GREENWICH, Conn. (October 2, 2026) – After 18 holes of on-site stroke play qualifying, brackets are set for match play for the men’s mid-amateur, women’s mid-amateur, and men’s senior divisions at the fifth playing of The Farrell at The Stanwich Club.
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Three-time MGA Player of the Year Mark Costanza of Baltusrol fired a 3-under 69 to take the No. 1 seed in the men’s mid-am division. After two birdies on the front (Nos. 5 and 9), his lone bogey came on the par-4 11th. He closed out his round with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17, then made par on 18 to ease his way into match play.
“I think you have a decent idea of where you need to be in order to make match play, and being 1-under, you’ve got a few holes left, you’re really just trying to make pars,” he said. “You hit one close, like I did on 16 and you make birdie, it feels like a bonus. I was happy to birdie that one, hit a great drive down 17, had a mid-iron in for my second and then two-putted, so those are kind of like bonuses and you feel like you can breathe.”
Inaugural Farrell champion and 2022 MGA Player of the Year Brad Tilley of Sleepy Hollow and William Davenport of Pine Tree (Fla.) both carded rounds of 2-under 70.
Shaun Carter of Royal Dublin and Thomas McCarthy of MGA eClub – CT needed to playoff for the final match play position; McCarthy qualified with a par.
Two-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Ina Kim-Schaad of Deepdale had five birdies en route to her 3-under 69 and medalist honors. The 2024 MGA Women’s Player of the Year advanced to the semifinals in 2025.
“It just felt really steady,” she said of her round. “It didn’t feel like any fireworks or anything, I actually had a couple of bogeys, but every time I had a bogey I had a bounce-back birdie. I didn’t let it get to me, and I just kept of focusing on each shot and I stayed really patient out there.”
Defending champion Lauren Greenlief of International Country Club (Va.) and Katie Woodruff of Council Rock (Tenn.) finished one shot back at 2-under. No playoff was necessary in the women’s division; 16 competitors at 6-over or better filled out the bracket.
First-time Farrell competitor Jeffrey Wells of The Country Club of North Carolina was the sole senior competitor under par and eared the top seed after his round of 1-under 70.
Wells credited his putting as they key to his score, as well as guidance from his nephew and caddie Mike. “I came up here with my nephew Mike who’s caddieing for me, and he’s a very calming influence for me,” Wells said. “He’s very good at reading greens and gave me some great lines. I rolled it really well.”
Ned Zachar of GlenArbor finished one shot behind with an even-par 70, while Al LeFevre of Stanwich carded a 2-over 74.
A playoff was needed between seven competitors with scores of 80 to determine the final six match play positions. After a one hole playoff, Rogerty Haggerty of Tamarack, Jeff Putman of Winged Foot, Kevan McKinney of Stanwich, David Greenlaw of Garden City, Ronan Culligan of Saucon Valley, and Michael McLaughlin of Stanwich all advanced.
Matches begin with the men’s division at 7:30 a.m., followed by the women’s division. The seniors will begin at 8:15 a.m. on No. 10.
About the Farrell:
The Farrell, conducted by the MGA in partnership with The Stanwich Club, honors the legacy of longtime Stanwich head professional Billy Farrell. Farrell was Stanwich’s first-ever head professional and set a high standard in all aspects of the profession. He held the role from 1964 until 2000 and passed away in 2020 at the age of 85.
Farrell believed that a tournament should be highly competitive, be conducted in a professional manner, contain an elite field, and provide lifelong memories. The event welcomes competitors in three divisions – Men’s Mid-Amateur, Women’s Mid-Amateur, and Men’s Senior – to compete over 18 holes of stroke play, with the top 16 finishers advancing to match play to determine a champion over the weekend.
