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.

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.

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

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

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