13th Governor Hugh L. Carey Challenge Cup

13th Governor Hugh L. Carey
Challenge Cup
October 19-21, 2015
Metedeconk National Golf Club
Jackson, New Jersey
Golfing Union of Ireland vs. Metropolitan Golf Association
SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2015
Am-Am Competition
10:30-11:00 a.m. ................................................ Registration
11:00 a.m. ...................................................... Brunch/Range
12:00 noon ...................................................... Shotgun Start
5:30 p.m. ...............................................Awards and Cocktails
6:00 p.m. ...................................Opening Ceremonies Reception
Official Introduction of the MGA and GUI Teams
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015
First Day of Matches
7:30 a.m. ....................................................Fourball Matches
1:30 p.m. ..................................................Foursome Matches
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015
Second Day of Matches
8:00 a.m. ......................................................Singles Matches
2:00 p.m............................Awards/Closing Ceremonies Luncheon
History of the
Governor Hugh L. Carey Challenge Cup
In the fall of 1990, a team of amateurs
from the Golfing Union of Ireland came
to compete against the MGA. Known
then as the first Metedeconk International Challenge Cup, the concept can
be credited to Metedeconk National
Golf Club founders Richard and Herbert
Sambol and perennial club champion
and international golfer Finbarr Kiely.
The MGA won the first meeting, defeating an Irish team that included Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington.
The competition resumed in its present form in 1996 after former New York
Governor Hugh L. Carey spearheaded the revival of the matches. Carey donated a silver claret jug which serves as the official trophy to foster commerce between the two countries and to promote sportsmanship and goodwill through friendly competition. Named the Carey Cup,
the first installment was held at the spectacular Hudson National Golf
Club, where the MGA won back the title. The matches have continued
biennially, with six-man teams playing a Walker Cup-style competition
featuring Four-Ball, Foursomes, and Singles matches at some of the
best courses in Ireland and the Met Area. The MGA made history when
the 2013 MGA Carey Cup Team won for the first time on Irish Soil at
the European Club. A spot on this prestigious team is one of the most
sought-after accomplishments for Met Area competitors.
Photo from Metedeconk Senior Member Chauncey Durkin, who was present at the Inaugural Metedeconk Invitational Challenge. Of that first match, he says they “never forgot Metedeconk...Padraig said it
was the hardest [flippin’] course he ever played.”
About Metedeconk
Robert Trent Jones was near the end of his career but still at the peak
of his reputation when he built Metedeconk. Working from an office in
nearby Montclair, both Jones and his top associate, Roger Rulewich, spent
far more time than usual on the site, creating a course that epitomizes
Jones’s later work. Golfers will recognize the familiar RTJ design features, but the style is more mature, subtle, and restrained.
The course created quite a buzz when it opened. Dick and Herb
Sambol, the father and son team that founded the club, set out to attract
golfers who would make Metedeconk their second – or third or
fourth – club and use it as
a getaway. They envisioned
a place that was elite in
every sense – elite membership, elite design,
elite conditioning, elite
service.
As the golfing landscape changed,
though, Metedeconk found itself in
competition with
new high-end clubs
that were opening
nearer to Manhattan. At the same
time, several local
communities were
prospering, and
the membership
paradigm gradually
shifted. Recent
members tend to
be successful,
self-made men and
women who live
within easy driving
distance; half of
the members now
regard Metedeconk as their
primary club. Since
2001, when the
members bought
out the Sambols,
Metedeconk has
been an equity club.
The change in governance made the club
take a hard look at
itself, and it has spurred
ongoing efforts to
define and maintain what
is special about Metedeconk. Golf Chairman Bob
Lerner has been a leader in
the search to find an architect
to develop a master plan for
the club’s future growth. “We’ve
upped our commitment,” he says, “to put the polish back on this course
and make sure that it stays there.”
