Final Results

July 7, 2009 – On yet another rainy day of championship golf on Long Island, it was Josh Goldstein of Grossingers who came away with a win at the 62nd MGA/MetLife Public Links Championship at the 6,608-yard Links at Shirley. It is the first MGA title for the 19-year-old from Liberty, N.Y. Goldstein, who fired two even-par rounds for a total of 144, finished one stroke ahead of Eric LeFante of Royce Brook and two shots ahead of Brody Nieporte of Bethpage.

A two-hour weather delay forced the players off the course midway through the second round of the 36-hole stroke play championship, and Goldstein made what looked to be a costly double bogey at the par-five 13th hole after play resumed. “I had a tough chip shot from the edge of the bunker, and I didn’t hit a good shot and ended up three-putting. But my cousin, who caddied for me today, helped calm me down.” Goldstein’s consistent play down the stretch propelled helped him towards the top of the leaderboard as first-round leaders LeFante and Chris O’Keefe of Oyster Bay shot second rounds of 74 and 81, respectively.

The 19-year-old Goldstein, who recently finished his freshman year at Elon University in North Carolina and played on the golf team, had only played The Links at Shirley once before. However, with the tournament on the line, Goldstein hit a hybrid on the par-three 16th hole that made the difference. “I hit a confident shot that landed pin high and I was able to curl in the birdie putt.”

Following the birdie, Goldstein finished with back-to-back pars that finished him at even for the tournament. After waiting for the final groups to finish, Goldstein celebrated his first MGA championship.