FRESNO, CA.--Eight-time MGA Player of the Year George Zahringer III’s bid to capture his first USGA championship came up short on the final hole of yesterday’s 21st U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship final at San Joaquin Golf Club.  After making a 25-foot birdie putt on the 35th hole to send his match against 1994 champion Tim Jackson of Germantown, Tennessee to the final hole, Zahringer eyed a make able eight-foot birdie that could potentially send the match to extra holes.  Unfortunately, Zahringer could only remain a spectator as he watched Jackson sink his 12-foot birdie putt to close out the match 1-up.

It was the end of a storied week for the 48-year old member of Deepdale Golf Club on Long Island, who earned his best ever finish in a USGA championship after previous quarterfinal appearances in the 1986 & ’87 U.S. Mid-Amateurs and the ’92 U.S. Amateur.  “I would have liked to have had a chance to go extra holes but that wasn’t to be, but nonetheless I’m very excited about the tournament and how well I played.  Tim’s a great champion-he’s a wonderful putter and made some really key putts today, “ Zahringer said after nearly becoming the championships’ oldest victor.

After beginning the season with a victory at both the Ike Championship and the Hochster Memorial and ending with victories at the Boff Memorial and the Nassau Invitational, Zahringer seems poised to capture his record ninth MGA Player of the Year Award.     

A host of Met Area players made their mark in this year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur including 1995 champion Jerry Courville Jr. of Milford, CT, 2001 Connecticut Amateur champion Mark Farrell of Westport, CT, and 2001 Long Island Amateur champion Al Falussy of Dix Hills, NY, who all advanced to the match play portion of the championship.