Metedeconk’s desire to excel is reflected in the recent appointments of key staff members, including Head Professional Brent Studer,
who just returned from competing in the Senior Open, Superintendent
Arron McCurdy, whose last job was at Merion, where he played a leading
role in preparing the course for the 2013 U. S. Open. General Manager
About Metedeconk
Anthony Castaldo is a
master sommelier whose
passion for wine and food
shows in every detail of
the wine list, the menu,
and the presentation of a
meal.
A major design
decision was to make
each hole a separate entity, a private arena. The
distances from green to
tee aren’t great, but each
hole opens to a new vista.
The maintained playing surfaces – the tightly mown tees, greens, and fairways – are artfully
integrated into the rugged wooded environment, the bunkers and fescue
serving as transition elements. With firm, fast fairways and greens that
run at 11 or 12 on the Stimpmeter, the everyday condition of the course
is just a notch below tournament-ready.
The course does have the RTJ trademark tees, long platforms
that provide options for golfers of different abilities, and there are quite
a few greens that require the high, quick-stopping approach shots that
Jones was so partial to. But many greens are open in front, permitting
a run-up shot. The greens themselves are of average size, not the huge
surfaces that Jones made in his younger days, and they have subtle
weaves and shimmers that require some experience to read properly. The
fescue-fringed fairway bunkers are intimidating; RTJ might have grown
more restrained, but he hadn’t lost his flair for an in-your-face challenge.
Metedeconk is definitely not a hit and giggle course. It’s not a
bomber’s course either, but a course where you have to think your way
around, a track that requires discipline, precision, and focus. The mindset at Metedeconk is that when you go out to play a round, you bear
down and give it your best.
The club has hosted two MGA majors: the 1996 Ike, won by Jeff
Thomas, and Andrew Svoboda’s victory in the 2003 Met Open, as well
as the New Jersey Open and other local championships. Another annual
event is the Prep Challenge for private schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and Metedeconk is part of the rota that hosts the Ivy League
Championship.
Excerpt from “Oasis in the Pines”, a Met Golfer Club Focus article on Metedeconk Golf Club from August/September 2015, written by Stephen Goodwin.
2015 GUI Team
Captain: Michael Connaughton, GUI President
Alex Gleeson
Member, 2015 Home Internationals
Champion Team; 2015 Irish Intervarsity Champion; 2015 Boyd Quaich
Memorial Tournament Champion;
Runner-up, 2015 Nassau Invitational.
John Ross Galbraith
Winner of the North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship 2015.
Member, 2015 Home Internationals
Champion Team. Member, 2015 Ulster Interprovincial Men’s team.
Rowan Lester
Member, 2015 Home Internationals
Champion Team; Member, Leinster
Interprovincial Men’s team. Quarterfinalist in the 2015 North of Ireland
Amateur Open Championship.
2015 GUI Team
Captain: Tony Goode
Captained Victorious 2015 Ireland Home Internationals team
Stuart Grehan
Member, 2015 Home Internationals
Champion Team; 2015 South of Ireland Champion; 2015 East of Ireland
Champion; 5th in the Irish Amateur
Open Championship.
Colin Fairweather
Member, 2015 Home Internationals
Champion Team; Runner-up, 2015
East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship; Runner- up, 2015 South of
Ireland Amateur Open Championship.
Colm Campbell
Member, 2015 Home Internationals
Champion Team (led team in points);
2015 Rosapenna Senior Scratch Cup
Champion; Member, 2015 Ulster
Interprovincial Men’s team.
2015 MGA Team
Captain: Stephen F. Boyd, MGA President
Luke Feehan, Age 24
Mahopac Golf Club, N.Y.
First appearance, MGA International
team; 2015 WGA Amateur Champion;
2014 NYSGA Amateur Champion.
Joe Saladino, Age 35
Huntington Country Club, N.Y.
Ten-time MGA International team
member, including the winning 2007
& 2013 Carey Cup; 2014 Long Island
Amateur Champion
Darin Goldstein, Age 34
Noyac Golf Club, N.Y.
