Senior golf in the Met Area has a long and distinguished history, starting in 1905 with a senior golf competition created by members of the Apawamis Club in Rye, N.Y. That competition led directly to the founding of the U.S. Seniors Golf Association, which today is administered by the MGA at Golf Central.
This legacy of senior golf was taken a step further in 1928 with the inaugural MGA Senior Amateur Championship. Over the ensuing years, the MGA Senior Amateur has grown in stature to become one of the most sought-after titles in the Met Area. It is the premier event for senior amateur golfers (aged 55 years and older) and has been contested at many of the best courses in the area.
RELATED: Senior Amateur Records
The first players to exert some dominance in the Senior Amateur was Samuel J. Graham, who won in 1943 and 1944, and then again in 1946. Three years later, Thomas Robbins won the first of his four Senior Amateur titles, the last coming in 1955 at Rockaway Hunting Club. He and Mike Matwell, who came along in the 1980s, are the only players to win the event four times.
Other prominent champions of the Senior Amateur include three-time winner J. Wolcott Brown (1967-’69), Mal Galetta Sr. (1984), Jerry Courville Sr. (1992) and Richard Siderowf (1996).
| Year | Champion | Site | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ken Bakst | Baiting Hollow | Scores | Recap |
| 2022 | Dennis Lynch | Haworth | Scores | Recap |
| 2021 | Roddy McRae | Round Hill | Scores | Recap |
| 2020 | Ned Zachar | Mill River | Scores | Recap |
| 2019 | Jim Graham | Montclair | Scores | Recap |
| 2018 | Adam Kugler | Old Oaks | Scores | Recap |
| 2017 | Allan Small | Fairmount | Scores | Recap |
| 2016 | George Zahringer III | Huntington Country | Scores | Recap |
| 2015 | George Zahringer III | Westchester CC (West) | Scores | Recap |
| 2014 | Jay Blumenfeld | Rockrimmon | Scores | Recap |
| 2013 | Jon Tingley | Navesink | Scores | Recap |
| 2012 | Ron Vannelli | Metedeconk National | Scores | Recap |
| 2011 | John Ervasti | Sleepy Hollow | Scores | Recap |
| 2010 | Steve Rose | North Shore | |
| 2009 | Al Small | Preakness Hills | Scores | Recap |
| 2008 | Ron Vannelli | Wee Burn | Scores | Recap |
| 2007 | Jay Blumenfeld | Piping Rock | Scores | Recap |
| 2006 | Shawn McLoughlin | Mountain Ridge | Scores |
| 2005 | Steve Rose | Woodway | Scores |
| 2004 | Douglas Vergith | Glen Head | Scores |
| 2003 | Steve Rose | Arcola | Scores |
| 2002 | Joe Polizzano | Scarsdale | |
| 2001 | Shawn McLoughlin | Inwood | |
| 2000 | Ned Steiner | Crestmont | |
| 1999 | Bob Housen | Brae Burn | |
| 1998 | Robert Navesky | Wheatley Hills | |
| 1997 | Bob Housen | Montclair | |
| 1996 | Richard Siderowf | Arcola | |
| 1995 | William Sala | Sunningdale | |
| 1994 | John French | Spring Brook | |
| 1993 | Mario Posillico | Cherry Valley | |
| 1992 | Jerry Courville Sr. | Westchester Hills | |
| 1991 | Don Edwards | Hackensack | |
| 1990 | Joe Davis | North Shore | |
| 1989 | Mike Mattwell | Elmwood | |
| 1988 | John Farrell Jr. | Suburban | |
| 1987 | Mike Mattwell | Huntington | |
| 1986 | Art Thomas | Wee Burn | |
| 1985 | Michael LoBosco | Glen Ridge | |
| 1984 | Mal Galletta Sr. | Woodcrest | |
| 1983 | Mike Mattwell | Dellwood | |
| 1982 | Joseph A. Donahue | Ridgeway | |
| 1981 | Mike Mattwell | North Hempstead | |
| 1980 | Norb Harrer | Edgewood | |
| 1979 | Tony Macellaro | Sunningdale | |
| 1978 | John Humm | Rockville Links | |
| 1977 | John Rogers | Old Oaks | |
| 1976 | Gerold Lauck | Canoe Brook | |
| 1975 | John J. Humm | North Hempstead | |
| 1974 | James F. Tingley | Mount Kisco | |
| 1973 | Arthur Lefelar | Mountain Ridge | |
| 1972 | Ed Majka | Rockville Links | |
| 1971 | Seymour Holub | Apawamis | |
| 1970 | William Y. Dear Jr. | Knickerbocker | |
| 1969 | J. Wolcott Brown | Glen Oaks | |
| 1968 | J. Wolcott Brown | Leewood | |
| 1967 | J. Wolcott Brown | Raritan Valley | |
| 1966 | Anthony J. Vileno | Garden City CC | |
| 1965 | Olin Cerrochi | Innis Arden | |
| 1964 | Stephen Berrien | Knickerbocker | |
| 1963 | John N. Ledbetter Jr. | Rockville Links | |
| 1962 | Jack Mullen | Century | |
| 1961 | Martin M. Issler | Arcola | |
| 1960 | Mike Cestone | Sunningdale | |
| 1959 | Paul A. Dunkel | Rockaway Hunting | |
| 1958 | Edward M. Smith | Upper Montclair | |
| 1957 | Jack Dowling | Mountain Ridge | |
| 1956 | Martin M. Issler | Hudson River | |
| 1955 | Thomas Robbins | Rockaway Hunting | |
| 1954 | Carl W. Timpson | Ridgewood (N.J.) | |
| 1953 | Thomas Robbins | Winged Foot | |
| 1952 | Vincent Fitzgerald | Wheatley Hills | |
| 1951 | Jack Brittain Sr. | Upper Montclair | |
| 1950 | Thomas Robbins | Siwanoy | |
| 1949 | Thomas Robbins | Seawane Harbor | |
| 1948 | Ellis Knowles | Upper Montclair | |
| 1947 | Ellis Knowles | Winged Foot | |
| 1946 | Samuel J. Graham | Seawane Harbor | |
| 1945 | Charles McMillen | Baltusrol | |
| 1944 | Samuel J. Graham | Winged Foot | |
| 1943 | Samuel J. Graham | Garden City GC | |
| 1942 | Charles P. Burgess | Baltusrol | |
| 1941 | August F. Kammer | Siwanoy | |
| 1940 | Charles H. Jennings | Garden City GC | |
| 1939 | August F. Kammer | Essex County | |
| 1938 | Wilfred Garretson | Siwanoy | |
| 1937 | Bechtel Alcock | Garden City GC | |
| 1936 | Dwight Rockwell | Englewood | |
| 1935 | Rex Beach | Saint Andrew's | |
| 1934 | Morton P. Downs | Rockaway Hunting | |
| 1933 | Alex P. Gray | Montclair | |
| 1932 | Enos S. Booth | Sleepy Hollow | |
| 1931 | T. Henry Clarkson | Garden City GC | |
| 1930 | Charles Cooke | Arcola | |
| 1929 | Hugh Halsell | Hudson River | |
| 1928 | Frank H. Hoyt | Garden City GC |
