OYSTER BAY, N.Y. - (October 7, 2020) - Ned Zachar of GlenArbor won the 93rd MGA Senior Amateur Championship at the Mill River Club, edging out first-round leader Roger Hoit of Baltusrol by one shot. Zachar won his first MGA title with rounds of 69-72 to finish at 3-under for the championship. Hoit finished with a 2-under total after rounds of 66-76.
Zachar entered the final round three shots behind Hoit after opening with a 3-under 69. His first round included four birdies and just one bogey. "Yesterday I hit 18 greens. I had a couple of kick-ins and it was the simplest round ever. It could have been lower, but that's golf, sometimes you can't get all of the breaks going your way," said Zachar.
Full Results | Photos - Round Two
Meanwhile, Hoit had gotten off to a hot start to the event, carding 8 birdies for a 6-under 66 in his first round. During the final 18 holes, he got off to a great start, with three birdies and one bogey on the front. On the back nine, however, he struggled with a triple bogey on 11 followed by a double bogey on the par-3 12th. Zachar was able to keep it steady during his round, with no bogeys on the front and birdie on the par-3 7th. On Zachar's back nine, he had bogeys on 10 and 14, but followed that up with a birdie on the par-4 15th.
"I three putted, didn’t get up and down for par after hitting three shots on 14, that was unfortunate because I did play the hole just exactly the way I wanted, but I said listen, this is not over," Zachar said. After the 14th, he was then only one shot back from the lead. "I hit a very good drive [on 15] in the middle of the fairway, then I hit a wedge to about three feet. I made the birdie, Roger made a 5, and that was a very big turning point because then I had a two shot lead with only a couple of holes to go. There's always one little important moment in the context of a round like that, and that was definitely one," he shared.
| Year | Champion | Site | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
