Meet the Semifinalists
The elite eight has become the final four as Alex Edfort, Sam Bernstein, Mike Miller and Matt Lowe have 18 holes today to make the finals of the 109th Met Amateur at piping rock club in locust Valley, N.Y. Edfort faces off against Bernstein in the first match, which began at 12:00 p.m. and Miller will take on Lowe at 12:10.
Let’s get to know more about our four semifinalists:
Alex Edfort – Neshanic Valley
Age: 19
Favorite Met Area Course: Baltusrol
Golf superstition: “I don’t cut my fingernails during a tournament. I’ll cut them before or after, but never in-between rounds of the same event.”
What winning the Met Amateur would mean: “I pretty much have had my sights set on this event since my semifinal finish last year. I feel like I have been playing pretty well all summer but haven’t gotten the most out of my game, so this would be awesome to win.”
Edfort was a semifinalist at the 108th Met Amateur at Quaker Ridge and also made it to the Round of 16 at the U.S. Public Links this year at Bandon Dunes. Edfort will be a junior at the University of the Pacific and his career-best collegiate finish was second place at the BYU Cougar Classic this past season.
Sam Bernstein – Century
Age: 19
Favorite Met Area Course: National
What a victory at the Met Amateur would mean: “It would be the biggest win of my career. I’ve had success on the junior level and I won the Arcola Cup, which is a men’s event, but nothing compares to a four-day event like this.”
Best part of my game: “I hunch over a lot when I putt, but putting is definitely the best part of my game.”
Mike Miller – Knollwood
Age: 19
Favorite Met Area Course: Knollwood
Golf superstition: “I always mark my ball with a silver dollar that my grandma gave me.”
Favorite golfer: Payne Stewart
What a victory at the Met Amateur would mean: “To see a name like Willie Turnesa on there – I’m related to the Turnesa’s – and names like Cameron [Wilson] and Tommy McDonagh, and a lot of guys I am friends with now, it would mean a lot.
Matt Lowe – Colonial Springs
Age: 15
Favorite Met Area Course: Bethpage Black
What would winning your second MGA title, especially the Met Amateur, mean: “Winning this event would be much bigger than my win at the [MGA/MetLife] Boys last year. This field is so strong, the only stronger field would be the Met Open in this area.”
How do you mark your golf ball: “I write ‘ML’ on it and draw a line through the line on the side.”
The players below advanced to the quarterfinal bracket of the 109th Met Amateur Championship
Carter Rufe – Red Hook
Age: 21
Favorite Met Area Course: Winged Foot
In his own words: “I didn’t start playing tournament golf until I got to college at Lafayette. I actually committed to college to play soccer. Two weeks ago I finished in 7th place at the New York Amateur, but other than that I haven’t played in many tournaments, it is all very new to me, it’s fun and exciting. This is the first match play event I have ever played in; I didn’t even know some of the rules!”
What winning the Met Amateur would mean: It’d be great, I’d be really excited. It’s all new and just to be here is great, qualifying I was ecstatic and qualifying for match play is even better. I am just enjoying it one hole at a time.”
David Pastore – Griff Harris Men’s
Age: 19
Favorite Met Area Course: Winged Foot - West
Golf Superstition: “I mark my ball with a quarter from the year I was born – 1992. I always mark it heads up.”
What winning his third different MGA title would mean: “I love the MGA, I love all the tournaments and I am lucky to have won three of them already [two Met Juniors and a Carter Cup]. It’s worked out that most of my big events have been in MGA tournaments. I’m no longer a junior so this would be winning a big one.”
Advantage of having his brother Paul caddie for him this week: “I usually have a friend caddie for me during the summer, but it’s nice because he knows me well. We have a good partnership but he’s not afraid to tell me different than what I think. Like I said, he knows me well so we sing songs and joke around, it’s fun.”
Cameron Young – Sleepy Hollow
Age: 14
Favorite Met Area Course: Baltusrol
On his whirlwind week of three victories thus far: “When I haven’t been playing golf I have been sleeping or on the couch with my dogs.”
How it feels to play with the areas best amateurs: “It’s fun getting to know these guys this summer, and looking ahead at the college life styles and talking about coaches. The advice they have given is to just stick to my game.”
Max Buckley – Westchester
Age: 21
Favorite Met Area Course: Friar’s Head
What a victory at the Met Amateur would mean: “It would be the perfect way to end my summer heading into the U.S. Am. This is the first time I have ever won a match in the Met Am, so I got that monkey off my back, and hopefully I will just keep on advancing and winning. When you look at the names on this trophy, it’s full of the best players to play in this area and a win would just mean so much.”
