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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Off and Running at 107th Met Amateur

By Billy Condon

The Met Area's amateur stars have come to Oradell, New Jersey, for the 107th playing of the Met Amateur at Hackensack Golf Club. Fresh off of his win at the Carter Cup yesterday at Baltusrol Golf Club down the Garden State Parkway from Hackensack, Cameron Wilson looks to continue his hot streak as he and fellow competitors Brian Komline and Pat Pierson have just teed off on the first hole. Also seen around the grounds this morning are 2008 & 2006 Met Amateur champ Tommy McDonagh and 2009 Ike champion Mike Ballo - who has his brother Peter on the bag as his caddie. Another player looking determined is Michael Quagliano, who sits in second place behind Ballo on the MGA Player of the Year points race.

Other player notes:
-Along with Wilson, there are a few other players in the field who competed yesterday in the heat and humidity at Baltusrol. They include: Jonathan Renza, Jisoo Park, and Pat Wilson, who has Carter Cup competitor Brody Nieporte on his bag.

-The pups aren't the only players ready to go. MGA tournament veterans such as Dick Siderowf, Ron Vanelli, Peter Van Ingen, Ken Bakst and Ed Gibstein have all warmed up and are aiming to shoot low.

Ballo Bests Field for Ike Title

By Billy Condon

A final round 66 was what it took for Mike Ballo to top the field for his first MGA championship. Ballo, who already won the WGA Amateur this year used a stellar back nine to secure a victory. Lurking around the top of the leaderboard after the first two rounds and shooting a one-over par 36 on his final-round's front nine, Ballo put his game in high gear for his back nine, firing a 30. The low nine-hole score for the championship. Ballo appeared to be in trouble on the 18th hole when he pulled his drive left into thick rough under a tree, but Ballo remained poised and hit his approach shot to about five feet, and then capitalized on the shot by sinking the birdie putt, marking his third birdie in his final four holes.

Besides the outstanding 30, Ballo's key to success was his consistency. He never posted higher than a 71, shot 35 twice on the back and 36 twice on the front. The only anomaly to the scorecard was a positive one, the five-under 30.

Finishing in second and third place was Chris DeForest and Roger Hoit, respectively. Both DeForest and Hoit shot final round 73's.

MGA Folks Inside the Ropes

By Greg Midland

The USGA has a strong relationship with the state and regional golf associations, and the affiliation with the MGA is particularly strong. A few MGA staffers have had large roles inside the ropes at the U.S. Open. Here's a summary:

--On Thursday, longtime MGA Tournament Director Gene Westmoreland was the walking Rules official with the Tiger Woods/Angel Cabrera/Padraig Harrington group.

--On Friday, MGA Executive Director Jay Mottola was an observer walking with the Phil Mickelson/Ernie Els/Retief Goosen group.

--On Saturday, Mottola observed for the Woods/Cabrera/Harrington group.

--All three championship days thus far, MGA Assistant Tournament Director Brian Farrelly has assisted the NBC television crew with equipment out on the course. On Saturday, Farrelly was assigned to the Woods/Cabrera/Harrington group in the morning, and then went back out at the end of the day for the Woods/Romero third-round pairing.

These three members of the MGA staff played key roles in the U.S. Open, demonstrating that these championships could not run without the help of volunteers. Farrelly described his experience helping NBC as "unbelievable, far over my expectations," and said that he helped with everything from driving a cart that had camera equipment on it to holding cables.

Despite Unfavorable Outcome, MGA Enjoys the Emerald Isle

By Kate Keller

Thursday, May 7

Several of the MGA Team members departed this morning for New York Mike Reardon, Cameron Wilson and Robert Cronheim all stayed at Portmarnock to play in the Irish Amateur Open Championship beginning Friday, May 8 at Royal Dublin.

A few of us, Al Small and his wife Patti, Gene Westmoreland and his wife Mary and I, traveled to The North. The drive along the cost of Ireland is spectacular! Everywhere you looked there was natural beauty in some form, whether it was the mountains on our left or the Irish Sea on our right.

We visited Royal County Down Golf Club. It was just as picturesque as one can imagine, and all were raving about the experience of playing this world famous course. Mary and I toured the quaint town of New Castle and sampled the local shopping and cuisine. Then it was back into the car to head further north to Port Rush!

Wednesday, May 6

It was another great finish today, although the outcome didn't come out the way the MGA had intended. Members of both teams played great and the awards reception was lovely. MGA President Al Small and team captain Gene Westmoreland stressed how much pride they had in their team, and how impressive the caliber of play was this week. Gene said it best, "When we arrived on Monday, there were some new friends and some old friends, and after today, we are ALL old friends".

We made plans with P.J. Collins, President of the GUI, and Rollo McClure, Honorary Treasurer of the GUI, to meet up when they visit New York for the U.S. Open in June. They were also invited to join us at the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association Dinner on June 16th where Gene will be honored with the Distinguished Service Award. All in all, it was a great day for the game of golf.