JACKSON, N.J. (May 7, 2012) - Former MGA Senior Amateur (2008) and Met Amateur (2005) champion Ron Vannelli of Metuchen fired an even-par 72 to take sole possession of first place after round one of the 85th MGA Senior Amateur Championship at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson, N.J. Vannelli, who was also the 2005 MGA Player of the Year, recorded four birdies in his round and credited his balanced play to a strong performance off the tee. 

“I drove the ball well, I think I missed three fairways in all,” Vannelli said. “The greens were perfect, the fairways were perfect, and the course was short enough for me, so that was good.” 

Vannelli, 64, will go off in the final pairing for Tuesday’s second round with another familiar face, James Graham of Winged Foot. Graham opened with a 1-over 73, which until Vannelli finished his round looked like it would be good enough to hold the first-round lead.

“This is a tough golf course to keep a good score going,” said Graham, who used to come to Metedeconk regularly to compete in the club’s invitational. “I played a bit more conservative today and hit a lot of 3-woods off the tee, and that seemed to work for me.”

Tom Trakoval of Port Jefferson, Gerald Garber of Lake Success, and Nelson Debow of Newton round out the top five and are three strokes off the lead at 3-over 75. Also lurking close to the lead at 4-over 76 are three very accomplished competitors—defending MGA Senior Amateur champion John Ervasti of Sleepy Hollow, his playing partner and 11-time MGA major champion winner George Zahringer III, and 2007 Senior Amateur winner Jay Blumenfeld of Mountain Ridge. 

“Metedeconk has always had great green complexes, and I thought the hole locations today were challenging,” Zahringer said. “Even on some of the shorter par fours, where you had wedges and 9-irons, it was hard to get the ball close. I made my birdies on the par fives because par-four birdies were few and far between.” 

Thanks to a steady breeze and fast, difficult greens, Metedeconk protected itself from low scores, as only 27 players out of the starting field of 168 players aged 55 and older managed to break 80.

Thirty-three players made the cut, which came at 8-over 80, and will go out in groups of two for the second round on Tuesday, May 8 beginning at 8 a.m. Leaders will be teeing about at approximately 10 a.m.

Other notables who qualified for the second round include 2009 winner Al Small of Fairmount (77); two-time winner (’97 and ’99) Bob Housen of Manasquan River (77); and 2011 MGA Senior Amateur runner-up Bill Henry of Forsgate (79).

Complete coverage of the MGA Senior Amateur is available at www.mgagolf.org, where you can also find live scoring for the final round. Also follow the Senior Amateur via My MGA Mobile App and through the MGA’s Facebook and Twitter (@MGA1897) pages.