Live From: Third Playing of The Farrell
GREENWICH, Conn. (Septmeber 27, 2024) -- The third playing of The Farrell, featuring an international field across three divisions, is underway from The Stanwich Club. On day one, competitors in Mid-Amateur, Women's Mid-Amateur, and Men's Senior divisions are aiming to finish within the top 16 to advance to match play. Two rounds of matches are then slated for both Saturday and Sunday to determine a champion.
Related: Pairings | Scoring | Photos
This year's field contains a strong contingent of decorated Met Area competitors, accomplished players from around the country, and a number of international players. The Women's Mid-Amateur division is particularly strong this year, with 14 players in the field having advanced to match play at this year's U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship. The Mid-Amateur divisions features the first two Farrell winners -- Brad Tilley of Sleepy Hollow and Cody Paladino of Hartford Golf Club -- while there are eight multi-time MGA champions.
The Farrell, conducted by the MGA in partnership with The Stanwich Club, honors the legacy of longtime Stanwich head professional Billy Farrell. Farrell was Stanwich’s first-ever head professional and set a high standard in all aspects of the profession. He held the role from 1964 until 2000 and passed away in 2020 at the age of 85.
Farrell believed that a tournament should be highly competitive, be conducted in a professional manner, contain an elite field, and provide lifelong memories. While year two had to be shortened to an 18-hole stroke play competition, this year’s championship is already shaping up to stand as the most competitive year yet as fields continue to get stronger and stronger.
Related: The Farrell History | Preview
Stanwich hosted the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2002 and is especially known for its fast, true greens. In the years since, the Club has welcomed the Palmer Cup and Wyndham Cup. It stands among 19 Met Area clubs that have hosted all three MGA majors—the Ike, Amateur and Open—hosting the Met Open in 1972 and 1996, the Ike in 1989 and the Met Amateur in 2004 and 2013.
The Farrell family has long been synonymous with golf in the Met Area. Billy was one of five children and grew up in in New Jersey; his father Johnny, the 1928 U.S. Open champion, was the Head Professional at Baltusrol Golf Club. While competing on tour, where he played in eight U.S. Opens and seven PGA Championships, Billy also worked as an assistant at Baltusrol. Billy and his wife Alvera had seven children; for 20 years, his son Bobby served as the Director of Golf at Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, Conn. The Farrells were named Golf Family of the Year in 1966 by the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association.