103rd Met Junior Championship Begins Monday
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (July 10, 2020) – A field containing 82 of the region's top players aged 18 or younger head to Rockaway River Country Club on July 13 to compete in the 103rd Met Junior Championship Sponsored by MetLife, the nation's oldest junior championship.
Related: Pairings | Press Book | History | Records
The MGA Foundation conducts the Met Junior as part of its extensive youth programming thanks to the support of MetLife. Those who have hoisted the Mandeville Trophy–including Butch and Bill Harmon, Marc Turnesa and more recently Mike Miller and David Pastore–have gone on to outstanding achievements or risen to the professional ranks. The field once again contains the Met Area's top rising stars.
A New Crop
The field this year contains a new wave of top junior competitors, with many of last year's match play competitors moving on to the college ranks. Just three players in the field this year made it to match play in 2019: Edmond Broderick of Bayonne, N.J., Garrett Kessler of North Caldwell, N.J., and Luke Sample of New York, N.Y.
Building on 2019
Broderick and Kessler both fell to players eventual semifinalists in the Round of 16 at Southward Ho. Sample, meanwhile, finished as runner-up and will aim to repeat the course set by winner Will Celiberti, who was runner up in 2018 before taking the title in 2019.
Back to Match Play?
Jimin Jung of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., is the only other player in the field with Met Junior match play experience, having advanced to the Round of 16 in 2018 at Siwanoy Country Club.
Trophy Winners
The field contains a number of regional junior champions, including Doug Beney of Greenwich, Conn., who recently defended his Westchester Junior title; and Sam O'Hara of Rye, N.Y., who recently swept the Long Island Junior and Boys titles. Other past regional junior champions in the field include 2018 Westchester winner Charlie Berridge of Scarsdale, N.Y., 2019 Long Island winner Matt Simon of New York, N.Y., 2019 New Jersey State junior champion Dean Greyserman of Short Hills, N.J., and two-time New York State junior champion Sample.
MGA Boys & Met Junior
A total of 10 players have won both the MGA Boys and Met Junior Championship in their careers. This year, the past three MGA Boys winners, Jud Langille of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., Sample, and Reed Greyserman of Short Hills, N.J., will aim to become the 11th player to complete this feat.
Met Am Qualifiers
Several competitors in the field have also successfully qualified for the upcoming Met Amateur: James Allen of Scarsdale, N.Y.; Cole Ekert of Chatham, N.J.; Jeffrey Li of Basking Ridge, N.J.; Reece Mullahy of Harrison, N.Y.; Sam O'Hara of Rye, N.Y.; and George Roessler of East Hampton, N.Y.
Related: Qualifying Results
Format
- 18 holes of on-site stroke play qualifying (July 13), with top 16 advancing to match play.
- Round of 16 & quarterfinals conducted July 14, with semifinals and championship match taking place July 15.
- Field determined through exemptions and four qualifiers held throughout the Met Area.
- Winner receives 250 points for the MGA Junior Player of the Year Award, Presented by Callaway.
Rockaway River Country Club
- Hosting the Met Junior for a record 13th time.
- New Jersey natives have won the title the last three times the Met Junior has been conducted at the club (2014 - Dawson Jones, 2008 - Anthony Aloi, 2004 - Patrick Fillian).
- Club established in 1915.
Coverage
- Live scoring throughout the championship
- @MGA1897 on Twitter and Instagram and the MGA's Facebook for additional content
- Scoring, recaps & photos available on mgagolf.org