George Zahringer III has won 15 MGA championships, more than anyone else in history, and it all started at the site of this week’s Ike Championship, Somerset Hills Country Club. In the final of the 1982 Met Amateur, Zahringer, 29 at the time, defeated Mike Diffley 3 & 2 for his first MGA title. Now 58, Zahringer recalls his first trip to the MGA winner’s circle.

Q: What do you remember most about the 1982 Met Amateur victory?

A: I remember playing well that whole week…I was the stroke play medalist, and it was a really well-played, close final match. Mike [Diffley] was one of the best amateurs in the area and has obviously gone on to win a Met Open and be a very successful head professional. So to come out on top and get past Mike in that final was a great feeling.

Q: What was the significance of the victory to your career?

A: It was a very important milestone for me, and kind of got the monkey off my back. I was runner-up in the Met Am two times before that [1979 and 1980] so it was a real breakthrough to come out with the win. The Met Amateur is a very challenging tournament to win if you think about the amount of golf that’s involved between 36 holes of stroke play and then five rounds of match play in three days.  

Q: What are your thoughts on Somerset Hills?

A: It’s one of the real jewels of the Met Area. It offers a great contrast between the front and back nines, and you get a nice contrast of topography. It’s a spectacularly beautiful piece of property with wonderful changes in elevation, which I really enjoy. It’s just a gorgeous golf course, and that back porch of the clubhouse is a really special place. I think about that victory every time I hear the name Somerset Hills.