SCARSDALE, N.Y. (August 26, 2013) – Tranquil weather and flawless course conditions at Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, N.Y., offered ideal scoring opportunities for the first round of the 17^th MGA Senior Open.

Forty-two players out of 111 made the cut of 1-over 72 and will advance to the final round on Tuesday. Two-time Met Open champion (’92 and ’08) Mark Mielke of Mill River led the field with a bogey-free 6-under 65. His fantastic front-nine 31 included three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 7^th.

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 “I drove the ball real well, didn’t get in any trouble,” Mielke said. “I knocked it on a couple of the par 5s in two, and made one of them.

“The golf course is awesome. The greens are putting as true as you could imagine, nice and smooth. It was in great shape and a lot of fun.”

Mielke will look to become only the fifth player to win both the Met Open and MGA Senior Open Championships.

Amateur Dan Levinson of Bayonne, who just this past weekend won the Bayonne Club Championship, and 2013 NJSGA Open winner Frank Esposito Jr. both shot 4-under 67s to share second place.

Last year’s runner-up Ed Whitman of Knickerbocker, two-time Senior Open champ Bobby Heins of Old Oaks, amateur and 2010 winner John Ervasti of Sleepy Hollow, longtime Quaker Ridge head pro Rick Vershure, and 2012 third place finisher Tom Sutter of Dunwoodie all came in with 3-under 68s to share fourth.

David Young of Sleepy Hollow, 2007 winner Bruce Zabriski of Westchester, Craig Thomas of Metropolis and former Sunningdale assistant professional Delroy Cambridge of Performance Center sit tied for ninth after 2-under 69s.

Defending champion Peter Busch of Galloping Hill made the cut on the number after an up-and-down round of 72.  

Celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year, Sunningdale greeted players with brilliant playing conditions. The course, which played to a par 71 of 6,420 yards, features rolling Westchester County terrain and picturesque par threes.

The final round will begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and live hole-by-hole scoring will be provided for approximately the final 10 groups. Full coverage can be found on mgagolf.org.