Mahopac Golf Club’s Christian Cavaliere started his 2017 season with a bang by winning the Westchester Golf Association (WGA) Amateur Championship. The 19-year-old Somers resident and Boston College standout defeated Sleepy Hollow’s Brad Tilley in the 36-hole final match 6 and 5. The Whippoorwill Club in Armonk hosted the 98th playing of the Westchester Amateur.
Cavaliere topped James Nicholas of Westchester Country Club 3 and 2 to reach the final round while Tilly downed Luke Feehan, also of Mahopac Golf Club. Last year, Cavaliere won the MGA’s Met Junior title.
Herrol Pryce of Baychester claimed the 19th WGA Public Links Championship with a birdie on the first hole of a three-man sudden-death playoff at Sterling Farms Golf Course. He met Chris Kelly of Centennial and Eric Bleile of Sterling Farms who also carded matching rounds of 2-over 74s in regulation play.
In another playoff win, Matt Minerva Jr. of Hudson National defeated James McHugh of Rye Golf Club in sudden-death to win the 72nd WGA Junior Championship at Knollwood Country Club. Jud Langille of Trump National/Westchester also scored a win in the 48th WGA Boys Championship.
Two of the WGAevents also marked the organization’s new relationship with the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA). The WGA Public Links Championship was played in conjunction with a qualifying round for the MGA Public Links Championship so competitors competing for the WGA title could elect to count their score toward qualifying for the MGA event. The same held true for the WGA Junior and Boys and the MGA Met Junior and Boys championships.
