MGA Mid-Am Heads to Maidstone
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (September 4, 2018) – On Sept. 5-6, the 12th MGA Mid-Amateur Championship heads to The Maidstone Club in East Hampton, N.Y., where 105 of the region’s top amateurs aged 30 and older will vie for the title over 36 holes.
Related: Pairings | Mid-Am History
The Mid-Amateur stands as the MGA’s second youngest championship. It debuted in 2007 at Hudson National and has been staged upon some of the Met Area’s most revered venues, with Nassau Country Club, Tamarack Country Club and Bayonne Golf Club hosting the most recent playings. The event is an invitational to competitors at least 30 years of age based on finishes in MGA and Met Area events. The trophy, the Westmoreland Cup, is named for longtime MGA Tournament Director Gene Westmoreland.
While Maidstone has welcomed MGA events such as the MGA Foundation Day of Golf and the Governor Hugh L. Carey Challenge Cup (1999), this will be the first MGA championship hosted by the club. The links layout, which is especially highlighted by the outstanding stretch of Nos. 4-15 that wind among sand dunes between Hook Pond and the Atlantic Ocean, will surely provide a thrilling experience and stern test for the field.
Past Champions
Six past champions are in the field at Maidstone, including the winners from each of the last five years:
Darin Goldstein, Deepdale (2017)
Trevor Randolph, Arcola (2016, 2015)
Niall Handley, Essex Fells (2014, 2011)
Michael Karger, Century (2013)
Dennis Lynch, Nassau Players (2010, 2009)
Michael Reardon, Tuxedo (2007)
Twice as Nice
While the MGA Mid-Am is still in its infancy, claiming the title twice has already been a common occurrence, as Lynch, Handley and Randolph have all done so. Following his win last year at Bayonne, Goldstein aims to become the fourth two-time winner and the third to successfully defend the title.
Winning Ways
Standing as an invitational, it’s no surprise there are a number of players in the field who have already claimed titles this year. Those include:
Colby Anderson, Nassau (Long Island Amateur)
Andrew Biggadike, The Ridgewood CC (Travis Invitational)
Darin Goldstein, Deepdale (Eagle Oaks Invitational)
Jonathan Jeter, Nassau Players (Havemeyer Invitational, MGA Public Links)
Trevor Randolph, Arcola (NJSGA Mid-Am, Boff Invitational)
Fresh off the National Stage
Ned Zachar of GlenArbor advanced to the quarterfinals of last week’s U.S. Senior Amateur and looks to carry momentum to Maidstone. Jay Blumenfeld of Mountain Ridge and Jay Sessa of Gardiner’s Bay also advanced to match play in Oregon, while Ron Vannelli of Forsgate, Jim Hamburger of McCann were also in the starting field and will tee it up in the MGA Mid-Am.
Seeking Another Top Finish
All of those who finished inside the top-10 of last year’s championship are back in the field again this year aiming for another top finish. Those include Goldstein, runner-up Brad Tilley of Sleepy Hollow, Anderson, Devlin Walsh of Shawangunk, Randolph, Jeter, Brad Barnett of Cherry Valley, Jason Bataille of Neshanic Valley, MGA eClub – NYC member Patrick Cooper, Dan Levinson of Bayonne, and Matt Finger of Darlington.
Format
- 36 holes of stroke play over two days
- Cut to the low 40 scores plus ties, and anyone within five strokes of the low score
Coverage
- 9 and 18-hole updates for Tuesday’s opening round
- Live hole-by-hole scores for final pairings during Wednesday’s final round
- Social Media: @MGA1897 on Twitter for updates throughout the day; additional content on Facebook and Instagram
- Scoring, recaps, interviews and photos on mgagolf.org