CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. (October 15, 2007) – On a cool, sunny day at Hudson National Golf Club, the inaugural MGA Mid-Amateur Championship got off to an auspicious start. Playing in the first group, Mike Reardon of the Tuxedo Club went out in the first group and set the pace, shooting a two-under 69 to hold a two-stroke lead at the end of the first round. Reardon, 45 was the only player to break par on the 6,835-yard, par-71 layout overlooking the Hudson River. His round included three birdies and only one bogey, which came on the 249-yard, par three 16th hole. Reardon, who was runner-up in the Westchester Amateur earlier this season, is seeking his first-ever MGA title. 

Two strokes out of the lead is 2007 Met Amateur champion Greg Rohlf of Winged Foot, who is paired with Reardon in the last group for Tuesday’s final round. Rohlf’s round of even-par 71 included a birdie on the 465-yard, par four final hole, which played as the second-toughest during today’s first round. Coming in two strokes behind Rohlf at two-over-par 73 and in a tie for third place are two other Met Amateur champions, Dennis Slezak of Knickerbocker (1991) and Jeff Putman of Winged Foot (1993). 

Other notable amateurs within striking distance include Richard Jung of Sterling Farms (74), former MGA/MetLife Public Links champion Alan Specht of Wheatley Hills (75), former Met Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Ken Bakst of Friar’s Head (75), former Ike champion Ed Gibstein of Engineers (75), and reigning MGA Senior Amateur champion Jay Blumenfeld of Mountain Ridge (76). A total of 44 players made the cut, which came in at seven-over-par 79.

Today’s first round of the inaugural MGA Mid-Amateur Championship marked the first new tournament on the MGA schedule in 11 years, since the MGA Senior Open debuted in 1996. A 36-hole stroke play championship, the Mid-Amateur began with a starting field of 85 players from across the Met Area. Competitors must have reached their 35th birthday by October 15, 2007 and met a number of other competitive criteria to gain an invitation to the championship. Tuesday’s second round will begin at 8:00 a.m.

Hudson National, which hosted the 2001 Met Amateur and 2004 Met Open, provided a stunning backdrop for the first-ever playing of the MGA Mid-Amateur. The Tom Fazio-designed layout unfolds over a series of hills that are currently blanketed with fall foliage.