UPDATED: June 19, 2012 (8:30 a.m.) - 2005 MGA Carter Cup champ Morgan Hoffmann finished strong on Sunday with an even-par 70 which put him in a tie for 29th at the 112th U.S. Open Championship. His overall score of 289 (72-74-73-70) was only eight shots back of the winner, Webb Simpson, who finished at 1-over. Hoffmann, playing in his second Open,  was one of only 14 players on Sunday to shoot par or better on what was a vigorous setup at Olympic Club. 

RELATED: Check out Golf Digest's Photo Essay on Mark McCormick

Stanford University standout Cameron Wilson,  playing in his first Open, shot a pair of 77s on Thursday and Friday and didn't qualify for the weekend. Jim Herman, who fired a solid second-round 72, found himself two-shots over the cut line. Brian Gaffney followed up his opening round 77 with a 78, while Mark McCormick battled back from his first-round 82 to finish with a 77 on Friday. 

MGA U.S. Open Coverage:

Like Father Like Son: McCormicks Winning Big

Photos: Met Area Clubs That Have Hosted U.S. Opens

How They Got There: Wilson Leads at U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying at Canoe Brook

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

June 14, 2012 (2:10 p.m.) - Round one of the U.S. Open Championship is underway and five Met Area players will test their games against a vigorous setup at The Olympic Club. Below are the starting times and pairings for each player in this year's field, along with T.V. times for when you might be able to catch some of their action:

• 9:27 a.m. (Pacific), Hole 1: Mark McCormick, Cole Howard, Nick Sherwood
• 12:45 p.m., Hole 1: Cameron Wilson, Casey Martin, Dennis Miller
• 12:30 p.m., Hole 9: Morgan Hoffmann, John Peterson, Aaron Watkins
• 12:56 p.m., Hole 1: Jim Herman, William Lunde, David Mathis
• 2:57 p.m., Hole 1: Brian Gaffney, Alberto Sanchez, Brian Rowell

RELATED: Cameron Wilson was featured on GolfDigest.com yesterday

RELATED: Bill Pennington writes about Mark McCormick in today's NY Times

Thursday Television Schedule:

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Wilson, McCormick Take in Practice Rounds With Stars

June 13, 2012 - Ah, the benefits of being on the Stanford University men's golf team. Cameron Wilson, who finished as the medalist at Canoe Brook during Sectional Qualifying, played his Monday practice round with Cardinal alumni and former teammates Tiger Woods and Casey Martin in what was certainly the marquee group of the day. No word yet if Cameron made nine birdies like he did on Canoe Brook's North Course. Click here for more photos of the pairing.

Meanwhile, Mark McCormick of Morristown, N.J., played his Tuesday practice round with 4-time major champ and fan favorite Phil Mickelson. He and Phil actually partnered up to take on two 17-year-old amateurs, Alberto Sanchez and Beau Hossler, in an 18-hole match (which they lost). Nonetheless, it fulfilled a dream for McCormick, as Mark Cannizzaro of the NY Post pointed out in his story.

     _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Preview Story: Met Area Players Ready for U.S. Open

ELMSFORD, N.Y. (June 11, 2012) - The Met Area will be well-represented when the first ball is struck at the 112th U.S. Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif. Beginning June 14, five players with MGA ties will compete in golf's toughest major championship on what's supposed to be one of the most challenging Open setups in recent memory.

And it turns out if you've ever won an MGA Carter Cup or been a golf professional in New Jersey, your chances of playing in this year's Open are pretty good. Two of the nine Carter Cup champions will be in the field at Olympic, starting with 2005 winner Morgan Hoffmann. The 22-year-old former first-team All-American is a longtime member of Arcola Country Club in Paramus, N.J., and will be playing in his second U.S. Open (he narrowly missed the cut at Pebble Beach in 2010). He earned a spot by way of a playoff at the Columbus, Ohio Sectional.

Cameron Wilson, the 2009 Carter Cup and '09 Met Am champion, as well as the 2009 MGA Player of the Year, punched his ticket after a near-record-setting, 7-under 65 at Canoe Brook during Sectional Qualifying conducted by the MGA. He actually opened with a 1-over 71 on the South Course but backed it up with nine birdies on his second 18 to earn medalist honors. The 19-year-old Rowayton, Conn., native plays out of Shorehaven Golf Club when he's not out west playing for Stanford University. It is his first U.S. Open.

Also playing in his first Open is Rumson Country Club head professional Brian Gaffney. But it's not the 41-year-old's first major championship, as he already has two PGA Championship appearances under his belt (2000 and '09). The 2011 New Jersey PGA Player of the Year earned an Open spot by also finishing in the top four at Canoe Brook. He shot rounds of 68 and 70 to finish at 4-under-par 138.

That brings us to the man who tied with Gaffney, longtime Suburban Country Club head pro Mark McCormick. Entering Sectionals at Canoe Brook, Mark and his son Ryan were making national headlines for being the only father/son duo in the country competing at the same qualifying event. At 49, McCormick is the oldest of the Met Area representatives. The Morristown, N.J., native fired rounds of 67 and 71 to earn a spot in his first major championship.

The final competitor with Met Area ties is former Trump National-Bedminster assistant pro Jim Herman. Herman, 34, is a regular on the Nationwide Tour and had his best finish on the PGA Tour earlier this year (T14 at the Shell Houston Open).  Like Wilson, Gaffney, and McCormick, Herman qualified at Canoe Brook, where he finished second after tremendous rounds of 68 and 69. This is Herman's second U.S. Open; like Hoffmann, he also qualified for the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

You can follow Hoffmann, McCormick, Wilson and Herman on their Twitter accounts below (and make sure you're following us @MGA1897) for regular updates during U.S. Open week in San Francisco:

Hoffmann - @Morgan_Hoffmann

McCormick - @markproshark

Wilson - @CAWilsonGolf

Herman - @GoHermie