Pairings and Starting Times

May 29, 2009 – Eight-time PGA Tour winner Brad Faxon and recent Senior PGA champion Michael Allen will lead a predominantly local field of 77 players at 2009 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying on Monday, June 8 at Century Country Club and Old Oaks Country Club, both in Purchase, N.Y. Faxon will be looking to earn his 21st appearance in the U.S. Open, which is scheduled for June 18-21 at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. Players will compete over 36 holes of stroke play for one of four coveted spots in the championship. In his first Champions Tour appearance, Allen, a former assistant at Winged Foot Golf Club, won the Senior PGA Championship last week at Canterbury Golf Club in Ohio.

Other prominent Tour professionals in the field include Mathias Gronberg of Sweden, Scott Dunlap of Duluth, Ga., and France’s Jean Van De Velde, who famously finished tied for second at the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie. Joining them will be the traditionally strong field of local professional and amateur players led by four former Met Open champions. One of them, Andrew Svoboda (2003) of Larchmont, N.Y., also a former Met Amateur winner, is looking to qualify for his third U.S. Open after having played in 2006 at Winged Foot and making the cut last year at Torrey Pines. Former Met Open champs Mark Mielke (1992 and 2008) of East Norwich, N.Y., John Stoltz (2005) of Roscoe, N.Y., and Mike Diffley (1991) of Pelham, N.Y., are looking for their first trip to the U.S. Open.

Two-time NJPGA Player of the Year Frank Esposito of Florham Park, N.J., who has already notched two top-fives this year at the NJPGA Charity Classic (t-5th) and the PGA of America Stroke Play Championship (t-2nd), is vying for a spot in the Open after having qualified in 2002. After coming close to making the U.S. Open field at Oakmont in 2007, Bob Rittberger of Garden City, N.Y., is in the field and aiming for success. Other top Met Area professionals include 2008 New York State Open winner Rob Labritz of Bedford Hills, N.Y.; former Met Amateur and MGA/MetLife Public Links champion David Kwon of Palisades Park, N.J.; former MGA Player of the Year and Ike champion Andrew Giuliani of New York City; two-time MGA/MetLife Public Links champion Paul Dickinson of Montauk, N.Y.; and former New York State Open winner Jimmy Hazen of Miller Place, N.Y.

The amateur side is led by United States Walker Cup team captain and 2008 USGA Senior Amateur winner George “Buddy” Marucci of Villanova, Pa. On the local side former Met Amateur champion Michael Stamberger of Plainfield, N.J., emerged from the local qualifying round at Essex County Country Club on May 18 along with 16-year-old Cameron Wilson of Rowayton, Conn., a former MGA/MetLife Boys champion, who was the only amateur to advance from the Laurel Links Country Club local qualifying site on May 12. Another amateur of note includes 2007 Carter Cup champion Max Buckley of Rye, N.Y.

PGA Tour regulars and Met Area natives Marc Turnesa and Johnson Wagner will be trying for a spot on June 8 at the Columbus, Ohio sectional qualifier. Also trying to qualify in Ohio will be former Carter Cup winner, and the number-one ranked collegiate player in the country from Oklahoma State University, Morgan Hoffmann of Saddle Brook, N.J., PGA Tour regular J.J. Henry of Fairfield, Conn., and former Met Junior champion Michael Quagliano of White Plains, N.Y., will attempt to qualify on June 8 in Memphis, Tenn.

Sectional qualifying for the 2009 U.S. Open will be conducted at 13 sites nationwide on June 8. Two sectional qualifiers were played on May 25 in Japan and England. It is the fifth consecutive year that the USGA has offered these two international sectional qualifiers.

Old Oaks and Century Country Clubs are two of Westchester County’s most highly regarded courses and both were listed among the Top 50 courses in the Met Area by a recent ranking in The Met Golfer. Century, designed by the legendary team of H.S. Colt and Charles Alison, opened in 1924 and will be played at 6,809 yards, par 71, for the sectional qualifier. The design of Old Oaks dates back to 1926 and is credited to A.W. Tillinghast and Charles Alison. The course will play 6,665 yards, par 70, for the sectional qualifier. U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying conducted by the Metropolitan Golf Association has a long and rich tradition in the Met Area and especially at Old Oaks and Century, where the event has been held on numerous occasions. As in years past, the day promises to deliver some exciting golf as these 77 players vie for a coveted spot in the U.S. Open Championship.

The Media Center, with wireless internet access, and the main scoreboard, will be at Century Country Club. Any playoff to determine the final qualifying or alternate spots will be played at Century. Food service for players and spectators will be available at both clubs. Scoring updates and results will be available on the MGA Web site. The event is open to the public and spectators are welcome.

For more information, contact Bob Nielsen (bnielsen@mgagolf..org) or Brian Mahoney (bmahoney@mgagolf.org) of the MGA at 914-347-4653 or visit www.mgagolf.org for scoring updates.