ELMSFORD, N.Y. (July 27, 2009) — The Met Area will be well represented at the 2o09 U.S. Senior Open Championship when play begins on Thursday, July 30 at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind. Amateur George Zahringer III of Deepdale and professionals Bobby Heins of Old Oaks,Mike Burke Jr. of Montammy and Jerry Courville Jr.of Shorehaven, who have won 21 MGA major championships between them, will take on the top senior professional and amateur players.

Zahringer, an 11-time MGA major champion and former U.S. Mid-Amateur winner, has consistently played well in the U.S. Senior Open, making the cut and finishing tied for low amateur in both 2005 and 2007. In addition to his dominant play in the Met Area, which includes a victory at the 2007 Ike Championship, Zahringer also finished runner-up to George “Buddy” Marucci at the 2008 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, which made him exempt for the Senior Open.

The Met Area’s professional contingent of Bobby Heins, Mike Burke Jr. and Jerry Courville Jr. is also looking to make a splash at the Senior Open. Heins, a two-time Met Open champ, finally broke through with a win at the MGA Senior Open in 2008 after finishing second on four different occasions. Heins is also one of only six players to successfully defend a Met Open title (1988-89) and notched a victory earlier this year at the Met PGA Senior Match Play Championship. Burke, the 1997 Met Open champion and 1978 Met Amateur champion, tied for second at the MGA Senior Open in 2008 and is hoping that transaltes into a successful run at Crooked Stick. Courville is also looking to add another USGA title to his resume after winning the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 1995. The six-time MGA major champ also has some major championship experience, having played in the 1995 U.S. Open and the 1996 Masters, and was also a member of the 1995 and 1997 U.S. Walker Cup teams.

Full coverage of the U.S. Senior Open will be provided on www.mgagolf.org.