ELMSFORD, N.Y. (September 14, 2006) - The MGA and WMGA have announced the members of the French-American Challenge Team that will compete in Paris against the Ligue de Paris at Le Priure Golf Club on October 12 and 13.  The six-man MGA team includes Allan Small of Fairmount, Ron Vannelli of Metuchen, Roger Hoit of Baltusrol, Mark Farrell of Higgins, Joe Saladino of Huntington and Michael Deo of Montclair.  The WMGA team is comprised of Gail Flanagan of Westchester, Woodway’s Sheila Torgan, Becky Pernicone of Forsgate and Adrienne Maclean of Montclair.  MGA President Don Hendler will serve as the men’s captain and WMGA President Kathy Light as women’s captain.

This year’s team features a group of men who have excelled in the Met Area, as well as on the national stage, over the past two seasons.  Anchored by 2006 N.J. Mid-Amateur champion Allan Small, the team features players who have been at or near the top in nearly every event in the area.  In addition to his mid-amateur victory, Small notched a victory at the Hochster Memorial in June as well as a t-4th finish at this year’s Ike.  He currently is in contention for the MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year Award, sitting just behind Andrew Giuliani on the points list.  Small will be joined by another senior player, 58-year-old Ron Vannelli of Metuchen, who has had a solid year after being named the 2005 MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year.  Vannelli has nearly matched his play from least season, with a t-6th finish at the Ike in June and reached the semifinals of the N.J. Mid-Amateur.

Roger Hoit began his run this season with an appearance in the quarterfinals of the Travis Memorial and a 4th place finish at the Hochster.  He won his first MGA title with a two-stroke victory at the Ike in June and followed that with an impressive semifinal finish at the Met Amateur, played at his home course of Baltusrol.  A newcomer to international competition, Mark Farrell won his second consecutive MGA/MetLife Public Links title in July.  Mike Deo, who competed overseas on the 1999 Carey Cup Team, was named to the team after finishing t-2nd at the N.J. Amateur and the 2nd low amateur at the Met Open.  Joe Saladino, who competed in France in the 2002 matches, will top off the already well-accomplished team.  His season includes a t-2nd at the Ike and a 2nd place finish at the Long Island Amateur.  Saladino also finished in the top ten at the Long Island Open and qualified for the U.S. Amateur.

On the women’s side, Women’s Met Open champion Gail Flanagan will head a team of women in the midst of very successful seasons.  Flanagan finished t-2nd in the WMGA Stroke Play as well as reaching the quarterfinals of the WMGA Match Play Championship.  Woodway’s Sheila Torgan had a great start to the season with a victory at the Match Play and continued her strong play into the heart of the season when she t-7th at the Stroke Play.  Adrienne Maclean and Becky Pernicone will round out the four women team for the WMGA.  Maclean reached the semifinals at the Match Play and t-9th for ninth at the Stroke Play in the early going this season.  She also finished strong with a t-13th finish at the Women’s Met Open.  Pernicone carded a top ten at the Women’s Met Open and won the Garden State Women’s Golf Association’s Stroke Play Championship.

The format of the French-American matches is similar to that of the Ryder Cup.  The first day’s matches are four-ball match play followed by one round of 18-hole singles matches on the second day.  The MGA/WMGA will look to capitalize on the success they had in 2004 at Plainfield Country Club when the match ended in a tie.  This will be the 13th playing of the French-American Challenge Matches, which were begun in 1990 by Paris-based jeweler Fred Joailler, in order to foster sportsmanship and goodwill between the two countries.