Westchester golfers have a shot at making history this year at the inaugural New York City Triple Crown Golf Championship. The new event will take place on seven venerable New York City municipal golf courses during three weekends in July with five champions earning spots in the 34th Annual Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship in August.
“Over 1 million golfers reside in and around the five boroughs of New York City,” says tournament director Rich McDonough. “With the New York City Triple Crown Golf Championship we wanted to create a golf tournament that will give golfers of all skill levels the opportunity to complete and experience golf and golf course conditions as diverse as New York City itself.”
The tournament field of amateur players will be pre-divided by handicaps into a championship flight and four additional flights. On July 1-3 the first 120 players to sign up will compete at one of three designated first round sites. Douglaston GC in Queens, Clearview GC in Queens, or Van Cortlandt GC in the Bronx. The two second-round sites, to be played on July 8-9, are La Tourette GC on Staten Island and Dyker Beach GC in Brooklyn.
The top players from each flight – 60 players overall – qualify for the third leg of this triple crown, a two-round championship weekend, July 15-16 at Pelham Bay/Split Rock in the Bronx. Winners of each flight from the championship weekend receive a guaranteed entry in the Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday-managed World Amateur Championship, August 28-September 1.
“It’s an honor to be part of the NYC Triple Crown Championship,” says Jason Zaretsky, General Manager of first-round site Douglaston Golf Course in Queens. “We take great pride in finding a champion from the greatest city on earth and sending them to one of the greatest golf destinations in the world.”
“This should be a fierce challenge that everyone will be talking about – it’s a golf battle of the boroughs,” said Jamie Johnson, Regional Director of Golf Events & Fundraising, American Golf Corporation. “The best part will be bringing together local golfers from all walks of life to enter into this competition which will put NYC golf courses on the map as leading destinations in this great game!”
McDonough created this event for New York City residents to experience tournament golf in other boroughs away from their familiar “home course” surroundings. Three weekends of solid play – hence a Triple Crown title – are required to advance to the famed Myrtle Beach World Amateur tournament where more than 3,000 men and women compete in the first four rounds on 52 courses stretching borders into North and South Carolina. On September 1st, all flight winners will compete in a one-day championship round to determine this year’s world champion.
A 72-hole, net stroke play event, all flight winners and ties advance to the World Championship Playoff, an 18-hole shootout that crowns the event’s winner. Golfers from all 50 states and 25+ countries are expected to compete in the 34th annual World Am.
“The Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship is thrilled to partner with the inaugural New York City Triple Crown competition,” said Jeff Monday, Tournament Director for Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday. “It is such a creative event that will test the participants’ skill and competitive drive over three weekends and on seven different courses.
Players can register for the NYC Triple Crown Championship at www.nyctriplecrown.com. Cost is $295 per golfer and includes at least two rounds of golf with cart and lunches during the first two rounds.
All players must have an active USGA handicap to participate in both the NYC Triple Crown Golf Championship and the Myrtle Beach World Amateur. If you need a USGA Handicap visit The MGA E-Club Site.
