August 31, 2010

Tight Race at the Senior Open

-Billy Condon

After extending his lead to five strokes, Bobby Heins now has a one-shot lead over amateur John Ervasti of Sleepy Hollow. Ervasti sank a bunker shot for birdie on the par-4 11th hole to move to +1, and he is -1 on the day.

Heins, after making birdies at two of the first three holes, has recorded four bogeys on the fifth, seventh, ninth and tenth holes and is at even par for the championship. Heins is looking to become the first three-time winner of this championship and a five-time MGA champion.

It has become quite hot out here at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wilton, Conn., and you can be sure the winner will be the competitor with the coolest nerves.

Players and Conditions Heating Up at Senior Open

-Billy Condon

As the temperature passes 90 degrees, course conditions are getting more challenging. The greens are firming up and the breeze is challenging the field, but the top contenders are fighting back punch for punch - or in this case, putt for putt. Leader Bobby Heins is -2 thru three holes and stands at -4 for the championship. However, numerous other players are in red digits on this final day at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wilton, Conn. John Ervasti, Bruce Zabriski, Pete Busch and Mike Diffley are all 1-under for the day as well, and all besides Diffley are at +1 for the championship.

Battling right now for low amateur, although they are very much in the race for the title of MGA Senior Open champion are Ervasti and Ed Gibstein. Gibstein is even on the day and tied with Ervasti, Busch and Zabriski at +1.

Heins Aims for Three-Peat at MGA Senior Open

-Billy Condon

Two-time defending champion Bobby Heins of Old Oaks can become the first three-time winner of the MGA Senior Open as he enters the final round of the event at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wilton, Conn. Heins shot an opening round 68, and holds a two-shot lead over his nearest competitor, Ed Whitman of Knickerbocker. But Heins' quest for the three-peat is not the only headline going into today's finale. Here is what to watch for:

-In the 13 previous championships, an amateur has never won the MGA Senior Open. Ed Gibstein of Engineers has a good chance after posting a 71, and has played well in this event before as he finished as the low amateur at the 2009 Senior Open.

-Ed Whitman, currently in second place (70), is the 2004 champion and would join Heins, Darrell Kestner and Russell Helwig as two-time champions. Bill Britton, the 1979 Met Open champ, who shot a first-round 73, also looks to add a second Senior Open title to his resume.

-Stay tuned all day for updates from the 14th MGA Senior Open Championship and follow live scoring on www.mgagolf.org.

August 4, 2010

Pastore Wins 8th Carter Cup at Baltusrol

-Billy Condon

David Pastore of Greenwich, Conn., is the winner of the 8th Carter Cup. Pastore shot rounds of 70-70=140 to earn a three-stroke victory over Ryan McCormick of Middletown, N.J.

Can Anyone Catch Pastore?

-Billy Condon

With McCormick finished and in the clubhouse with a 1-under 143, David Pastore is still going strong and is -3 for the championship. The only player who can catch him is Mike Miller, who stands at even-par. And Miller has a chance as he is going into the par-5 17th and 18th holes. Stay tuned as the action plays out at Baltusrol.

Players Go Lower on the Lower

-Billy Condon

The Lower Course at Baltusrol, site of numerous U.S. Opens and the 2005 PGA Championship, has been the better-scoring course for the players at The Carter Cup. As the leaders are going low on the Lower (Peter Kim is 5-under thru 10 and numerous others are 3- and 2-under), the scores bring up an interesting discussion at Baltusrol. Why would the players go lower on a course that hosts major championships? Especially when it is their second 18 holes of the day, in hot and humid conditions, with no caddies? Here are a few explanations we came up with:

-The Lower Course has flatter greens than the Upper Course.
-The Upper Course requires much more intimate knowledge of the undulations on the greens and strategies for attacking the flag, something very hard to come by when playing the course for the first time or one time a year.
-Players gain a mental edge knowing they are playing a course where names like Nicklaus and Mickelson have won.