First appearance, MGA International
team; 2013 LIGA Mid-Amateur Champion; Runner-up, 2015 LIGA Amateur,
2015 Nassau Invitational Champion.
2015 MGA Team
Assistant Captain: Al Small
Five-Time Carey Cup Team Member
Brian Komline, Age 41
Black Oak Golf Club, N.J.
Member, Victorious 2013 Carey
Cup team; 2015 Hochster Memorial
Champion.
Stewart Hagestad, Age 24
Golf & Body NYC, NY
First appearance, MGA International
team; 2015 Mittlemark Invitational
Champion; 2015 Ike; Semifinalist,
2015 Met Amateur
Trevor Randolph, Age 42
Arcola Country Club, N.J.
Member, 2014 French-American
team; Captain, 2014 USGA Men’s
State Team Champion Team (NJ);
2015 MGA Mid-Am Champion
Bob Housen
Honorary Captain, MGA
This
year, Bob Housen, member
of the first and, most importantly victorious, 1990 Metedeconk
International Challenge Cup and
Captain of Team MGA at Waterville in 1992, will join Team MGA
once again. This time, Housen will
be acting as the Honorary Captain
and will be able to offer his wisdom from his experience 25 years
ago.
In addition to his support of
photo of Bob Housen from the
the Carey Cup, Housen has been a The
1990 Metedeconk International
strong advocate for golf in the Met Challenge Cup Program
Area and has conquered many Met
Area events with a glowing resume as a two-time MGA
Senior Amateur Champion (in 1997 and 1999), the 1976
Ike Champion, Low Amateur at the 1988 Met Open, a twotime MGA Father & Son Champion with his son, Chris (winning at Metedeconk National in 2008), a six-time NJSGA
Amateur Champion, a two-time NJSGA Senior Open Champion and a record 24-time member of the NJSGA Compher
Cup. With a repertoire like this, it’s no wonder as to why
Housen recieved a special invitation to compete in the
New Jersey State Open in 2012 at the age of 74.
Housen also competed in six U.S. Senior Opens and
was the Low Amateur in 1988 at Medinah Country Club,
when Gary Player won.
The MGA is honored to have Bob Housen aboard the
team as they look toward their third consecutive win in
the Carey Cup.
History of the Matches
1990
The first Irish-American Matches were
played at the (then) brand-new Metedeconk National Golf Club, ranked by the
Met Golfer among the “Top 25” in the Met
Area. The MGA claimed the competition’s
first victory 10 1/2 to 7 1/2 and defeated Irish
golf legends, including Padraig Harrington
and Paul McGinley.
1992
Ranked among the “Top 25” in the world
by both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine, the
windswept Waterville Golf Links on the
Ring of Kerry played host to the second
edition of the Matches. On their home turf,
the GUI retaliated their previous loss and
took the matches 17 1/2 to 2 1/2.
1996
Revived by Governor Carey after a fouryear absence, the newly renamed “Carey
Cup” debuted with an 8 1/2 - 7 1/2 MGA victory at the magnificent Hudson National
Golf Club, a newer Met Area gem designed
by Tom Fazio - a Met Golfer-ranked “Top
25.”
1998
The magnificent Bernhard Langer design
built around the sprawling Jameson (of
whiskey fame) estate just outside of Dublin,
the Links at Portmarnock provided a spectacular backdrop for the Carey Cup’s return
to Ireland. Portmarnock saw an Irish victory that year, with the GUI leading 11 - 5.
History of the Matches
1999
A classic beauty and a perennial “Top 25”
in America, The Maidstone Club would
host the third U.S. edition of The Carey
Cup and provide the Irish team with a familiar links experience. The GUI continued their winning streak with a 9 1/2 - 6 1/2
victory.
2001
The famed Portmarnock Golf Club, site
of the 1991 Walker Cup, maintained the
Carey Cup’s tradition of the best and most
challenging venues for this premiere international event, where the GUI defeated the
MGA 10 1/2 to 5 1/2.
