.
Now you’re off to states, how excited are you?
It’s going to be a great time. When we were leaving Butler, I told Coach Guzzie that I was more excited to hear that my teammate sophomore Brady Jankowski qualified on the number. I’m so excited to share this experience with him.
What do you know about the Penn State courses and how will you prepare for states?
I’ve played the Blue Course a lot, six or seven times. I played a tournament there two or three years ago and I came in second. I like the course. Tees short, driver-wedge nearly every hole. Definitely a lot of birdies to be made there.
You finished second at the individual Westmoreland County Coaches Association (WCCA) championship, an event you won last year. What did you do well?
It was tough all day. I was hitting fine and then it was just my putting again. I had five three-putts and a four-putt that cost me the tournament. I hit the ball well as I have all season, and I’m going to continue to that up to states and hopefully the putter is working as well.
The team ended up winning the Westmoreland County Coaches Association (WCCA) championship for the second year in a row. What can you say about how strong this group has been over the last two years?
Everybody overlooked us this year. All the other teams thought there was nothing to worry about. We were a young team, and I told those young guys on the bus before the WCCAs “Don’t let anyone get in your head. It’s still just golf. Go out and play your game, and we have a chance”. Everyone played well, and we won by 1. It was crazy. We were pleasantly surprised.
When we spoke together last year, you said you could drive the ball 375 yards. Any increase in that number this year?
No, it’s still in that same ballpark. I’ve gained more speed. I’ve learned a lot over the past year, specifically that hitting the ball straight is more important than hitting it far.
You also previously mentioned your best round was a 7-under par 65. Have you topped that score?
I recently just shot the course record at Glengarry Golf Course in Latrobe. I shot a 60.
Do you hope to play golf in college?
Absolutely.
Do you have a school picked out and an area of study?
I don’t have any schools picked out yet, I do have a few in the back of my mind. I’m looking to go into something in the business field. Going to make a decision here soon.
Tags: Fox Chapel, Kiski Area
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