Miller Making Charge at Baltusrol

-Billy Condon

2010 Met Junior champ Mike Miller of Brewster, N.Y., is making a strong surge to catch the leaders as he is 3-under for his second 18 holes. Miller finished in fourth place at last year's Carter Cup and hopes to make one last push in his final year of eligibility in the event.

The Race is On at Baltusrol

-Billy Condon

David Pastore and Ryan McCormick have created a gap between themselves and the rest of the field as Pastore sits at 4-under and McCormick at 3-under. The next closest competitors are at even-par.

Pastore Leads Going into Afternoon 18

-Billy Condon

2009 Carter Cup runner-up David Pastore of Greenwich, Conn., is the first-round leader after firing a two-under-par 70 and is one-under thru one hole in his afternoon 18 on the Lower Course. Pastore, who also won the Met Junior on two occasions (2009 & 2006), is playing with 2010 Met Junior champ Mike Miller and perennial Carter Cup contender Sean Kelly of Staten Island, N.Y.

Ryan McCormick of Middletown, N.J., is right on Pastore's heels as he is three-under on his afternoon round and two-under for the championship.

Kim Makes an Ace on Third at Baltusrol

-Billy Condon

2008 MGA/MetLife Boys champion Peter Kim, who will be representing the MGA on the 2010 Williamson Cup team, made a hole-in-one on the 198-yard par-3 third hole. Kim has been a little sporadic early on, so the ace is sure to help. Through seven holes, he has recorded an ace, two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. The hole is playing as the 4th hardest in the early going.

They Are Who We Thought They Were

-Billy Condon

No, Dennis Green is not spotting balls on the course at Baltusrol, but the sentiment of his words are ringing true early on at The Carter Cup. The final group of the morning is almost a third of the way done with their first 18 holes, and the scores are displaying seasoned MGA and Carter Cup vets at the top.

Leading the way is 2010 Met Junior champ Mike Miller (-3), followed closely by 2009 Met Junior winner and last year's Carter Cup runner-up David Pastore (-2). Rounding out the top-four, you have 2010 Met Junior runner-up Schuyler Stitzer and Dylan Crowley, who finished 4th at the Ike at Metropolis.

Let's see if these guys can keep the early momentum going in the hot humid conditions.

8th Carter Cup at Baltusrol

-Billy Condon

Today is the 8th playing of The Carter Cup. An event on the MGA schedule that features some of the best young talent in Met Area golf. While the event distinguishes the top junior in the field, the tournament is played in, and celebrates the memory of Michael Carter. Here is a brief history on The Carter Cup from the MGA Media Guide:

The Carter Cup was founded in 2003 and named in honor of 20-year-old Michael J. Carter, an accomplished junior player at Baltusrol and standout member of the golf team at New Jersey’s Delbarton School. Carter died in a car accident in 2002, and Baltusrol approached the MGA about establishing an event in his memory. Carter had won junior club championships at both Baltusrol and Winged Foot Golf Clubs, and at the time of his death he was a member of the golf team at Penn State. The Carter Cup, which serves as the MGA Junior Stroke Play Championship, is a one-day, 36-hole invitational event held annually on the Upper and Lower Courses at Baltusrol. The only exception was 2005, when it was held at Winged Foot due to the playing of the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. The field is carefully selected by the MGA and includes the top junior players in the Met Area.

July 29, 2010

Tune in to the Met Amateur

Starting today, there will be a live broadcast with Bill Meth and Tom Mariam on WVOX 1460 am and WVIP HD3, and on Saturday the Metro Golf Show will broadcast all day. You can also find it on www.wvox.com.

July 22, 2010

Miller Wins Met Junior

-Billy Condon

Mike Miller is the 93rd Met Junior champion! After Stitzer won the 16th, both players hit their tee shots on the green of the par-3 17th. Stitzer was first to putt and came up short, with three feet left for par. Miller also missed his birdie putt and was the first to attempt par. After sinking the par putt, Miller gave a small fist pump and has now secured his first MGA championship.

