ELMSFORD, N.Y. (May 20, 2011) – The local phase of qualifying for next month’s 111th U.S. Open Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, is complete, with four local qualifying rounds conducted by the Metropolitan Golf Association at four member clubs in the Met Area. The fields of professionals and amateurs who dream of advancing through two stages of qualifying to compete in the national championship now know whether they still have a chance to advance to golf’s biggest stage.

The four MGA-conducted local qualifiers were held at Glen Head Country Club in Glen Head, N.Y., Trump National Golf Club-Colts Neck in Colts Neck, N.J. and Ballyowen Golf Club in Hamburg, N.J. Players who advanced through local qualifying will compete in one-day sectional qualifying at 11 sites around the country on Monday, June 6, with the MGA conducting sectional qualifying at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J. There are also two international qualifiers that will be conducted in Japan and England.

Notable players who advanced out of the MGA local qualifiers include: Former PGA Tour winner and two-time MGA champion Jim McGovern of Oradell, N.J. (Ballyowen); 2010 Met Open winner Bob Rittberger of Garden City, N.Y. (Glen Head); Four-time NJPGA section champion Frank Esposito of Florham Park, N.J. (Trump-Colts Neck); NJSGA Mid-Amateur winner Kevin McSorley of Old Bridge, N.J. (Ballyowen); Saint Andrew’s Country Club assistant professional Greg Bisconti of South Salem, N.Y. (Brae Burn), and 2005 Met Open champion John Stoltz of Roscoe, N.Y. (Brae Burn).

Professionals and amateurs with a Handicap Index of 1.4 or better are eligible to compete in U.S. Open qualifying. This year’s hopefuls included many former MGA champions. Below is a breakdown of each local qualifier being run by the MGA, with links to results:

Wednesday, May 11: Trump National GC – Colts Neck, Colts Neck, N.J. – 6 qualifiers plus 2 alternates
Results

Wednesday, May 11: Glen Head CC, Glen Head, N.Y. – 8 qualifiers plus 2 alternates
Results

Tuesday, May 17: Ballyowen GC, Hamburg, N.J. – 5 qualifiers plus 2 alternates
Results

Thursday, May 19: Brae Burn CC, Purchase, N.Y. – 8 qualifiers plus 2 alternates
Results

U.S. Open local qualifying began at other sites around the country on May 6th. Players with Met Area ties that will be competing in local and sectional qualifiers at other sites include 2005 Carter Cup champion and Oklahoma State All-American Morgan Hoffmann of Wyckoff, N.J., advanced through local qualifying at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is scheduled for the sectional qualifier at the Dallas Athletic Club. Other notables include former Carter Cup winner Chris DeForest, who advanced through local qualifying at Meridian Hills Country Club in Indianapolis and will play in the St. Charles, Illinois, sectional. Nationwide Tour player and former Met Open and Met Amateur champion Andrew Svoboda is exempt through local qualifying and will be in the sectional qualifying field at Canoe Brook. 2010 Met Amateur champion, Evan Beirne of Hollis, N.Y., who has since turned professional, qualified out of the local qualifier at Shorehaven Golf Club in East Norwalk, Conn., that was conducted by the CSGA. Beirne will be competing at the Canoe Brook sectional. 2009 MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year and former Met Amateur and Carter Cup champion Cameron Wilson of Rowayton, Conn., did not advance through the local qualifier at Cordevalle Golf Club in San Martin, Calif., and 2008 and ’06 Met Amateur champion Tommy McDonagh of East Norwalk, Conn., finished as the second alternate in the CSGA’s local qualifier at his home club of Shorehaven, while two-time Ike winner Mike Ballo Jr. of Stamford, Conn., did not advance out of that same qualifier..