ELMSFORD, N.Y. (April 14, 2014) - The Metropolitan Golf Association announced this spring the restructing of the MGA/MetLife Men's and Women's Net Team Championships. For more than 30 years, these popular events have provided scratch golfers and high-handicappers alike with a first-class championship experience. This focus on players of all skill levels will continue, but the events have been rebranded as the MGA/MetLife Four-Ball Championships and they will now be conducted by the MGA's charitable Foundation.

These events have always been sponsored by the MGA’s long-time corporate partner, MetLife, and this will continue. MetLife has also greatly expanded their support of all of our Foundation’s junior golf programs. In moving this event to the Foundation, the MGA Executive Committee and Foundation Board of Directors has also decided to dedicate all the entry fees from the event to support the local First Tee Chapter. In 2001, the MGA Foundation joined forces with the Met PGA to create The First Tee of Metropolitan New York. We started with one site at Mosholu Golf Course in the Bronx and have now grown into the largest chapter in the country with sites throughout the Met Area. We are very proud of the role our association has had, and will continue to have, with The First Tee, and this decision confirms our long-term commitment to the chapter. We are also pleased that this decision will generate significant support for an organization that is having such a positive impact on the lives of thousands of young people without adding any new events to the local golf calendar or taxing clubs with additional requests for support.

Entry into the MGA/MetLife Men's and Women's Four-Ball Championships requires qualifying on the club level before teams can participate in one of the MGA's Sectional Qualifying Rounds. The eligibility requirements and schedule for qualifying for both the MGA/MetLife Men's and Women's Four-Ball Championships are below:

MGA/MetLife Men's Four Ball Championship
Monday, June 30 at Fairmount Country Club, Chatham, N.J.

Sectional Qualifying Rounds:
Club qualifying must be complete by May 26
Thursday, June 5 at Brynwood Country Club, Armonk, N.Y. (W/CT)               
Tuesday, June 10 at Glen Ridge Country Club, Glen Ridge, N.J. (NJ)               
Thursday, June 12 at Hempstead Golf & Country Club, Hempstead, N.Y. (LI)    

Eligibility
This competition is a two-man team event.  Each player must have an active USGA Handicap Index that does not exceed (20.0) at the time the team attempts to qualify at the club level.  Players with handicaps that exceed this Handicap Index are not eligible to compete by agreeing to play with an index within the eligible limit.  The combined Handicap Index of the team may not exceed 36.0.

Format
The format of play at the club qualifying, sectional qualifying and championship levels shall be 18 holes of stroke play on a net better-ball basis.  Each player (on a team of two) will compete at 90% of his Course Handicap.
NOTE:  Teams that qualify for sectional or championship rounds will compete using current Handicap Indexes throughout the remainder of the Championship. Only male members of MGA member clubs may compete in this tournament.  Team members must belong to the same club.

MGA/MetLife Women's Four-Ball Championship
Thursday, October 2, 2014 at Towers Country Club, Floral Park, N.Y.

Sectional Qualifying Rounds:
Club qualifying must be complete by September 10
Thursday, September 18, Garden City Country Club, Garden City, N.Y.
Monday, September 22, Minisceongo Golf Club, Pamona, N.Y.
Tuesday, September 23, Birchwood Country Club, Westport, Conn.

Eligibility
This competition is a two-woman team event. Each player must have an active USGA Handicap Index that does not exceed 28.0 at the time the team attempts to qualify at the club level. Players with handicaps that exceed this Handicap Index Range are not eligible to compete by agreeing to play with the handicaps within the eligible range. The combined Handicap Index of the team may not exceed 48.0. Team members must belong to the same club.

NOTE:
Teams that qualify for Sectional or Championship Rounds will compete using the current Handicap Indexes throughout the remainder of the
competition.

Format
The format of play at the Club Qualifying, Sectional Qualifying, and Championship levels shall be 18 holes of Stroke Play on a net better-ball basis. Each player (on a team of two) will compete at 95% of their Course Handicap.
 

For more information, please call the MGA Championship office at (914) 347-4653.