Four Met Area courses set to host qualifiers next week

ELMSFORD, N.Y. (May 14, 2010) – The 110th U.S. Open is just one month away and the best players in the Met Area and around the world have their sights set on this year’s host site, Pebble Beach Golf Links. To get there, most players must advance through two stages of qualifying, beginning at the local level. This year, the MGA is hosting four local qualifiers, taking place at four separate Met Area courses over three days from May 17-19.

On Monday, May 17th, the MGA will conduct two 18-hole local qualifiers at Montammy Golf Club in Alpine, N.J., and Willow Ridge Country Club in Harrison, N.Y. The next local qualifier will be held Tuesday, May 18th, at Eagle Oaks Country Club in Farmingdale, N.J., and the final one on Wednesday, May 19th, at Noyac Golf Club in Sag Harbor, N.Y.

 

Professionals, and amateurs with a Handicap Index of 1.4 or better, may compete in U.S. Open qualifying. Met Area players young and old will compete in large fields, with only a handful of competitors advancing to the second qualifying round. This year’s entrants with local ties have deep tournament backgrounds on the junior, collegiate and professional levels, and include a number of past MGA champions. Included in this mix is 2009 MGA Player of the Year and Met Amateur champion Cameron Wilson of Rowayton, Conn., 2009 Met Open champion Andrew Giuliani of New York, N.Y., and Andrew Svoboda, who has played in the past two U.S. Opens and made the cut at Torrey Pines in 2008. Local club professionals in the field include Greg Bisconti of Saint Andrew’s, the low club pro at the 2009 PGA Championship; Frank Bensel of Century; and Sean Farren of The Creek. Farren played last year at Bethpage and looks to qualify for the second consecutive year.

 

Below is a breakdown of each local qualifier being run by the MGA next week with players to watch:

Monday, May 17: Willow Ridge CC, Harrison, N.Y. – 8 qualifiers plus 2 alternates

Mike Ballo Jr. (a), Stamford, Conn. – 2009 Ike champion and 2009 Westchester Amateur champion

Frank Bensel, Greenwich, Conn. – Won 2010 Westchester PGA & 2007 Met Open. Played in ’07 U.S. Open

Greg Bisconti, South Salem, N.Y. – Low club pro at 2009 PGA Championship

 

Monday, May 17: Montammy CC, Alpine, N.J. – 6 qualifiers plus 2 alternates

Kevin Foley, Somerville, N.J. – 2008 Ike champ with 2 wins this year as senior at Penn State

Martin Catalioto, Hilton Head, S.C. – ‘98 Met Junior champ, made First Stage of ’09 Q-School

Andrew Giuliani, New York, N.Y. – 2009 Met Open champion

John Stoltz, Roscoe, N.Y. – 2005 Met Open champion as an amateur

 

Tuesday, May 18: Eagle Oaks CC, Farmingdale, N.J.  – 6 qualifiers plus 2 alternates

Greg Baker, Boonton, N.J. – 2010 NJPGA Match Play champion

Bill Britton, Rumson, N.J. – Past PGA Tour and Met Open winner

Brian Gaffney, Monmouth Beach, N.J. – Played in 2009 PGA Championship

Andrew Svoboda, Orlando, Fla. – Past Met Open winner who has played in last two U.S. Opens

Cameron Wilson, Rowayton, Conn. – 2009 MGA Player of the Year, headed to Stanford Univ.

 

Wednesday, May 19: Noyac GC, Sag Harbor, N.Y. – 8 qualifiers plus 2 alternates

Keith Dicciani, White Plains, N.Y. – Played in 2009 PGA Championship

Sean Farren, Locust Valley, N.Y. – Played in 2009 U.S. Open, t-5 at 2009 Met Open

Rob Labritz, Pound Ridge, N.Y. – 2008 N.Y. State Open & Met PGA Head Pro champion

Jim Liu, Smithtown, N.Y. – 14 years old, 2009 IJGT Player of the Year

Matthew Lowe, Farmingdale, N.Y. – 14 years old, qualified for 2009 MGA/MetLife Public Links

Joe Saladino, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. – 2008 MGA Player of the Year

 

U.S. Open local qualifying began on May 7th, and some Met Area players have already advanced to Sectional Qualifying by means of playing at other local sites around the country. As of May 14th, 8 Met Area players had secured a spot in Sectional Qualifying. These include former PGA Tour, Met Open and Amateur champion Jim McGovern of Oradell, N.J.; Colin Amaral of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Craig Thomas of White Plains, N.Y.; Tyler Hall of Wayne, N.J.; and amateurs Thomas Gramigna of Haddonfield, N.J.; Stephen Scialo of New City, N.Y.; Mike Furci of Sayville, N.Y.; and Morgan Hoffmann of Wyckoff, N.J. All of these players, with the exception of Furci and Hoffmann, are slated to play in the Sectional conducted by the MGA at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J., on June 7th. Furci will try to advance to the U.S. Open via Woodstock, Ill., and Hoffmann, who was exempt from local qualifying because of his selection to the 2009 U.S. Walker Cup team, is scheduled to play at the Memphis, Tenn., qualifier.