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MGA Public Links Championship History

In 1936, 14 years after the USGA created the U.S. Amateur Public Links, a group of golfers at Hendricks Field Golf Course in Belleville, New Jersey became thedriving force behind the inception of the MGA Public Links Championship. The championship switched from match play to stroke play in 1961, and then was not played between 1973 and 1983. It was reinstated by the MGA in 1984, and since then, it has been conducted on some of the most highly acclaimed public layouts in the nation, including Bethpage Black, site of the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens, and nationally ranked facilities such as Richter Park in Danbury, Conn., Hominy Hill in Colts Neck, N.J., and Spook Rock in Suffern, N.Y.

The MGA Public Links Championship is the oldest public links championship in the country.

RELATED: MGA Public Links Records

High demand for the championship requires five local qualifiers across the Met Area. Past champions of the MGA Public Links include the three-time winner Lee Richardson (1993, ‘94 and ‘99); the late Jeff Thomas (1992 and ’98), one of the best amateur golfers to ever come out of the Met Area; and Mark Farrell, who won two straight Public Links titles in 2005 and 2006. The winner of the Public Links Championship gains automatic entry into that year’s Met Amateur.

Year Champion Runner-up Site Results
2023 Matthew Lowe Erik Stauderman Bethpage Red Scores | Recap
2022 Peicheng Chen Jonathan Jeter Rock Spring Scores | Recap
2021 Jonathan Jeter Ryan Lee Pound Ridge Scores | Recap
2020     Not played in 2020  
2019 Gray Barnes David Powers Neshanic Valley Scores | Recap
2018 Jonathan Jeter Rob Pepi Griffith E. Harris Scores | Recap
2017 Alex Kang** Michael Miranda Ballyowen Scores | Recap
2016 Michael Miranda Michael Young Jr., Jonathan Jeter, Kyle Brey Spook Rock Scores | Recap
2015 David Cha Kyle Brey Eisenhower Park (Red) Scores | Recap
2014 Xander McDonald-Smith Armando Olivieri Charleston Springs Scores | Recap
2013 Jacob Henny Adam Larkin Richter Park Scores | Recap
2012 Eric LeFante Mark Reilly Bethpage (Black) Scores | Recap
2011 Anthony Aloi** Eric LeFante Hominy Hill Scores | Recap
2010 Brian Komline Alex Edfort Spook Rock Scores
2009 Josh Goldstein Eric LeFante Links at Shirley Scores | Recap
2008 Michael Dominici Peter Zeldin Sean Davy Richter Park Scores
2007 Justin Jacaruso Richard Jung Neshanic Valley Scores | Recap
2006 Mark Farrell Isaac Lim Brian Komline Spook Rock Scores | Recap
2005 Mark Farrell David Segot Bethpage (Black) Scores
2004 Jason Bataille Kyle Moran Griffith E. Harris# Scores | Recap
2003 Ralph Alfieri David Solomon Charleston Springs Scores | Recap
2002 Peter Meurer Joe Horowitz Spook Rock*  
2001 Martin Catalioto Gary Schmitt Oyster Bay  
2000 David Kwon Peter Meurer Clark Holle Richter Park  
1999 Lee Richardson

Matthew Corrigan, Harry Goett III, Mark McEvoy

Hominy Hill  
1998 Jeff Thomas Casey Alexander Spook Rock  
1997 Paul Dickinson Peter Meurer Bethpage (Black)  
1996 Paul Dickinson Michael Borelli Hominy Hill  
1995 Jerome Kim Donald Watkins Richter Park  
1994 Lee Richardson Jeff Thomas Glen Wiggers Spook Rock  
1993 Lee Richardson Al Falussy Oyster Bay  
1992 Jeff Thomas Ken Dardis Richter Park  
1991 Robert Fisher Jr. David Woliner R.J. Nakashian Hominy Hill  
1990 Alan Specht Bobby Fisher Jr. Spook Rock  
1989 Del Kinney Jr. Bobby Fisher Jr. Angelo Petraglia Spring Lake  
1988 Del Kinney Jr. Donald Watkins Richter Park**  
1987 Mark Mielke Vin Truscelli Spook Rock  
1986 Charles Cowell Scott Hawkins Hominy Hill  
1985 Carl Campanelli Mark Mielke Blue Hill  
1984 Carl Campanelli Ronald Francis Bethpage (Black)  
1974 - ‘83 No Competitions      
1973 William Cariello Martin Nolletti Jr. North Redoubt  
1972 Robert Britton Ricky Paonessa Lakeover  
1971 John Riccardo William Cariello Salem  
1970 James Stalarow George Borbely North Redoubt  
1969 Robert Issler Ed Majka Ardsley  
1968 Harry Kaufman R. Howard Joerger Richmond County  
1967 Neil Donovan Jim Albus Mill River  
1966 Leonard Dahl Sam Petrone Hubbard Heights  
1965 Joseph Roccisano Steve Zuntag Timber Point  
1964 James Alverson Sam Petrone Timber Point  
1963 Sam Petrone Richard Carroll Spring Rock  
1962 Stan Lugovich Jr. Raymond Klein Fairchild Wheeler  
1961 Sam Petrone Jeff Josinksy Orchard Hills*  
1960 James O'Neill Peter Gruntal Rockleigh  
1959 Sam Petrone Robert Tolf Mohansic  
1958 Sam Petrone James Torre Bethpage (Black)  
1957 James Torre Harry Glick River Vale  
1956 Jerry Buchetto Orlando Lupinacci Hubbard Heights  
1955 George Baskiel Alan Cook Bethpage (Black)  
1954 Roy Faber Joseph Birofka Ash Brook  
1953 Bernard Kane George Baskiel Hubbard Heights  
1952 George Baskiel Stanley Metz Island Hills  
1951 Al Bange Jerry Zale Salisbury  
1950 Frank Kaminski Jr. Alvin Peterson Hendricks Field  
1949 Charles Amandoles Lester Jankoski Essex County West  
1948 Ray Sullivan Joseph Birofka Galloping Hill  
1947 Steve Maurath Ed McFarlane Split Rock  
1946 Arnold Gray Peter DeCaprio Engineers  
1945 Charles Amandoles Marcus McGarry Hendricks Field  
1944 Gilbert Smith Edward Searle LaTourette  
1942 - ‘43 No Competitions      
1941 Dominic Strafaci George Davidson Bethpage (Black)  
1940 George Davidson Mario Morano Hendricks Field  
1939 Charles Amandoles Peter DeCaprio LaTourette  
1938 Pat Mucci Sr. Charles Amandoles Aviation  
1937 Michael Cestone Walter Thoren Bethpage (Black)  
1936 John Cunniff Roy Corey Hendricks Field  
  * Format changed to stroke play ** Won in a playoff # Rain-shortened