ELMSFORD, N.Y. (March 21, 2013) - For the first time since 2009, the first golf ball of the MGA championship season will not be struck on Met Area grounds. Six accomplished amateurs from the MGA will travel to the Emerald Isle to battle the Golfing Union of Ireland in the biennial Governor Hugh L. Carey Challenge Cup from April 27-29 at The European Club in Wicklow, Ireland. Fielding one of its strongest international teams ever, the MGA will vie for their second consecutive Carey Cup, the last coming in a 7.5 - 4.5 victory at Bethpage Black in 2011. 

The first Carey Cup was played in 1990, when a team of amateurs from the Golfing Union of Ireland came to compete against a team of MGA amateurs in what was then called the Metedeconk International Challenge Cup (at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson, N.J.) The teams played again in Ireland in 1992, but the event was not held in 1994. In 1996, the late Governor Hugh L. Carey, a proud Irish-American, spearheaded a revival of the matches to foster sportsmanship and goodwill between the countries, and the matches were named in his honor. Every two years since, the Carey Cup has been played in a spirit of camaraderie and competition.

The 2013 MGA Carey Cup team will be captained by recently-elected MGA President Jeff Holzschuh and includes a geographical and generational cross-section of outstanding players:

• Max Buckley, 23, of Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y. Member of the 2012 French-American Challenge team and New York State team that won the 2012 USGA Men’s State Team Championship; finished T2 at the 2012 Ike Championship and runner-up at the 2012 WGA Open.

• Brian Komline, 39, of Black Oak Golf Club in Washington, N.J. Member of the 2012 French-American Challenge team; won the 2012 NJSGA Mid-Amateur, finished runner-up in NJSGA Amateur and was a quarterfinalist/stroke-play medalist at the 2012 Met Amateur.

• Jim Liu, 17, of Stonebridge Golf Links in Smithtown, N.Y. Runner-up/on-site co-medalist at the 2012 U.S. Junior Amateur; currently No. 1 in GOLFWEEK’S Junior Rankings and became youngest player to win the U.S. Junior in 2010 at age 14 (breaking Tiger’s record of 15).

• Mike Miller, 21, of Knollwood Country Club in Elmsford, N.Y. Two-time reigning MGA Player of the Year; member of two prior MGA international teams, including the victorious 2011 Carey Cup squad; member of victorious 2012 New York State team and winner of the individual portion of the same event.

• Joe Saladino, 33, of Huntington Country Club in Huntington, N.Y. Nine-time MGA international team member, including the 2011 Carey Cup; member of victorious 2012 New York State team; winner of the 2012 Travis Memorial and finished T2 at the 2012 Ike.

• Cameron Young, 15, of Sleepy Hollow in Scarborough, N.Y. Coming off a sensational season in which he captured three Met Area invitationals; member of the winning Carey Cup team in 2011 and played in the final pairing at the 2012 Met Open.

The Carey Cup begins with an “Am-Am” competition on Saturday, April 27, which pairs each of the Irish and MGA players with three amateurs in a Best Ball of Four competition. The matches will commence on Sunday, April 28 with foursome (alternate-shot) matches in the morning followed by fourball (best ball) matches in the afternoon. The competition concludes on Monday, April 29 with singles matches. All six players from each team compete in every round of competition.

Recognized as a “true links” by the Links Association, The European Club will provide a stern test for both teams. Designed by Pat Ruddy, the course is ranked among the Top 100 Courses in the World by Golf Magazine. A past venue for the 2007 and 2008 Irish PGA championships, players will compete through natural rolling sand dunes and observe dramatic views of the Irish Sea.

The team from the Emerald Isle has the upper hand when it comes to the history of the Carey Cup, as the GUI has won seven of the 11 competitions contested. But the MGA’s victory in 2011 (their first since 1996), in addition to their youth, could be the start of a special streak and the possibility of their first victory on Irish soil. The team from the GUI will be announced in coming weeks.

- A.J. Voelpel