96th MGA Senior Amateur Set for Baiting Hollow Club
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (May 10, 2023) – The Met Area’s top players aged 55 and above head to the North Shore of Long Island to open the MGA championship season, as Baiting Hollow Club in Baiting Hollow, N.Y., welcomes the 96th MGA Senior Amateur Championship for the first time, May 15-16.
Related: Pairings | Senior Amateur History | Past Champions Gallery
Recent championships have provided plenty of excitement down the stretch, including Dennis Lynch’s 2022 victory in a playoff at Haworth and Roddy McRae’s clutch finish at Round Hill in 2021.
This year, players are looking forward to visiting first-time host Baiting Hollow Club, a 1960s design by Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Past Champions in the Field
There are five past champions, including each of the last four, in the field at Baiting Hollow looking to capture the Horace L. Hotchkiss Trophy once again:
Dennis Lynch, Baiting Hollow – 2022
Roddy McRae, Baltusrol – 2021
Ned Zachar, GlenArbor – 2020
Jim Graham, Winged Foot – 2019
George Zahringer, Deepdale – 2015, 2016
Multiple-Level Defense?
Lynch will not only aim to defend his title in the MGA Senior Amateur, but also look to defend his home turf at Baiting Hollow. Lynch has already defended an MGA title once, having won the MGA Mid-Amateur in 2009 and 2010. Zahringer was the last to win the championship in back-to-back years (2015-16), while Allan Small of Fairmount was the last to successful win the title at his home club (2017).
Already Winners
Three-time Long Island Senior Player of the Year Dave Scialabba of Meadow Brook is already off to a hot start in 2023, having won the senior division of the LIGA’s season-opening Richardson Memorial Championship at Wheatley Hills Golf Club. Meanwhile, MGA eClub – New Jersey member Merv Smith won the senior division of the Eagle Oaks Invitational.
Back for Another Top Finish
Of those who finished inside the top-10 last year at Haworth, nine players are back again in 2023: Defending champion Lynch, Graham, Billy Byrnes of Nassau Players, Alan Specht of Port Jefferson at Harbor Hill, Ed Walsh of Trump Bedminster, Zachar, Ken Cohen of Villa Roma, Bob Johnston of White Beeches and Jim Craffey of Arcola.
Top-10 Streak
Defending champion Lynch (1st, 2nd) and Specht (T3rd, T10th) are the lone two players with back-to-back top-10 finishes in the championship. Scialabba carried four consecutive top-10 finishes into last year’s playing at Haworth, but finished T12, one shot out of another top-10 finish.
No. 3?
Zahringer has the chance to become the sixth player in championship history to claim the title at least three times in their career.
MGA Champions
In addition to past MGA Senior Amateur champions, Tom Yellin of Stanwich (2022 Senior Masters), Ed Gibstein of Glen Head (2022 Farrell, Senior Divison), Jeffrey Putman of Winged Foot (1982 Boys, 1983 Met Junior, 1993 Met Amateur, 1995 Ike) and Peter Van Ingen of Deepdale (1981 Met Amateur) all stand as past MGA champions in the field.
The Depth Goes On…
The field is deep, containing frequent area competitors with accolades to their name, including 1997 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Ken Bakst of Friar’s Head, three-time WGA Mid-Amateur champion Patrick Pierson of New York Country Club, six-time LIGA Senior Player of the Year Jay Sessa of Cherry Valley and reigning NJSGA Senior Player of the Year Morten Gotterup of Rumson to name a few.
Format
• Ages 55 and over
• Two days, 36 holes of stroke play
• Field cut to the low 40 scores and ties (and anyone within five shots of the lead) following 18 holes
Baiting Hollow Club
• Land purchased by Baiting Hollow townspeople and club established in 1963
• Course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., and restored in 2007 by Hurdzan-Fry.
• Originated as Baiting Hollow Country Club, and has also gone by Flagg Country Club and The Fox Hill Golf & Country Club before returning to its roots with name of Baiting Hollow Club
Coverage
• Scoring updates will be available throughout the championship
• Social media: @MGA1897 on Twitter and Instagram, plus additional content on Facebook
• Scoring, recaps, interviews and more on mgagolf.org.