Stitzer Stays Alive

-Billy Condon

Schuyler Stitzer just made a putt from downtown to win the 16th hole and keep the dream alive. They head to the par-3 17th.

Miller Takes 15

-Billy Condon

Mike Miller is in a good position to win his first MGA championship after taking the 15th hole to extend his lead to 3 up thru 15. Miller two-putted for par while Stitzer missed the green on his second shot and made bogey.

Miller 2 up After 14

-Billy Condon

Here is the recap for holes 6-14. Stitzer's tee shot on 7 went OB and Miller capitalized by winning the hole to go 1 up.

On 8, Stitzer's first shot wound up in a greenside bunker while Miller found the green. After a great out, Stitzer and Miller halved with pars.

The next big moving hole was 10, where Miller found the green in two shots and Stitzer missed the green on his second shot and could not convert the par. Miller 2 up thru 10.

On the downhill par-4 twelfth, Miller chose to hit driver and found the hazard. Stitzer was in the fairway and after both players got on the green, Miller rolled his par opportunity well past the hole. He then conceded the hole to fall back to 1 up over Stitzer.

On 14, Stitzer's tee shot hit the trees on the left and came to rest well behind Miller's drive. Up at the green, Miller lay two and Stitzer three. Miller nearly sank the birdie opportunity and won the hole to go back to 2 up.

Miller Takes the Fifth to Square Match

-Billy Condon

On the par-5 fifth, both players ripped drives down the middle with Miller edging Stitzer by a good 25 yards. Stitzer was first to play and made poor contact with a fairway wood. Miller knocked his second shot on the front left portion of the green.

Stitzer's third shot cleared the green and the bunkers behind it and ended up in the bushes. With Miller needing only two putts for birdie, Stitzer conceded the hole and in doing so, squared the match.

Miller Battles Stitzer in Final at 93rd Met Junior

-Billy Condon

After a grueling three days of heat and golf, the field of 64 at the 93rd Met Junior Championship at Ardsley Country Club has been narrowed down to the final two: Mike Miller and Schuyler Stitzer. Here is a quick recap of the first few holes.

On the first hole of the championship match, Stitzer got up and down from a bunker to save par while Miller three-putted for bogey. Stitzer took a 1 up lead.

Both players came away from the second holes with bogey fours.

On the third hole, Miller finished with a score of four and made par while Stitzer struggled and made bogey. The match went back to all square.

The fourth hole found Miller three-putting again and Stitzer took advantage of the hiccup and made birdie at the 511-yard par 5.

July 8, 2010

Tie at 2-under


-Billy Condon

All of the groups have made the turn and some have even finished their morning 18. We have a three way tie at the top between Alex Edfort, Brian Komline and defending champ Josh Goldstein (pictured). They all shot 2-under 34's on their first nine holes. Goldstein, who is playing with Komline, caught fire with an eagle on 11th, his second hole of the day, and followed that up with two birdies on 13 and 15. Goldstein cooled off towards the end of his nine though with bogeys on the last two holes going into the turn. Komline, meanwhile, is playing steady golf with two birdies and six pars.

Chasing the Public Links Title at Spook Rock


-Billy Condon

A field of 68 public golfers have come to Spook Rock Golf Course in Suffern, N.Y., for the 63rd MGA/MetLife Public Links Championship. Play is under way in the 36-hole event and a number of players have made the turn in red numbers. Some of the top players in the field have yet to turn. Defending champ Josh Goldstein is playing with Ike runner-up Brian Komline (pictured) and are paired together in the last group on one side. Komline, who won the NJSGA Amateur Championship earlier this season, is looking for his first MGA victory.

Players are not only battling the course today but some sticky weather. With high humidity and temperatures around 90, one non-golf related advantage will go to the players who brought a shirt to change into for their final 18 holes.

