May 12, 2011 – The race for the 2011 MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year Award has officially begun with the playing of prominent tournaments around the Met Area. Top amateurs will keep a close eye on the MGA Polo Golf Player of the Year Points Stadings as they make their way through the MGA and Met Area tournament season.

Kevin McSorley of Monmouth Golfing Club jumped out to an early lead with a win worth 125 points at the NJSGA Mid-Amateur Championship at Deal Golf & Country Club, Deal, N.J. After finishing as the number-two seed in stroke play qualifying with a round of one-over-par 72, McSorley battled through three rounds of match play and defeated Tom Gramigna of Tavistock, 2 & 1, in the final match.

Reigning MGA player of the year Joe Saladino of Huntington picked up where he left off in 2010 with a convincing victory at the Richardson Invitational at the Seawane Club in Hewlett Harbor, N.Y. Not only did he win the match play championship, earning 75 points, but also garnered an additional 25 points for being the stroke play medalist.

The 84th MGA Senior Amateur Championship at Shorehaven Golf Club in East Norwalk, Conn. pitted 55-and-older competitors against not a challenging layout made more difficult by strong winds. The 2010 MGA Senior Open champion, John Ervasti of Sleepy Hollow handled these conditions better than anyone in the field and posted rounds of 73 and 75 to claim victory and earn 100 player of the year points. Ervasti, 56, is now the only person in history to win both the MGA Senior Open and the MGA Senior Amateur.

Other notable performances at the Senior Amateur included Bill Henry of Forsgate and Shawn McLoughlin of Ridgewood (Conn.), who tied for second place and earned 67.5 points each.

The MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year Award is presented annually to the Met Area amateur who compiles the best record in select events during the course of the year. The recipient is confirmed by the MGA Executive Committee based on a system in which players earn points for their finishes in designated local, national and international championships. The award will be presented at the 114th MGA Annual Dinner and Meeting at Westchester Country Club on Wednesday, December 7, 2011.

Visit mgagolf.org throughout the season to follow the Polo Golf MGA Player of the Year Points Standings and for results from all the major events throughout the Met Area.