January 24, 2011 – After one of the most competitive seasons in MGA tournament history, anticipation is building for the 2011 season. Every year, players break through for that elusive first MGA title, and last year was no exception, seen with Evan Beirne of Bethpage knocking off defending champion Cameron Wilson at the Met Amateur at Quaker Ridge and John Ervasti of Sleepy Hollow, who won his first MGA title at the MGA Senior Open at Rolling Hills. Besides new champions, there is also a group of players that emerge as strong contenders, and although they may have come up short in 2010, they are knocking on the door of that first MGA win. Surprisingly, they aren’t all 20-something college standouts, and also in the mix is a player who has two prestigious MGA awards to his name. Here is a list of five players who we think have a good shot at breaking into the MGA winner’s circle for the first time in 2011.

Hans Albertsson – The 40-year-old, who plays out of Bethpage re-dedicated himself to tournament golf and came on strong in 2010. Albertsson won the Richardson Invitational in May, but the highlight of his season came at the 108th Met Amateur at Quaker Ridge where he shot a competitive course-record 64 in the second round to secure his spot in match play. Albertsson was eliminated in the quarterfinals, and later in the summer went on to finish runner-up to defending champion Dennis Lynch at the MGA Mid-Amateur. He also represented the MGA at the 2010 French-American matches in Paris.

2011 MGA exemptions: Ike, Met Amateur, Mid-Amateur

Alex Edfort – A young gun from New Jersey and sophomore at the University of the Pacific, Edfort, 19, was at the top of numerous leaderboards in 2010. A semifinalist at the Met Amateur, Edfort lost to eventual champion Evan Beirne 3&2 and was runner-up at the MGA/MetLife Public Links Championship to Brian Komline. He also took medalist honors at qualifiers for both the MGA and U.S. Public Links, and qualified for the U.S. Amateur. He seems poised for a breakthrough win in 2011.

2011 MGA exemptions: Ike, MGA/MetLife Public Links, Met Amateur

Bernard D’Amato – The 2010 CSGA Amateur champion, who plays out of Wheeler Park Golf Course, took that momentum and shifted it over to the MGA circuit. The 20-year-old D’Amato, a sophomore on the Princeton University golf team, made it to the Round of 16 at the Met Amateur and also tied for 5th at the MGA/MetLife Public Links Championship. His 8&6 victory at the CSGA Amateur will go down as the highlight of his 2010 season but he looks to turn that success into even more success in ‘11.

2011 MGA exemptions: Ike, MGA/MetLife Public Links, Met Amateur

Bryan Pendrick – The 2009 LIGA Amateur champion made it to the quarterfinals of the 2010 Met Amateur at Quaker Ridge and, like Edfort, fell victim to Beirne. Pendrick, 36, who played college golf at the University of Florida (’97), finished tied for 9th at the Mid-Am at GlenArbor, made the cut at the Ike and joined Albertsson in France for the French-American challenge.

2011 MGA exemptions: Ike, Met Amateur, Mid-Amateur

Joe Saladino – Now a two-time winner of the MGA Jerry Courville Senior Player of the Year Award, Saladino put together one of his best seasons to date in 2010. So why is he on this list? Because he has yet to claim that first MGA win. However, with four Met Area wins and career-best showings at the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur, Saladino is poised for a big 2011. The 30-year-old’s chase for that elusive first MGA title and his winning record show that he has the physical and mental game to make it happen.

2011 MGA exemptions: Ike, Met Amateur, Met Open