The 2020 MGA Championship season looks decidedly different than what we're used to due to COVID-19. But, thanks to the MGA championship staff and host clubs working in tandem, we're facing perhaps the most condensed calendar of competitions in MGA history. Now, just think of the excitement ahead, especially with the Met Amateur, Ike, and Met Open all taking place within less than a month's span.
103rd Met Junior Championship Sponsored by MetLife
July 13-15 • Rockaway River Country Club • Denville, NJ
The nation's oldest junior championship returns to Rockaway River for a record 13th time. New Jersey natives have excelled in recent years when the region's rising stars have battled for the title at the venue, with Dawson Jones (2014), Anthony Aloi (2008) and Pat Fillian (2004) coming away with the titles.
31st MGA Father & Son Net Tournament
July 20 • Tam O'Shanter Club • Glen Head, NY
The popularity of the MGA Father & Son Championship spurred the Father & Son Net Tournament's establishment in 1990. The net event is contested in Pinehurst format, making it a relaxed and fun format enjoyed by all competitors.
18th MGA Carter Cup
July 29 • Canoe Brook Country Club • Summit, N.J.
The invitational event has developed an impressive list of champions that include Morgan Hoffmann, David Pastore, Cameron Young and Ethan Ng, the event's only two-time champion.
With traditional host Baltusrol having begun a restoration and usual substitute host Winged Foot prepping for September's U.S. Open, this year's Carter Cup will take place upon Canoe Brook Country Club's North and South Courses.
118th Met Amateur
July 30 - August 2 • Bethpage State Park (Black Course) Farmingdale, NY
Dating back to 1899, the Met Amateur stands among the nation's oldest and most historic championships, with names like Walter Travis, Jerry Travers, Willie Turnesa, Frank Strafaci, Richard Siderowf, Jerry Courville Sr., George Zahringer III, Johnson Wagner and Stewart Hagestad gracing its list of distinguished champions.
The MGA makes history in 2020 with its visit to Bethpage State Park's famed Black Course for the Met Amateur, taking its oldest championship to a public venue for the first time. Upon hosting the Met Amateur, Bethpage Black will become the 18th course to have hosted all three of the MGA's Major Championships – the Ike, Amateur and Open.
65th Ike MGA Stroke Play Championship
August 10-11 • Country Club of Darien • Darien, Conn.
The Ike was founded in 1953 by Daily News sportswriter Dana Mozley. The MGA purchased the rights to the event in 1986, helping it regain popularity and stature as a top-tier Met Area event.
Country Club of Darien has jumped onto the radar as one of the Met Area's top layouts over the last decade, thanks to the generation of a master plan and renovations that have been led by architect Dr. Michael Hurdzan. The work earned the club Renovation of the Year honors by Golf, Inc., in 2010. Additional changes in recent years have truly made the layout a championship test...one the Met Area's top amateurs have been looking forward to with great anticipation.
70th MGA Father & Son Championship
August 11 • Echo Lake Country Club • Westfield, N.J.
Launched in 1951, the MGA Father & Son Championship celebrates how golf adds to the special family bond. It continues to stand as one of the most popular and cherished events on the MGA schedule.
105th Met Open Championship Presented by Callaway
August 18-20 • Mountain Ridge Country Club • West Caldwell, N.J.
Mountain Ridge has always served as a gracious host to the MGA. The 105th Met Open will be the fourth Met Open welcomed by the club, the fifth MGA major it's hosted and the 15th time an MGA champion will be crowned after facing the classic Donald Ross layout.
The Met Open was first staged in 1905 and up until World War II was considered one of professional golf's major tournaments. Its earliest champions include Alex Smith, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Johnny Farrell, Byron Nelson and Craig Wood.
Though it was discontinued in 1941 due to its financial burden, it was brought back in 1949. The trophy was donated during this time by its namesake and former MGA president, Walker L. Trammell.
The championship quickly reestablished itself as the Met Area's premier event, with its purse and entries steadily climbing. In the year's since, the list of champions has truly become a who's who of Met Area golf, with Claude Harmon, Doug Ford, Jim Turnesa, Tom Neiporte, Darrell Kestner, Bobby Heins, Mark Brown and many etching their name on the elegant trophy.
In 2015, the MGA celebrated the event's great history by staging its 100th playing at Winged Foot Golf Club.
24th MGA Senior Open Championship
August 24-25 • Essex County Country Club • West Orange, N.J.
Each year, the field for the MGA Senior Open Championship gets stronger and stronger as accomplished Met Area players reach the eligible age of 50 years old. Seven players have now become winners of both the Met Open and MGA Senior Open.
9th MGA Senior Masters Tournament
September 15 • Trump National Bedminster (New) • Bedminster, N.J.
The Senior Masters Tournament, open to players 65 years of age and older, quickly became a popular event upon its introduction and first playing in 2012.
93rd MGA Senior Amateur Championship
October 6-7 • Mill River Club • Oyster Bay, N.Y.
The MGA Senior Amateur Championship traditionally opens the season, but finds its place toward the end of the schedule in 2020. The MGA Senior Amateur was first played 1928 and has been won by many of the region's most accomplished players.
14th MGA Mid-Amateur Championship
October 6-7 • Somerset Hills Country Club • Bernardsville, N.J.
The MGA Mid-Amateur Championship has become one of the most coveted invites in the Met Area, considering the mix of high-caliber competition and outstanding venues. In just the last three years, the event has taken place at Bayonne Golf Club, Maidstone Club and Wee Burn Country Club.
36th MGA/MetLife Women's Four-Ball Championship
October 20 • Knollwood Country Club • Elmsford, N.Y.
Following the incredible success of the Men's Four-Ball, the Women's Four-Ball was established in 1985. Hundreds of teams typically begin the qualifying stage at the club level, with 40 teams emerging to compete at the final championship site.
44th MGA/MetLife Men's Four-Ball Championship
October 21 • Westchester Hills Golf Club • White Plains, N.Y.
With qualifying beginning at the club level with upwards of 2,000 teams, the Men's Four-Ball is extraordinarily popular. The net event gives average golfers a true championship experience.
Credits:
PGA of America, USGA, Evan Schiller, Barry Sloan, Tim Hartin