June 29, 2010

Day Two at the Ike

-Billy Condon

There are some familiar faces atop the leader board at the Ike. Defending champ Mike Ballo Jr. and 2008 MGA Player of the Year Joe Saladino are recognizable names, but there are also a few relative unknowns who are in contention as well.

Meet Russell Giglio, a 25-year-old Iona graduate who works for IBM. Giglio is tied with Ballo and Saladino and he plays out of Orange County Country Club. Giglio is excited to be in contention and during the rain delay during the first round, texted his family telling them that we was in the lead at the Ike. Giglio took a day off from work to play at the Ike, and joked that now he has to tell his manager he is going to need another day off from work because he made the cut. If Giglio goes on to win, hopefully his manager will cut him some slack for his time out of the office.

The other player tied at the top is Chris Ferraro, who won the NJCAA Division III National Championship this past season for Suny Ulster. Ferraro was also named the Most Outstanding Player by the Mid Hudson Conference and he hopes that his strong finish to the college season continues here at Metropolis. He plays out of Twaalfskill.

At the end of the day it will be a new or familiar face holding the Ike trophy. Until then, let's get to some golf.

June 28, 2010

Play set to resume

-Billy Condon

Play is set to resume at 4:20. Players are getting in position now to finish their rounds.

Rain Delay halts play

-Billy Condon

Play has been stopped as severe rain has been coming down at Metropolis. As of now, there is no set time that play will resume, but the system should pass within the hour. At the time of the delay, Russell Giglio made the turn at 3-under and looks to resume his strong play when the players are let back on the course.

When it rains...

-Billy Condon

It pours. The rain has started coming down and it is coming down hard. The afternoon wave of players now has to deal with a downpour that will be sure to cause scoring issues. Players are still out on the course and have to deal with the elements.

Birmingham makes an ace

-Billy Condon

Michael Birmingham of the Nassau Players club on Long Island made a hole-in-one on the fourth hole, a par-3 from 188 with a 6-iron. Congratulations Michael!

Saladino Leads at the Ike

-Billy Condon

The morning wave of players have finished and Joe Saladino sizzled out on the course with a 2-under 69. Saladino had 6 birdies on the round, no surprise because of his comfort level at Metropolis. Mike Stamberger and Robert Cronheim also came in under par with 1-under 70's. Saladino is the clubhouse leader but defending champ Mike Ballo Jr. and Cameron Wilson are on the course and also have the goods to go low.

The weather for the afternoon is continued heat and humidity with the possibility of storms, but a 100% chance of birdies.

Live Chat from the Ike at Noon

Live from the Ike - a live chat where you can ask questions and send comments about the Ike and the MGA kicks off at noon. Here is the link: Live from the Ike

Why to like the Ike

-Billy Condon

The MGA's amateur stroke play championship, the Ike, is one of the toughest tests of regional amateur golf in the country and brings out one of the premier Met Area fields. Looking at the numbers, it doesn't take long to comprehend why this event is so difficult to win, and why George Zahringer III's five Ike titles will probably never be matched.

20 former MGA champions are in the field of 110, with three of those being former Ike winners (Mike Ballo Jr., Greg Rohlf and Roger Hoit). Cameron Wilson and Joe Saladino, the last two winners of the MGA Player of the Year award are also competing, and both of them, along with Rohlf, played in the MGA's French-American Challenge at Metropolis in 2008, giving the trio an added knowledge of the course.

When you add in the accomplishments and recent strong play of players such as Mike Miller, Dave Pastore, Brian Komline and John Ervasti, the championship will surely be well deserved for the player who comes out on top.

With such a stacked field and outstanding golf course testing the competitors, it is hard to not like the Ike.

Ike kicks off in heat and humidity


-Billy Condon

The 55th Ike Championship is off and running and the field will be feeling the heat both from the competitiveness of one of the finest amateur golf fields, and also from the muggy conditions. It is just before 9:00 and the temperature is already in the high 80's with a heat index of 91.

