ELMSFORD, N.Y. (September 13, 2006) - Several Met Area players will compete in the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship scheduled for September 16-21 at Victoria National Golf Club in Evansville, Indiana.  Reigning New Jersey Mid-Amateur champion Allan Small of Fairmount, Tom Graham of Fairfield, Vic Gerard of Eagle Oaks and Doug Vergith of St. George’s will be on hand to try and win the 52nd playing of this championship.

The clear favorite among the Met Area contingent is Allan Small, who is in the midst of perhaps his most successful season in an already well-accomplished career.  He was the runner-up at the Richardson Memorial in May and then proceeded to dominate the local competition in the early summer.  Small won his second N.J. Mid-Amateur title on May 10, twenty years after his first Mid-Amateur title.  In June he notched a three-stroke victory at the Hochster Memorial at Quaker Ridge Golf Club followed by a t-4th showing at the Ike Championship at Fresh Meadow Country Club.  On the national stage, Small qualified locally for the U.S. Open and played in the U.S. Senior Open with fellow Met Area players George Zahringer and Pete Busch.  Small was almost unable meet the 55-years-old age requirement of the U.S. Senior Amateur.  His 55th birthday was September 10, just six days before the deadline of September 16.  Should Small have a good showing in either this championship or another late season event, he will be in a position to overtake Andrew Giuliani in the MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year points list.  As of September 12, Small trailed Giuliani by 142 points.

Among the local players joining Small will be Tom Graham of Fairfield and Doug Vergith of St. George’s.  Graham fired a one-over par 73 at the sectional qualifying round at Scarsdale Golf Club and then survived a seven-man playoff to advance to the championship.  Vergith, who finished t-7th at the MGA Senior Amateur in 2005, was the second player to emerge from that same seven-man playoff at Scarsdale.  The final Met Area player in the field is Vic Gerard of Eagle Oaks, who qualified with a 70 at Cherry Valley Country Club in Skillman, N.J., three strokes back of medalist Allan Small.

The field of 156 players will begin with a 36-hole stroke play qualifying round to be played on the September 16 and 17.  The top 64 players then advance to the match play portion of the championship.  The champion receives custody of the Frederick L. Dold Trophy as well exemptions from sectional qualifying for the next U.S. Amateur, U.S. Amateur Public Links, U.S. Mid-Amateur and the next two U.S. Senior Opens, if otherwise eligible.  In addition, the winner is awarded an exemption from local qualifying for the 2007 U.S. Open and is exempt into the championship for the next five U.S. Senior Amateurs, if otherwise eligible.

Be sure to follow Small and company as they look to continue the great success of Met Area players in the USGA competition this year.  A link to live scoring will be available on the MGA website (www.mgagolf.org) starting with the stroke play qualifying rounds on Saturday, September 16.