News Release

For Immediate Release: July 6, 2004

Headline: Starting Times, Pairings Released for 96th Massachusetts Amateur Championship

Norton, MA – The 96th playing of the Massachusetts Amateur Championship is right around the corner. As a prelude to the event, the MGA released starting times and pairings for the first two days of the event. The Championship will take place on July 12-16 at Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

The 144-player field will play 18 holes of stroke play on Monday and Tuesday. Following the first two rounds of stroke play, the 32 low scorers will continue on to the Match Play portion of the event, which begins on Wednesday, July 14, 2004.

This year’s field will consist of 126 qualifiers and 18 exempt players. Included in that list of exempt players are defending champion Andy Drohen (St. Anne CC), five-time MGA Player of the Year Frank Vana, Jr. (Marlborough CC) and 2003 New England Amateur Champion Mike Welch (Furnace Brook GC). Also qualifying for this event for a second straight year is Mike Dunham (The Ridge Club), who when not playing golf serves as the starting goaltender for the New York Rangers.

More than 750 entries were received for this year’s State Amateur, which represents the oldest event on the MGA Championship schedule. Entries are open to amateur golfers who have an up-to-date MGA/USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 4.4.