ELMSFORD, N.Y. (July 27, 2011) – A select field of the Met Area’s most accomplished junior players are gearing up for the 9th Carter Cup, the MGA’s junior stroke play championship, which will be held on Wednesday, August 3. The Carter Cup is one of the most special days on the MGA calendar, and as it does every year, Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., will provide a terrific test for the field of 39 young golfers who were invited to compete in the 36-hole, stroke play championship. The Carter Cup draws the top junior players in the Met Area, and is contested over the famed Upper and Lower courses, both former U.S. Open venues. In its short history, the Carter Cup has established itself as one of the premier junior events in the country.

The Carter Cup is an invitational event open to juniors who have not reached 19 years of age. It is named in honor of Michael P. Carter, an accomplished junior player and standout member of the Delbarton School golf team in Morristown, N.J., who died in a car accident in 2002. Carter was a junior club champion at both Baltusrol and Winged Foot Golf Clubs, and was a promising player on the golf team at Penn State University. The event is a collaborative effort between the Baltusrol Golf Club and the MGA. Michael’s father, who passed away in 2005, was a former club president of Baltusrol and was also vice president of the MGA.

 The 2011 Carter Cup will be overflowing with talent from top to bottom. Unlike in recent years when there were a collection of headlines, this year’s field is a large collection of able and determined players. Charles Edler, the 2011 Met Junior Champion from Fair Haven, N.J., looks to claim another victory in his last year of junior golf eligibility. 

The runner-up to Edler in the Met Junior, Dylan Crowley of Glen Cove, N.Y., has also had a good summer in his last year of junior play, tying for 14th at the 2011 Ike Championship. Other competitors include 2011 WGA Amateur champion Cameron Young of Scarborough, N.Y.; 2011 Met Junior semifinalist Matthew Lowe of Farmingdale, N.Y., the 2010 MGA/MetLife Boys champion who advanced to match play at the 2011 U.S. Junior; 2011 Met Junior quarterfinalist Sean Kelly of Staten Island, N.Y., who recorded top-ten finishes in the Carter Cup in 2009 and 2010; 2010 Met Junior quarterfinalist Max Christiana of Mount Kisco, N.Y.; Xander McDonald-Smith of Brooklyn, N.Y., who finished third in this year’s MGA/MetLife Public Links Championship; 2010 Carter Cup fourth-place finisher, Peter Kim of Metuchen, N.J.; Anthony Alex of Wayne, N.J., another semifinalist at this year’s Met Junior; Mark Reilly of Babylon, N.Y., the 2009 MGA/Metlife Boys champion, and Theo Humphrey of Greenwich, Conn., the 2010 WGA Junior champion.

Playing 36 holes on two championship golf courses in the heat of summer is a test of both mental and physical endurance. Each and every year, the young players in the Carter Cup field show composure and maturity beyond their years in negotiating the difficult Upper and Lower Courses at Baltusrol in very challenging conditions. Their enthusiasm and support for this event is inspiring, and serves as a lasting tribute to the memory of Michael Carter.   

The Metropolitan Golf Association thanks Baltusrol Golf Club for once again hosting this prestigious event. Further, we also wish to recognize the Carter family for their continued courage and support, which has helped to make the Carter Cup one of the most coveted titles in the Met Area.

Live scoring for both rounds of the Carter Cup will be available on www.mgagolf.org.