2003
The seventh time the MGA and GUI teams
met took place at Quaker Ridge Golf Club,
which is annually ranked among the top
courses in the country. The GUI team
claimed their fourth consecutive victory at
Quaker Ridge, 11 -5.
2005
The next installment of the Matches was
played at the Carton House in Ireland,
which has hosted a number of prestigious
events including the Nissan Irish Open.
The GUI team made it five straight with a
12 1/2 to 3 1/2 victory.
History of the Matches
2007
The GUI retained the Cup at Trump National after a 6-6 draw. It was the MGA’s
best showing in the event since 1996. Host
Donald Trump greeted players at the AmAm reception and was thrilled to showcase
his course to international guests.
2009
The GUI continued their domincance
of the matches in 2009 at the windswept
Links at Portmarnock. As they did in
1998, the GUI scored a decisive 8 1/2 - 3 1/2
victory on their home soil, but the camaraderie and hospitality of our hosts made
it an unforgettable expereince.
2011
Back on U.S. soil, the MGA broke the GUI’s
7-time winning streak at no better venue
than Bethpage Black. The 7 1/2 to 4 1/2 victory was hosted by the two-time U.S. Open
venue, which would also go on to host the
2012 Barclays.
2013
Recognized as a “true links,” The European Club provided a brilliant test of
golf. Designed by Pat Ruddy, the course
is ranked among the Top 100 Courses in
the World by Golf Magazine. Team MGA
made history when they won for the first
time on European soil, 6 1/2 - 5 1/2.
12th Carey Cup Challenge
The European Club, Wicklow, Ireland
April 27 - 29, 2013
It took the Metropolitan Golf Association 21 years and six attempts,
but history was finally made when the MGA team claimed victory on
Irish soil for the first time in the Governor Hugh L. Carey Challenge
Cup.
Playing in the penultimate singles match, Max Buckley of Westchester mounted a remarkable comeback and won three of his final
four holes, including the 18th, to defeat Alex Gleeson 1-up and
guarantee the MGA would carry the coveted Cup back to America for at least another two years. Shortly after Buckley’s heroics,
two-time reigning MGA Player of the Year Mike Miller of Knollwood
drilled an 18-footer for par to halve his match against Eddie McCormack and earn a half point, clinching a 6 1/2 – 5 1/2 triumph for
the MGA over the Golfing Union of Ireland at The European Club in
Wicklow, Ireland. It was the second consecutive victory for the MGA
and third-ever in the biennial event’s 11-match history.
With the score even at 3 – 3 after Sunday’s foursome and
fourball matches, Jim Liu of Stonebridge Golf Links stirred momentum for the MGA when he defeated Brian Casey 2 and 1 in the opening match. But the GUI quickly leveled the score at 4 aside when Simon Ward (who tallied 2 1/2 points, the most of any player on either
side) beat Brian Komline of Black Oak 3 and 2. Cameron Young of
Sleepy Hollow, the youngest player of the matches at 15-years-old,
again gave the MGA the upper hand when he defeated Nicky Grant 3
and 2. Young, Liu and Buckley each notched two total points to help
the MGA take the lead.
The GUI team (left) and the MGA team (right).
The Metropolitan Golf Association
Extends its Sincere Gratitude to
Metedeconk National Golf Club
for their gracious hospitality
in hosting the
13th Hugh L. Carey Challenge Cup
Club President
Frank McMahon
Golf Chairman
Bob Lerner
General Manager
Anthony Castaldo
Golf Professional
Brent Studer
Golf Course Superintendent
Aaron McCurdy
The MGA
and the
MGA Foundation
would like to extend a special thanks to
Our Governor’s Level Sponsors
AlmostGolf
Venture Programs
York Risk Services Group
DGC Capital
The Durkin Family
SDG Management
Galway Ireland
Michael K. Farrell
Corrib Oil
Whitney Belicose
McCann Systems
Florio, Perrucci, Steinhart
and Fader Esqs.
Along with
Rich Lerner of Golf Channel
and
The Hugh L. Carey Family
for their continued support of the Carey Cup and the
MGA Foundation.