The Metropolitan Golf Association’s 2005 tournament season kicks off with the 78^th MGA Senior Amateur Championship at Woodway Country Club in Darien, CT, on Monday-Tuesday, May 9-10. 

The MGA Senior Amateur is open to players 55 years of age or older with USGA Handicap Indexes of 9.0 or less.  The field of 200 will play 18 holes on Monday, after which the field is cut to the low 20 scores and ties, who advance to 18 holes on Tuesday.  Prizes will be awarded to the overall winner, and also in each of four age categories.

The MGA Senior Amateur has an impressive list of competitors including defending champion Douglas Vergith and previous winners that includes Dick Siderowf of Century, a two-time British Amateur champion, and seven-time New Jersey Amateur champion Bob Housen of Manasquan River GC.  Other top contenders include Maury Povich of Hollywood GC, Larry Hall of PacanackGC,  as well as Robert Stuart and Bob Howe of Winged Foot GC.  Recent Senior Amateur winners Stephen Rose of Fresh Meadow CC (2003), Joe Polizzano of Sterling Farms GC (2002), Shawn McLoughlin of Ridgewood GC (CT) (2001) and Ned Steiner of Mountain Ridge (2000), will all be on-hand to compete.

The tournament will be played at the always immaculate Woodway CC in Darien, CT, which opened in 1916.  The golf course, designed by Willie Park Jr., has tree-lined narrow fairways and fast greens, combining to create one of the more demanding courses in the Met Area

Live scoring will be provided for the MGA Senior Amateur by the USGA’s live scoring system, TPP RealTime, and will be available for the final round on the MGA’s website, www.mgagolf.org. 

For more information on the MGA Senior Amateur and the MGA Ike Championship, contact Jeff Carroll of the MGA at (914) 347-4653 or via e-mail at jcarroll@mgagolf.org.