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Allied Association of the MGA

Westchester Open SQR - Rockland CC

Sunningdale to Welcome 96th Westchester Open Presented by Callaway

ELMSFORD, N.Y. (July 5, 2018) – Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, N.Y., will welcome Westchester’s top club professionals, amateurs and professional players July 9-10 for the 96th Westchester Open Championship Presented by Callaway.

The field contains 134 of the area’s top competitors as Sunningdale welcomes the Westchester Open for the fourth time.

Related: Pairings

Past Champions
The field contains 13 past champions, including the winners of 10 of the last 11 championships: Danny Balin (2017, 2015, 2010), Rob Labritz (2016), David Pastore (2014), Mike Ballo, Jr. (2012), Greg Bisconti (2011), Craig Thomas (2009), John Stoltz (2008), Tony DeMaria (2007), Frank Bensel (2004), Tom Sutter (2002), Dave Fusco (2001), Carl Alexander (2000), and Bobby Heins (1981-83, 88, 90, 92).

Three-for-Four?
Balin of Westchester is aiming to win his third Westchester Open title in the last four years, which would produce the first back-to-back winner since Bruce Zabriski did so in 1997-98 at Ardsley and then Brae Burn. Balin’s game has been in strong form, having won the Westchester PGA Match Play and recently finished inside the top 20 at the PGA Professional Championship to earn his way to the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive, Aug. 9-12.

Open Season
Michael Miller of Knollwood and Cameron Wilson of Shorehaven will tee it up in the Westchester Open less than a month after competing in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Wilson made the weekend in Southampton finishing 64th. Miller has since competed several weeks on the Mackenzie Tour (PGA TOUR Canada) and is playing in the Windsor Championship in Ontario this week.

Amateurs in the Mix
The field includes an impressive list of amateur competitors, including back-to-back Westchester Amateur titlist Christian Cavaliere of Mahopac. A pair of the field’s top amateurs come from Sleepy Hollow, as rising Wake Forest senior Cameron Young and Brad Tilley are slated to compete. Young is coming off a season in which he earned All-ACC honors for the second time and was named honorable mention All-American. Meanwhile, Tilley is in his second summer competing as an amateur once again. Last year, he finished runner up in the Westchester Amateur and MGA Mid-Am and made a run to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Mid-Am.

Format

  • Two days, 54 holes of stroke play
  • Field cut to low 40 players & ties (and anyone within five shots of the lead) following Monday’s opening round

Sunningdale Country Club

  • Organized in 1913 and moved to current location (formerly known as Overlook Golf Course) in 1916
  • Seth Raynor redesigned the layout
  • In 2017 completed a renovation under direction of architect Mike DeVries, which focused on updating greens and bunkers
  • Hosting Westchester Open for the fourth time, last won by Bobby Heins in 1982
  • Has also hosted Westchester Amateur five times and Met Amateur twice

Coverage

  • 9 and 18-hole updates for the first two rounds (Monday, Tuesday morning)
  • Additional live scoring during the final round, Tuesday afternoon
  • Social Media: @WGA1916 on Twitter and additional content on the WGA’s Facebook page
  • Scoring, recaps, interviews, and photos on www.mgagolf.org/wga