MGA Mid-Am Heads to Manasquan River
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (October 9, 2024) -- The MGA Mid-Amateur Championship has become a year-end goal and circled date on the calendar for Met Area players aged 30 and above, with the invitational serving as the final individual championship on the MGA calendar and taking place at a top venue in the region. This year, the 18th playing heads to Manasquan River Golf Club for the first time, October 14-15.
Related: Pairings | Mid-Am History | Mid-Am Records
The championship debuted in 2007 at Hudson National and has since visited some of the region's most respected courses, with Friar's Head, The Tuxedo Club, and Country Club of Fairfield hosting the most recent playings. Players earn the highly sought-after invite based on finishes in MGA and other Met Area events. The trophy, the Westmoreland Cup, is named for longtime MGA Tournament Director Gene Westmoreland who was instrumental in launching the championship and has a great passion for the mid-amateur game.
Related: The DROP Podcast Previews Manasquan River with Head Golf Professional Chris Dymek. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube.
Past Champions
The field includes eight past champions that account for 11 of the 17 titles in the championship's history.
Pat Wilson, Hamilton Farm (2022)
Chris DeJohn, Arcola (2021)
Brad Tilley, Sleepy Hollow (2019)
Darin Goldstein, Deepdale (2017)
Trevor Randolph, Arcola (2016, '15)
Niall Handley, Rock Spring (2014, '11)
Michael Karger, Century (2013)
Dennis Lynch, Baiting Hollow (2010, '09)
MGA Champions
Overall, the field includes 15 winners of MGA championships:
| Name | Affiliation | MGA Victories |
| Jason Bataille | Raritan Valley | '04 Public Links |
| Chris DeJohn | Arcola | '21 Mid-Am |
| Matthew Fields | Quaker Ridge | '21 Ike |
| Andrew Giuliani | Trump Bedminster | '05 Ike, '09 Met Open |
| Darin Goldstein | Deepdale | '17 Mid-Am |
| Niall Handley | Rock Spring | '11, '14 Mid-Am |
| Tim Hegarty | Sleepy Hollow | '24 Farrell |
| Michael Karger | Century | '13 Mid-Am |
| Eric LeFante | Somerset Hills | '12 Public Links |
| Dennis Lynch | Baiting Hollow | '09, '10 Mid-Am, '22, '24 Senior Am |
| Matthew Mattare | MGA eClub - NJ | '17 Met Amateur |
| Trevor Randolph | Arcola | '15, '16 Mid-Am |
| Michael Stamberger | Manasquan River | 1987 Boys', '03 Met Amateur |
| Brad Tilley | Sleepy Hollow | '03 Ike, '22 Met Amateur, '19 Mid-Am |
| Pat Wilson | Hamilton Farm | '13 Met Amateur, '22 Mid-Am |
Mid-Am Momentum
Two-time champion Trevor Randolph owns the longest active streak of consecutive top-10s in the event (3), and owns a record eight career top 10s in the championship. The 2015 and 2016 champion had a strong showing in the MGA Senior Open, finishing as runner-up while capturing low amateur honors.
Time for a Three-time Winner?
Randolph, Niall Handley, and Dennis Lynch stand as the three two-time champions of the MGA Mid-Amateur, all aiming to become the first-ever three-time champion of the event.
Welcome to the Mid-Am
The MGA Mid-Amateur field welcomes new players each year as they reach the 30-year-old mark and meet the age of eligibility. The 30-year-old first-time competitors this year include Tyler Cline of The Tuxedo Club, Peter Tasca of Knickerbocker, Justin Brock of Atlantic, and Steven Pedersen of Plainfield.
Points on the Line
With the season winding down, the MGA Mid-Amateur Championship is one of the final events to collect points for the MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year Award. The winner will receive 150 points. Recent winner of the Farrell Tim Hegarty of Sleepy Hollow sits at No. 5 on the listing with a secured Honor Roll (top 10) finish for 2024. Others aiming to make a jump toward the Honor Roll include Eric Lefante (12th), Andrew Giuliani (16th), Chris DeJohn (21st), Randolph (22nd), and Pat Wilson (T25th).
Manasquan River Golf Club
- Founded in 1922, with nine holes opening in 1924 and its full 18 holes in 1926.
- The layout covers two distinct nines, covering pastures and swamplands as well as elevated woodlands.
- The club is welcoming just its second MGA championship, previously hosting the MGA Father & Son Championship in 1998.
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 after 18 holes
Coverage
- Live hole-by-hole scoring for both rounds
- Social media: @MGA1897 for additional updates on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook
- Scoring, recaps, photos, and more on mgagolf.org