Players such as 2009 Met Amateur runner-up John Ervasti, 2008 MGA Player of the Year Joe Saladino and 2009 MGA Senior Amateur champ Al Small all teed up in the early wave and are out on the course. They are looking to post solid rounds early before the championship reaches its hottest temperatures.

Two players familiar with MGA championships who will be facing the afternoon heat will be defending Ike champ Mike Ballo Jr. and 2009 MGA Player of the Year Cameron Wilson, who are paired together and tee off at 1:00.

June 7, 2010

Nationwide Miss Brings Pebble Trip

-Billy Condon

A missed cut at this week's Nationwide Tour event turned out to be a "blessing in disguise" for Blaine Peffley. Peffley, a native of Lebanon, Pa., shot a second-round 70 for a combined score of 138 and in turn he can punch his ticket to the U.S. Open at Pebble. Peffley expressed how in golf, you can never get too down nor too high with great rounds and poor rounds. Peffley has conditional status on the Nationwide Tour this season, and through a sponsor exemption, got into the field in Maryland last week. Had he not missed the cut, he would not have had the chance to play a practice round at Canoe Brook, and things may have turned out differently. Peffley likes to keep it simple, attributing his success today succinctly with "fairways and greens, that's all we were trying to do."

Lee Finishes Even

-Billy Condon

Beon Yeong Lee, an amateur from Montreal, put on an afternoon show and shot a second-round 68 to finish at even-par for his two rounds. Although it is too early to tell what this will mean for Lee's chances of heading to Pebble Beach, the seven birdies that Lee put together show that he's got game.

An afternoon round of 68 is impressive given that many players in the field have fizzled off after strong first rounds, and the breezy conditions may continue to plague players who still are on the course. A few players to mention who are still on the course and going strong include Dan McCarthy of Syracuse, N.Y., Blaine Peffley of Lebanon, Pa., and PGA Tour pro Len Mattiace.

Mattiace-Wilson Group Updates

-Adam Holzschuh

18th Hole Shot-by-Shot

Mattiace:
-Drive down the right-hand side of the fairway, ended up rolling into the first cut
-Decides to hit fairway wood, pulls it left, but the ball takes a gratuitous bounce off of a tree and puts him in a decent lie with a look at the pin
-Pitch shot hits the back edge of the green, bounces off the back
-Beautiful chip just past the pin, sinks a par-saving 7-footer

Wilson:
-Wilson's drive strays into the right fairway bunker, however he has a decent lie
-Great shot out of the sand to put him approximately 75 yards from the hole on the left side of the fairway
-Pitch shot takes a hard bounce and rolls off of the back of the green
-Chip shot comes up short, leaves Wilson with an 8-foot par putt, which he lips out
-Makes tap in for bogey on the 18th

Mattiace-Wilson Group Update

-Adam Holzschuh

Mark it down as another par for Mattiace at the 17th. He remains at two-under for his first nine of the afternoon round. Cameron Wilson missed another close par putt for his fourth bogey of the second round.

Mattiace-Wilson Group Updates

-Adam Holzschuh

Len Mattiace continues his consistent play by recording another par at the 16th. Wilson's struggles continue as his 10-foot par attempt lipped out forcing him to settle for another bogey, his third in seven holes, and bringing him back to even for the day.

Mattiace-Wilson Group Updates

-Adam Holzschuh

Cameron Wilson misses his ten-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole as both players walk away with pars.

Mattiace-Wilson Group Updates

-Billy Condon

We will be providing updates for the group of Len Mattiace and Cameron Wilson for their first nine holes of the second round. Mattiace started off Par-Birdie-Par-Birdie-Par while Wilson went Bogey-Bogey-Par-Par-Par as they just finished the 14th hole. Mattiace drilled a six footer for birdie on the 13th and his birdie on the 11th hole was one of the few on the day - if not the only one on the challenging par 3.

