Six French-American Challenge Team Members Announced
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (August 17, 2022) – With the 20th French-American Challenge rapidly approaching, the Met Area team that will take on the Ligue de Paris has filled six positions on its 10-member team. Mark Costanza of Hamilton Farm, Chris DeJohn of Arcola, Ina Kim-Schaad of Deepdale, Noelle Maertz of Ridgewood, Jennifer Rosenberg of Glen Oaks and Brad Tilley of Sleepy Hollow have all accepted invitations to compete. The competition makes its return to the calendar October 24-25 at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y., after 2020’s playing was canceled due to covid-19.
Related: French-American Challenge History
Costanza, Kim-Schaad, Maertz and Tilley aim to continue their team success after helping the MGA retain the Carey Cup last year against Golf Ireland on foreign soil. The now two-time reigning MGA Player of the Year Costanza secured the tie-clinching half a point in what was his first-ever international competition. Tilley—who has had an incredible season thus far with wins in the Mittelmark Invitational, the 100th Westchester Open and 120th Met Amateur—will be making his fourth international team appearance.
Kim-Schaad and Maertz combined to go 4-1-1 in their Carey Cup matches last year. This will be 2019 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Kim-Schaad’s third-consecutive French-American Challenge and fifth international team appearance overall, while Maertz is making her first appearance in the event and taking part in her second international team competition.
DeJohn and Rosenberg will both be making their first international team appearance and bring plenty of success along with them. DeJohn stands as the reigning MGA Mid-Amateur champion, coming out on top of a packed field last season at Friar’s Head. This season, DeJohn has notched his second straight win in the Arcola Cup, finished tied third in the New Jersey Amateur and advanced to match play in the Met Amateur. Rosenberg, who completed her collegiate career this spring at UNC Charlotte after four years at Tulane, has had a strong season as well. Her performance at UNC Charlotte earned her Conference USA second team honors and recently advanced to match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay.
Three additional men’s competitors and one woman will be announced in the coming weeks to complete the Met Area team.
The French-American Challenge was introduced as “Fred’s Cup” in 1990, named after sponsor and international jeweler Fred Joaillier. It was conducted annually from 1990-1998, and since 2000 has been played every other year while alternating between the Met Area and sites in France.
The competition requires all 10 players on each team to play in each of the three sessions, which includes four-Ball and foursomes on the first day and singles matches on the second day. The Ligue de Paris has had a stronghold on the trophy, with the Met Area’s team only winning in 1991. Ties have occurred in 1995 and 2004.
The French-American Challenge Am-Am precedes the matches, pairing each of the 20 team members with other amateurs in a best ball gross and net format.
With Quaker Ridge hosting the event, it will become the first club to have hosted both the Governor Hugh L. Carey Challenge Cup (2003) and French-American Challenge. The club has strong history of hosting international team competitions already, serving as host of the Walker Cup and Curtis Cup in 1997 and 2018, respectively.