ELMSFORD, N.Y. (September 25, 2013) - Eighty-two of the Met Area’s top players aged 35 and older are set to compete in the 7th MGA Mid-Amateur Championship on September 30 and October 1 at Anglebrook Golf Club in Lincolndale, N.Y. The talent-loaded field will take on the crisp early autumn conditions at one of the more scenic layouts in Westchester County for a chance to hoist the Westmoreland Cup, named after Gene Westmoreland, the MGA’s longtime director of rules and competitions.

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Hosting its first MGA championship, Anglebrook, the final design of renowned architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr., will pose a challenging experience for the field of seasoned competitors. The classically designed course, which opened in May 1998, will play to a par 72 of 6,606 yards for the 36-hole stroke play championship and features natural contours and vast, undulating greens. A cut to the low 40 and ties will be made following the first round on Monday, with the final 18 holes being held on Tuesday. 

Looking to defend his title is Mark Henderson of Saint Andrew’s, who stole the show in 2012 with a record-breaking performance at the Meadow Brook Club. The 37-year-old’s final round score (64) was the lowest in the event’s history, as was his 36-hole total of 137 (7-under). Hans Albertsson of Winged Foot finished as runner-up last year (and in 2010) with a score of 4-under par 140, which would have won him the championship any other year.

PHOTOS: Past Champions

Also headlining the field this year is Trevor Randolph of Arcola, who enjoyed a successful summer season, winning the New Jersey Mid-Am and finishing as the runner-up in the Met Amateur at Stanwich. Randolph also claimed his fourth consecutive club championship title at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

Past champions in the field include the only two-time winner, Dennis Lynch of Nassau Players (’09, ’10), Niall Handley of Essex Fells (’11), Greg Rohlf of Winged Foot (’08), and the championship’s first winner, Michael Reardon of Tuxedo (’07).

Former Met Amateur winner Mike Stamberger of Spring Lake is another player to watch. The reigning New Jersey Am champion finished in the top 10 last year and recently qualified for the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur, which begins October 3. Ten-time MGA Player of the Year George Zahringer III of Deepdale is also in the field and will try to keep his momentum rolling, as he recently advanced to the round of 16 of the U.S. Senior Amateur. He also claimed the British Senior Amateur in early August and is a past winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Other names to watch for on the leaderboard include three MGA Senior Amateur winners that are currently playing great golf, including Allan Small of Fairmount (’09), John Ervasti of Sleepy Hollow (’11) and Jay Blumenfeld of Mountain Ridge (’07). Small, a past MGA president, also had a strong showing at the USGA Senior Amateur, where he advanced to the round of 32.

2011 runner-up Gregg Angelillo of Baltusrol and ‘97 U.S. Mid-Am and ‘96 Met Am winner Ken Bakst of Friar’s Head are also among the field’s strongest players. 

Nine-hole scoring will be provided for the first round, with live hole-by-hole scoring provided for the full field during the final round. Full coverage, including photos, video, and results can be found on mgagolf.org throughout the championship.