Wilson struggled to find his rhythm out of the gate as both his approach shots and putts missed the target on the opening holes. The young phenom is familiar to the pressures of tournament golf, but with a first trip to the U.S. Open on the line, mental toughness will be the key.

Soaring Eagles

-Billy Condon

Andrew Giuliani, the 2009 Met Open champ closed out his morning round in style by holing out from the fairway for eagle on the par-4 ninth hole, his final hole of the morning round. It was a great way to finish up a rocky opening round as Giuliani bogeyed holes 5-7 (his 14th, 15th and 16th), and then went birdie-eagle to finish.

Jim McGovern finished the morning round at even par, and with a large contingent of fans following the New Jersey native, McGovern looks to use that support to continue his strong play into the second round.

Peffley Fires Morning 68

Blaine Peffley of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, holds the early morning clubhouse lead after shooting a 4-under 68. He put together a solid first round with two birdies on the front and back and no bogeys.

Peffley currently plays on the NGA Hooters Tour and theEGolf Professional Tour. He began his college golf career at the University of Arizona and later transferred to the University of Maryland. He has two NGA Hooters Tour victories.

A Cardinal's Eagle

-Billy Condon

Add it to the highlight reel - Cameron Wilson drained a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 12th hole. Wilson found himself 238 yards from the hole after a drive down the middle, the hole measures 538 yards. With a 4-iron in hand, Wilson knocked his approach onto the back of the green, 25 feet from the cup. With a gallery on hand, Wilson knocked home the putt and calmly tapped his brim in appreciation of the claps and cheers.

Young Gun Makes Turn


-Billy Condon

Cameron Wilson, the 17-year-old who will soon be a freshman at Stanford, just made the turn with his playing partner and PGA Tour veteran Len Mattiace. Both players came off the ninth hole with pars and both made the turn at even par for the round. Not one to be intimidated by PGA pros, Wilson teamed up with Camillo Villegas at the Deutsche
Bank Championship Pro-Am where the team won the event.

Young Gets Chance

-Billy Condon

David Young, the golf professional at Sleepy Hollow Country Club and the first alternate on site, is now in the field at Canoe Brook. Young took the place of PGA Tour player Kevin Stadler, and now has an opportunity to advance to the U.S. Open.

Also of note, PGA Tour player Parker McLachlin, who won the 2008 Legends Renoe-Tahoe Open and who is competing today, attended the same high school in Hawaii as President Obama and Michelle Wie. McLachlin's father coached President Obama's high school basketball team.

It's on at Canoe Brook

-Billy Condon

The quest for the four available U.S. Open slots has started at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J., with 62 hopeful professionals and amateurs. Past MGA winners Cameron Wilson and Andrew Giuliani have already teed off. Wilson, the 2009 MGA player of the Year is playing with PGA Tour pro Len Mattiace. On their first hole, Wilson unloaded one of his long drives, but the lefty pulled it into the right rough. Mattiace wasn't as long, but ended up safely in the middle of the fairway.

Today's conditions are favorable with a slight wind and hard, fast putting surfaces. The wide fairways and large greens of Canoe Brook should play to the players advantage, but with a field full of talent, these competitors will need rely on attacking the flagstick and scoring birdies for their shot at Pebble Beach in two weeks.

May 11, 2010

Defending Champ Turns in 2-under

A very good front nine for defending MGA Senior Amateur champion Al Small could have been even better if not for a double bogey on the par-four eighth hole.
"I had 91 yards into the green and thought the shot looked good, but I dunked it [into the pond in front of the green]," he said as he made the turn. Still, he made five birdies and one bogey on the front for a 2-under 34. He then hit a nice approach shot to the green on the par-three 10th hole, so perhaps he has some more birdies in him and can make a move toward the lead on the back nine.

--Greg Midland

Making Moves

Timothy Hultquist of Winged Foot has had a string of fine play and is currently 2-under on his round and one back of the leaders. He is the only player in red figures on the day and both of the leaders after back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes. The leaders, Jay Blumenfeld and Randall Keleher are one-over after both had bogeys on their opening hole.

