Met Area Team Complete for 21st French-American Challenge
In 2022, the Met Area team picked up its first win in the French-American Challenge since 1991.
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (August 29, 2024) – The Met Area team is now set for the 21st French-American Challenge, with Pendleton Bogache of Deepdale, Christian Cavaliere of Hudson National, Chris DeJohn of Arcola, Adam Friedman of Sterling Farms, Ami Gianchandani of Watchung Valley, Darin Goldstein of Deepdale, and Christina Parsells of Somerset Hills, completing the squad.
These seven competitors join Mark Costanza of Baltusrol, Ina Kim-Schaad of Deepdale, Matt Lowe of Bethpage, Catherine McEvoy of Innis Arden, and Brad Tilley of Sleepy Hollow to take on the Ligue de Golf Paris Il-de-France, October 24-25 at Golf de Fontainebleau in Fontainebleau, France.
Related: Five Selected for French-American Challenge | French-American Challenge History
Goldstein brings veteran leadership to the squad, this being his ninth consecutive time competing on an international team between the Carey Cup and French-American Challenge. Cavaliere and DeJohn are both making their third appearance on an international team, while Bogache is making her first French-American Challenge appearance after being part of the victorious Carey Cup team last year. Friedman, Gianchandani, and Parsells are all making their first international team appearances.
Cavaliere has put together another solid season in the Met Area, led by a runner-up finish in the Met Amateur and a tie for third in the Met Open. Goldstein logged a tie for 12th in this year’s Long Island Open advanced to match play at the Met Amateur, and was a semifinalist in the Long Island Amateur, while DeJohn’s season highlights include advancing to the quarterfinals of the Met Amateur and finishing eighth in the New Jersey State Open. Friedman has come on strong this season, finishing as a quarterfinalist in both the Connecticut and Westchester Amateur championships, and advancing to match play in the Met Amateur, in addition to top-10 finishes in the CSGA’s Russell C. Palmer Cup, Connecticut Open and Mid-Amateur.
Bogache, who went 2-0 in her Carey Cup matches last year, also tied for seventh in the women’s Met Amateur. Gianchandani and Parsells will bring plenty of experience to the squad. Gianchandani’s summer has been highlighted by runner-up finishes in both the NJSGA Women’s Amateur and WMGA Match Play “A” Championship. Gianchandani this spring finished up her collegiate career, playing as a graduate student at Auburn after a standout career at Yale where she was twice the Ivy League Player of the Year. Parsells won the NJSGA Women’s Mid-Amateur, tied seventh in the Women’s Met Amateur, and in September will compete in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.
This is the first year that the team has consisted of seven men and five women, an expansion of one male and one female. The matches remain the same however, with five four-ball and five foursomes matches – three men’s, two women’s – taking place on day one and 10 singles matches – six men’s, four women’s – taking place on the second day of the competition.
This year’s team will be captained by MGA President Patrick Donnelly, with past MGA international team competitors Greg Rohlf of Winged Foot and Gail Flanagan of Westchester Country Club serving as co-captains.
The French-American Challenge was introduced as “Fred’s Cup” in 1990, named after sponsor and international jeweler Fred Joaillier. It was conducted annually from 1990-1998, and since 2000 has been played every other year while alternating between the Met Area and sites in France. It did not take place in 2020 due to COVID.
The competition features three sessions: four-ball and foursomes on the first day and singles matches on the second day. The French-American Challenge Am-Am precedes the matches, pairing each of the team members with other amateurs in a best ball gross and net format.
Golf de Fontainebleau is hosting the French-American Challenge for the second time, last welcoming the matches in 2010.