MGA Leads Carey Cup After Day One
MAMARONECK, N.Y. (October 19,2023) – MGA teams went unbeaten on day one of the 17th Governor Hugh L. Carey Challenge Cup, earning an impressive 9-1 lead over Golf Ireland at Winged Foot Golf Club.
Related: Scoring | Pairings | Day 1 Photos
In the afternoon four-ball matches, the MGA took four of five available points to build on a 5-0 lead it enjoyed after sweeping the morning foursomes matches on the East Course. The afternoon matches were played on the West Course.
The MGA won three of the five matches in the afternoon. Mark Costanza of Baltusrol and Brad Tilley of Sleepy Hollow won 3 and 2, as did the duo of Chris DeJohn of Arcola and Christian Cavaliere of Hudson National. Pendleton Bogache of Deepdale and Kaitlyn Lee of Winged Foot closed out their match with a 2-and-1 victory, while the remaining two matches were tied in the afternoon.
Costanza and Tilley were 1-up after the opening nine. The Golf Ireland side of Marc Boucher and Rob Moran leveled the match after winning the par-3 10th. Costanza and Tilley responded with by winning three straight holes to build a comfortable cushion.
DeJohn and Cavaliere jumped out to a 3-up lead through five holes against Quentinn Carew and Darcy Hogg. The duo pushed their advantage to 4-up through 12 before winning the match on 16.
Golf Ireland got on the scoreboard when Mairead Martin and Aideen Walsh tied their match with Ina Kim-Schaad of Deepdale and Catherine McEvoy of Innis Arden. Walsh and Martin were leading 1-up heading into the 18th hole before Kim-Schaad made birdie to help keep the MGA team remain unbeaten on the day.
The second half point for the Golf Ireland team came via a tie with Jack McDonnell and Jack Hearn's match against Matthew Lowe of Bethpage and Darin Goldstein of Deepdale. Hearn and McDonnell were 2-down through 11 holes before winning the par-3 13th and the par-4 15th. Ties the rest of the way in closed out the day's final 9-1 margin.
The teams were the same for the MGA in the morning foursomes matches. Only one of the matches in the morning went all the way to the 18th hole. Kim-Schaad and McEvoy won 3 and 1, Costanza and Tilley were 2 and 1 winners, Lowe and Goldstein won 4 and 2, and DeJohn and Cavaliere were 4 and 3 victors. Bogache and Lee won 1-up.
Due to the inclement weather forecasted for Friday morning, the closing singles matches will begin at 7:30 a.m. and go off Nos. 1 and 10.
The Carey Cup – which originated as the Metedeconk International Challenge Cup – was first played in 1990. The teams played again in Ireland in 1992 but did not meet in 1994. In 1996, the matches were conducted again thanks to an effort spearheaded by the late Governor Hugh L. Carey, who envisioned the matches as an opportunity to foster sportsmanship and goodwill between the countries ever since the matches have been played in his honor with a spirit of camaraderie and competition.
Many consider winged Foot the greatest example of strategic design in the United States, with each hole's challenge visible from the tee and each hole's play reflecting A.W. Tillinghast's belief that "a controlled shot to a closely guarded green is the surest test of a man's golf." Such a demanding and heralded layout has led the Club to a mainstay in major championship golf. The West Course has hosted the U.S. Open in 1929, 1959, 1974, 1984, 2006, and 2020, with another coming in 2028. The West Course has also hosted the U.S. Amateur in 1940 and 2004 and the PGA Championship in 1997. The East Course hosted the 1959 and 1972 U.S. Women's Open and the 1980 U.S. Senior Open.
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