-Billy Condon

Championship Day

The first groups have teed off in the final round of the MGA Senior Amateur Championship at North Shore Country Club. 34 players are set to once again test their games against a challenging golf course. Compared to yesterday's opening round, the players today will face a lengthened course measuring 6,416 yards, as well as more challenging hole locations. 2007 champ Jay Blumenfeld is tied for the lead with Randall Keleher after both men shot 73. Another past champ sitting nicely is Ron Vannelli, who will begin two shots off the pace.

Besides Blumenfeld and Vannelli, four other past champions will be chasing the leaders today. Included in this mix is Ned Steiner, Doug Vergith, Steve Rose and last year's champ Al Small.

Don't discount 2008 runner-up Joe Sommers, who is one shot back in third place and Bill Henry, a magician by trade who is looking to pull off a disappearing act by evaporating from the middle of the field and reappearing atop the leaderboard.

Stay tuned for all the exciting action with live scoring from the last six groups on www.mgagolf.org.

-Billy Condon

May 10, 2010

Afternoon Delight

Conditions out at North Shore are much more favorable for the afternoon rounds as the wind is less intense and with the sun shining, the scores have been lower. 2007 champ Jay Blumenfeld made the turn at even par, as did Tom Yellin of Stanwich.

Morning Recap

As scores begin filtering in from the morning rounds, the most notable news gusting in has been Randall Keleher, who made the turn at 3-under par. Keleher, who plays out of the Griff Harris Men's Club had 4 birdies on his front nine (holes 12-2).

Unsurprisingly, the players agree that the windy conditions are making it a tough day, adding significant yardage to the course's longest holes. Players are looking at smart shot-shaping as a strategy in hopes to make it to the final day of competition.

Reigning champ Al Small and 2007 champion Jay Blumenfeld have arrived at North Shore and have been warming up on the putting green. Both players had added layers to their golf ensembles.

-Billy Condon

Long Sleeves and Skull Caps

Players are experiencing brisk temperatures as they battle through gusting wind at North Shore. With the temperature just under 50 degrees, the wind chill has it down to 43. Certainly these conditions are more reminiscent of those expected for the MGA Mid-Amateur that is played in the fall, atypical for May. Nonetheless, the sun is shining and the course is in great condition.

Given both the cool weather and the challenging layout of the course, the course Superintendent predicted a low score of 71. Time will tell how things will play out.

Senior Am Underway

The 2010 MGA season is off and running with the Senior Amateur Championship. This year’s event contains an incredibly talented field that feature 8 past champions, including last year’s winner Al Small. However, it is 2004 champion Doug Vergith that has come to North Shore with the momentum as he won the Senior Division at the Richardson Invitational yesterday at the Seawane Club. Vergith was two down with three to play against Jim Graham, also in the field at North Shore. Vergith’s comeback included a twisting 40-foot birdie on the 17th hole as well as a 10-footer on 18 to win the match and the championship. He teed off on the first hole at 8:00 with Graham teeing off at 1:05

-Billy Condon

March 19, 2010

Let's Get Back Into the Swing of Things

Billy Condon

After a nasty winter, the golf season here in the Met Area is upon us. With temperatures reaching into the 70’s in mid-March, people are already taking their game from the living room putting green to the golf course. The 2010 golf season looks to begin a little different than in previous years as controversies have rocked the game we all love. However, with the bad comes the good, and the state of the game of golf is strong in the Met Area. This is seen in a recent report that was spear-headed by the MGA and shows that the game of golf in New York State is thriving. Full story.

With great venues set up for 2010, including Bethpage Black and Quaker Ridge, and worthy champions back to defend their ’09 titles, 2010 promises to be a fantastic year for MGA golf.

So dust off the sticks, get outside, and may 2010 be filled with bogey-free days.


Photo courtesy of MGA enthusiast Michael Lehrer