SCARSDALE, N.Y. (June 25, 2007) – Fenway Golf Club, the 6,722-yard A.W. Tillinghast gem built in 1922, proved to be among the toughest tests in the history of the Ike Championship, presented by Canon, USA.

None of the 104 talented local amateurs who began first-round play in the Ike expected conditions to be easy. But the numbers at the end of the day told the brutal truth: two over-par was the lowest score, 62 players failed to break 80, and the cut soared to a record nine over par. A total of 41 players survived and will return on Tuesday for the second and third rounds.  

The cream rose to the top on Fenway’s difficult greens, and within five strokes of the lead is a stellar group of area standouts, including four-time Ike champion George Zahringer III, who had a 73. The three leaders, at two-over 72, are Larry Haertel Jr. of Greenwich, the 2006 Ivy League champion out of Brown University; Andreas Huber of Garden City Golf Club, the 2007 Long Island Amateur runner-up; and John Murphy of Brooklawn, who plays collegiate golf at Old Dominion. Asked after his round what the toughest aspect of Fenway was, Huber had a wry smile before saying, “The greens, definitely. It was my first time out here, so I was guessing to a certain extent.”

Joining Zahringer at 73 are Philip Gutterman of Pine Hollow and Andrew Cohen of Hampshire. Cohen, who just completed his freshman year at Bucknell University, had an impressive score considering he struggled off the tee. “I couldn’t hit a fairway all day. I think I hit two or three. But I made four putts over 20 feet, and made the putts I should make. So that’s what saved me,” he said.

Lurking just off the lead are a number of familiar names, including defending championRoger Hoit of Baltusrol, who had a 74, and 2007 MGA Senior Amateur champion and 2006 NJSGA Player of the Year Jay Blumenfeld, who also came in with 74. Morgan Hoffmanof Arcola, a former Carter Cup champion, shot 74, and 2005 Ike champion Andrew Giuliani is four strokes back at 76. David Weisfeld, a Fenway member, used home course knowledge to get himself into contention at 75, and also in at 75 is Adam Fuchs of Hamlet Windwatch, who won the Havemeyer Invitational and the Richardson Invitational earlier this year. Ken Bakst, the 1997 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, shot a 76 as he looks to add an Ike Championship title to his resume (Bakst won the 1996 Met Amateur). Unfortunately, defending Met Amateur champion Tommy McDonagh was disqualified after missing his tee time due to car trouble.

Tuesday’s second round begins at 7:15 a.m., followed by the third round in the afternoon. With temperatures around 90 degrees in the forecast, it promises to be another challenging day at Fenway. Just what the first major championship of the MGA season should be.   

FIRST ROUND RESULTS