February 15, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Eight of the Met Area’s top male amateur golfers arrived in Portmarnock last weekend for the second playing of the Governor Hugh L. Carey Challenge Cup Matches, which is scheduled to conmclude today.
The team has been competing against a similiar team from the Golfing Union of Ireland over the new Bernhard Langer links course in Portmarnock, just 11 miles north of Dublin. The competition consists of Fourball, Foursome and Singles matches.
The Carey Cup Matches were named for former New York State Gov. Hugh L. Carey, who founded the event as a means of stimulating cultural and business interests between the two countries. It was inaugurated in 1996 at Hudson National Golf Club in Croton, N.Y., where the MGA team scored a hard-fought victory over their Irish counterparts.
Representing the MGA squad are four veterans of the competition, including three-time MGA Player of the Year Jeff Thomas of Plainfield West, and 1997 New York State and Westchester Amateur Champion Greg Rohlf of Wykagyl, 1994 Ike Champion dward Gibstein of Lake Success, and Allan Small of Fairmount.
Newcomers to the team are two-time MGA Public Links Champion Paul Dickinson of Montauk Downs, two-time New Jersey Amateur Champion James Kilduff of Morris County, two-time Westchester Amateur Champion on Doppelt of Fresh Meadow, and 1995 Ike Champion Jeff Putman of Somerset Hills
The Irish Team features Walker Cup team member Jody Fanagan of Milltown, two-time Irish Champion Eddie Power of Tramore, and Andrew McCormick of Scrabo. Rounding out the Irish team are Walker Cupper David Dunne of Sligo, Noel Fox of Portmarnock, Paddy Gribben of Warrenpoint, Bryan Omelia of Newlands, and Michael Sinclair of Knock.
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