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Allied Association of the MGA

Westchester Amateur, Senior, Super Senior Championships Set for June 5-7

ELMSFORD, N.Y. (June 1, 2018) – Brackets are set for the 99th Westchester Amateur Championship, as well as the 2018 Westchester Senior Amateur and Super Senior Amateur Championships, which take place June 5-7 at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Conn.

Related: Championship Brackets | Westchester Amateur History

Reigning Amateur champion Christian Cavaliere of Mahopac enters the event with the top seed, looking to become the first repeat winner since Greg Rohlf won three straight from 1997-1999. Cavaliere, winner of the Met Junior Championship in 2016, is coming off his sophomore campaign at Boston College, where he claimed his first individual title at the Clemson Invitational.

The remaining 31 competitors earned their way into the championship in an 18-hole qualifier conducted May 23 at Leewood Golf Club in Eastchester, N.Y. Gray Barnes of Centennial captured co-medalist honors to earn the No. 2 seed. Barnes recently captured the Wilson Cup at Scarsdale Golf Club with partner Jake Sullivan and has had an impressive run in qualifiers, having secured positions in both the Ike MGA Stroke Play Championship and the MGA Public Links Championship.

James McHugh of Rye Golf Club, the 2015 Met Junior champion, aims to build off back-to-back quarterfinal appearances in the championship. The rising sophomore at Penn State competed in one event for the Nittany Lions, finishing tied for 27th in the Rutherford Intercollegiate. As the No. 5 seed, McHugh begins his quest for the title against No. 28 seed Andrew Singer, an MGA eClub – NYC member.

Meanwhile, Matt Minerva, Jr., of Hudson National will aim to build on his Westchester resume, having won the WGA Junior Championship in 2017—doing so in a playoff over McHugh. Minerva owns the No. 8 seed and opens against Bart Weissman of Sterling Farms.

The bracket includes many names to watch, including Daniel Gabel of McCann who co-medaled with Barnes at Leewood, Bear Carlson of Bedford, Jon Renza of Garrison, and Nicholas Dilio of The Links at Union Vale.

The 99th Westchester Amateur begins on Tuesday, June 5 with two rounds of match play. Quarterfinal and semifinal matches take place on June 6, while the championship concludes with the 36-hole final on June 7.

In the Senior Amateur, reigning champion and Westchester Senior Player of the Year Jim Romaniello of Shorehaven takes the top seed, aiming to claim the title for the third time. In the 16-player bracket, Romaniello has plenty of challengers including 2003 champion and Brooklawn member Bill Dober, three-time champion Jon Groveman of Aspetuck Valley, 2017 runner-up Mark Vassalotti of Sterling Farms, and 1991 Westchester Amateur champion Tom Yellin of Stanwich.

Seniors complete two rounds of match play on the opening day of competition, with the semifinals and 18-hole final taking place on June 6-7, respectively.

Related: Westchester Senior & Super Senior History

Russ Sirico of Lake Isle is looking to repeat in the Super Senior Championship, opening play against Scotty George of Westchester. Meanwhile, Rick Blank of Metropolis aims for a return trip to the finals after a runner-up finish in 2017 and opens against Peter Rymer of Spook Rock.

The Super Senior Championship includes one round of match play each day, June 5-7.

Brooklawn, whose history dates back to 1895, will serve as a quality match play venue for the Westchester Amateur championships. The layout, which has hosted four USGA championships including the 1987 U.S. Senior Open, is characterized by its A.W. Tillinghast greens, deep greenside bunkers and rolling topography.

Several scoring stations will update the status of matches over the first two days of play, while championship matches will include live hole-by-hole updates. For additional coverage, follow the Westchester Golf Association’s Twitter account and like its Facebook page.