ELMSFORD, N.Y. (June 14, 2009) - A field of 156 professionals and amateurs will tee it up in the first round of the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black this coming Thursday, and three of them have strong ties to the Met Area. Though he now makes his home in Fort Worth, Texas, J.J. Henry (left) is a native of Fairfield, Connecticut and was the runner-up in the 1994 Met Amateur at Hackensack Golf Club and the 1997 Ike Championship at Meadow Brook.

Henry, who won the 2006 Buick Championship in Hartford, also played on the 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup team in Ireland. This is Henry’s fifth U.S. Open, with his best finish being a t-26 in 2007 at Oakmont.

Speaking of Oakmont, Sean Farren (right), the head pro at the Creek in Locust Valley, N.Y., was a longtime assistant professional at the storied Pennsylvania club and will now be playing in his first U.S. Open. Farren, 39, made it into the U.S. Open field by shooting 68-70 at Sectional Qualifying in Purchase, N.Y., on June 8. “I’m thrilled,” said Farren about his U.S. Open bid. “We already had a lot of friends and family coming into town for the Open, and this is just going to add to it. I’m sure I’ll see a lot of familiar faces in the crowd and will get some support from the local fans.”

One of the most excited of all U .S. Open competitors has to be Andrew Svoboda (left) of Larchmont, N.Y., was the first alternate to the U.S. Open following Sectional Qualifying and found out on Friday, June 12 that he was officially in the field due to the withdrawl of Sweden’s Robert Karlsson. The 2003 Met Open and 2004 Met Amateur champion, who plays professionally on the Nationwide and Hooters Tour, also won the 2007 New York State Open at Bethpage Black, meaning he and Tiger Woods are the only two players in the field who have won a big tournament on the Black. This is Svoboda’s third U.S. Open appearance in four years. He missed the cut in 2006 at Winged Foot, and last year at Torrey Pines, he also made the field as an alternate, then made the cut and finished tied for 71st. This year, on a course he has played “at least 40 times,” Svoboda hopes to do even better.

You can follow all three of these local players on www.mgagolf.org, with interviews and coverage of their practice rounds, along with live scoring beginning with the first round on Thursday, June 18.