The 2016 USGA Men’s State Team Championship will be held at the Country Club of Birmingham (West Course) in Birmingham, Alabama on September 28-30. This event is a biennial Championship, held at a different venue each even year. The three players representing Maryland will be Mark Cusic, Dan Falls and Ben Warnquist. Mike Stackus and Bart George were chosen to be alternates, and MSGA Director of Rules & Competitions, Kelly Newland, will captain the team.
The field will include three players from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Players must reside in the state or territory they are representing and cannot be an active college player. The championship is a 54-hole, stroke-play event, with the two lowest of three scores counting for the team’s daily total.
Founded in 1898, the Country Club of Birmingham relocated from its original site in North Birmingham to Shades Valley, where two 18-hole courses were designed in 1926 by renowned architect Donald Ross. The Country Club of Birmingham previously hosted the 2013 USGA Mid-Amateur Championship and has hosted nine Alabama State Amateur Championships. To view more information and history about the USGA State Team Championship, CLICK HERE.
Below are the bios of each of the three Maryland team members:
Mark Cusic
Home Club: Breton Bay Golf & Country Club
Residence: California, MD
Accomplishments: Mark Cusic will be competing in his 10th USGA Championship. His resume includes two US Amateurs, three US Mid-Ams, two US Amateur Public Links, and two State Teams. He has won a number of events at the state and regional level, including the 90th Maryland Amateur in 2011 at Hillendale, back-to-back state four-ball championships in 2012 and 2013, and the 14th Maryland Amateur Public Links earlier this year at Greystone. He ranks 4th in the 2016 MSGA Player of the Year point total with 470 points.
Dan Falls
Home Club: Manor Country Club
Residence: Gaithersburg, MD
Accomplishments: Dan Falls won last year’s Maryland Mid-Amateur at the Elkridge Club and reached the match play semifinals at this year’s 95th Maryland Amateur Championship after earning medalist honors in stroke play qualifying with a round of 67. He made cuts with steady play at this year’s Maryland Open and Mid-Amateur as well, and he ranks 5th on the 2016 MSGA Player of the Year point total with 465 points.
Ben Warnquist
Home Club: Manor Country Club
Residence: Olney, MD
Accomplishments: Ben Warnquist won last year’s 94th Maryland Amateur Championship at his home club, Manor CC, after firing 66 to capture the medal in stroke play qualifying. This year he has already qualified for and competed in two USGA championships. He reached the match play finals of the 2nd US Amateur Four-Ball with partner Brandon Cigna at Winged Foot Golf Club in May, and also used two sub-par rounds (67-71—138) at Worthington Manor Golf Club in July to qualify for the 116th US Amateur, contested earlier this month at Oakland Hills Country Club. His 575 points are ranked first in the 2016 MSGA Player of the Year point total.
