ELMSFORD, N.Y. (September 7, 2006) - A large contingent of Met Area players will make the trip west for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship scheduled for September 9-14 at Forest Highlands Golf Club in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Among them will be two-time MGA/MetLife Public Links champion Mark Farrell of Higgins and 2005 MGA Player of the Year Ron Vannelli of Metuchen.  Each of these players hopes to build on the success Met Area players have had in this event.  Over the last 12 years, local players have reached the final match on seven occasions.  Five champions have also emerged from the area and include Ace Eaton formerly of Sterling Farms (2004), nine-time MGA Player of the Year George Zahringer of Deepdale (2002), former Met Amateur champion Ken Bakst of Friar’s Head (1997), former Met Amateur and Ike champion Jerry Courville Jr. of Shorehaven (1995) and the late Jeff Thomas of Plainfield West (1993).

Farrell and Vannelli will anchor an impressive list of players who are in the midst of strong seasons.  In addition to winning the Public Links, Mark Farrell had a t-14th finish at the Ike in June and reached the quarterfinals of the Met Amateur last month.  Vannelli finished t-6th at the Ike Championship in June and was a semifinalist at the New Jersey Mid-Amateur Championship.  Both men are accomplished match play players and will fare well should they reach that portion of the championship.

Joining Farrell and Vannelli in the field will be Michael Deo of Montclair, who was recently named to the MGA team for the French-American Challenge matches, will enter the championship with momentum after a successful summer season.  Deo was runner-up at the New Jersey State Amateur Championship before finishing as the second low amateur at the Met Open in August.  This will be Deo’s second U.S. Mid-Amateur appearance after qualifying in 2002.  The 2005 MGA Senior Amateur champion Stephen Rose of Fresh Meadow.  Rose finished t-4th at this year’s Senior Amateur and will look to build on that success in Arizona.

Jon Doppelt of Fresh Meadow will be playing in his seventh U.S. Mid-Amateur to go along with nine U.S. Amateurs and t-14th finish at this year’s Ike.  Bryan Pendrick of Mill River (N.Y.), also a top-20 finisher at the Ike, will be in the field.

The field of 264 players will begin with a 36-hole stroke play qualifying round after which the top 64 players advance to the match play portion of the championship.  The champion receives custody of the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy as well exemptions from sectional qualifying for the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Senior Amateur, if otherwise eligible.  In addition, the winner is awarded an exemption from local qualifying for the 2007 U.S. Open and a probable invitation to the 2007 Masters Tournament, provided he remains an amateur.

Be sure to follow Farrell, Vannelli, Deo and company as they look to continue the great success of Met Area players in the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.  A link to live scoring will be available on the MGA website (www.mgagolf.org) starting with the stroke play qualifying rounds on Sunday, September 10.