Deep Field For MGA Senior Amateur at North Shore
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (May 6, 2010) — Last September, Al Small of Fairmount Country Club (N.J.) pulled away from the field to win the MGA Senior Amateur Championship by seven strokes at Preakness Hills. Now, the 58-year-old Small ventures to Long Island and looks to defend his title at a course that has made recent headlines. Small leads a field of 184 competitors at the 83rd MGA Senior Amateur Championship, to be held May 10 & 11 at North Shore Country Club in Glen Head, N.Y.
The prestigious Senior Amateur is the MGA’s fourth-oldest championship, and top contenders this year include seven other former champions: 2008 winner Ron Vannelli of Metuchen (N.J.); 2007 champion Jay Blumenfeld of Mountain Ridge (N.J.); two-time (2006 & ’01) victor Shawn McLoughlin of Ridgewood (Conn.); Doug Vergith (2004) of St. George’s (L.I.); Steve Rose (2003 and ’05) of Fresh Meadow (L.I.); Ned Steiner (2000) of Mountain Ridge (N.J.); and two-time MGA Senior Amateur champ (1997 & ’99) and six-time NJSGA Amateur champion Bob Housen of Manasquan River (N.J.).
Other top entrants this year include last year’s Met Amateur runner-up, John Ervasti of Sleepy Hollow (N.Y.), who also finished tied for second at the 2009 MGA Mid-Amateur; 2008 MGA Senior Open low amateur Jim Graham of Winged Foot (N.Y.); 2008 MGA Senior Amateur runner-up Joe Sommers of Winged Foot (N.Y.); former Westchester Amateurchampion Tom Yellin of Stanwich (Conn.); and Peter Van Ingen of Deepdale (N.Y.), the 1981 Met Amateur champion and MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year. All are looking for their first MGA Senior Amateur title. Stephen Frantz and Howard Puhn will represent North Shore in the championship hope to use the home-course advantage to secure their first MGA championship, while television personality Maury Povich, a frequent competitor in this event, will tee it up yet again.
The MGA Senior Amateur was last held at North Shore in 1990, when the course was still thought to be an A.W. Tillinghast design. Last month, documents were uncovered that revealed the 6,516-yard, par-72 gem to be the work of Seth Raynor and C.B. Macdonald, adding even more luster to what was already one of Long Island’s most highly regarded courses. Later this season, North Shore design will undergo a renovation project led by Tom Doak, which promises to further enliven a course which also hosted the Met Open in 1919 and the Met Junior in 1955. With its compelling history and challenging layout, North Shore will give this year’s senior amateur competitors a memorable championship experience.
The MGA Senior Amateur is open to players 55 years of age or older with USGA Handicap Indexes of 9.0 or lower. The field will play 18 holes of stroke play on Monday, May 10, after which a cut will be made and the low 30 scores and ties will advance to the second round. Prizes will also be awarded to winners in each of four age categories. The championship will conclude with 18 holes of stroke play on Tuesday, May 11.
Complete coverage of the MGA Senior Amateur is available at www.mgagolf.org, where you can also find live scoring for the final round. For more information on the MGA Senior Amateur please contact Bob Nielsen (bnielsen@mgagolf.org) or Greg Midland (gmidland@mgagolf.org) at 914-347-4653.
About the MGA: The Metropolitan Golf Association was founded in 1897 and is one of the nation’s oldest and largest amateur golf associations, representing more than 500 clubs in the tri-state Metropolitan Area. Through a network of more than 300 volunteers, and a full-time staff operating out of its Golf Central headquarters in Elmsford, N.Y., the Association fulfills its role as a true non-profit service organization. Through a variety of unique, relevant, and innovative services for member clubs and area golfers, the MGA has established itself as a leader among local and national golf organizations.
