Headline: Frank Vana, Jr., Brian Higgins and John Hadges to Represent Massachusetts at the 2010 USGA Men's State Team Championship
For Immediate Release: September 14, 2010
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Two-time Massachusetts Mid-Amateur Champion Brian Higgins is one of three Bay State golfers who will be competing at the 2010 USGA Men's State Team Championship. |
Santa Rosa, CA — For the second year in a row, a dynamic trio of golfers will represent Massachusetts at the USGA Men's State Team Championship.
Frank Vana, Jr. (Marlborough CC), the nine-time Richard D. Haskell MGA Player of the Year, will be joined by Brian Higgins (Franklin CC) and John Hadges (Thorny Lea GC) this week at Mayacama Golf Club in Santa Rosa, California.
The three competitors will take on 50 other three-person teams representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia in three days of 18-hole stroke play.
As captain of Team Massachusetts, Vana brings a wealth of knowledge about this event to his teammates... after all, he is one of only two players who will be making their record ninth appearance at the biennial USGA event. The only golfer who can match that accomplishment is Keith Decker of Virginia.
"It is always a special honor to play in a USGA event," said Vana, who led Team Massachusetts to a T6 finish one year ago in Missouri. "Having the opportunity to represent your state as part of a team is truly unique and it is something that I have enjoyed throughout the years."
The three Bay State players earned the right to represent Massachusetts as a result of their dominating play throughout the past two seasons. A special point system was created in order to help the MGA select the top three players based on their performances in a series of local, regional and national competitions.
Higgins, the 2008 Richard D. Haskell MGA Player of the Year, was the top point getter for Team Massachusetts as he earned 2,080 points during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. The 35-year-old is coming off another stellar season in which he captured the 2010 New England Amateur Championship and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Massachusetts Amateur Championship. He also won the Worcester County Amateur and qualified for the 2010 U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships.
"The comfort level of competing in this event in the past will certainly be a benefit because I know what to expect in terms of the format and schedule," said Vana. " No matter how many of these events you play, the level of competition and the caliber of the golf course is so high that it gets your competitive juices flowing."
Rounding out the team is Hadges, the 2010 Massachusetts Amateur Champion who also won that event in 2008. The perennial standout from Thorny Lea Golf Club will be making his second straight appearance in the USGA State Team Championship.
"The golf course has a lot of elevation and the fairways and greens are pristine," said Vana of the Mayacama Golf Club layout. "The greens are very slopey and very fast and there are a lot of false fronts on a lot of the greens. Ball striking will be at a premium for second shots for sure."
The Bay State contingent will play 18 holes on each of three stroke-play rounds (Tuesday through Thursday). The two lowest scores from each three-person team constitute the team score for each round. The three-day total is the team's score for the championship.
Follow all of the action online at www.usga.org.
