ELMSFORD, N.Y. (July 11, 2014) - The 97th Met Junior Championship Sponsored by MetLife begins on Tuesday, July 15 at Rockaway River Country Club in Denville, N.J. A field of 62 talented juniors will play in the nation’s oldest junior championship with hopes of adding their name to the prestigious trophy.

Highlighting the field are familiar names who, even at their young ages, have been building up their impressive golf resumes. Matt Lowe of Farmingdale, N.Y., the 2010 MGA/MetLife Boys champion, tied for third place after an impressive showing at the Ike Championship last month. Will Bernstein of New York, N.Y., was a quarterfinalist in last year’s Met Junior and was the 2012 runner-up. Bernstein has placed in the top ten in the last two Carter Cups, the MGA’s junior stroke play championship. This is the final Met Junior that both Lowe and Bernstein are eligible for as both players are headed to college in the fall; Lowe will represent Richmond and Bernstein will play for Yale.

Making a name for himself on the national junior level, James Nicholas of Scarsdale, N.Y., returns to the field after finishing in the Round of 16 last year. Nicholas, who was on the winning team in the 2013 MGA Father and Son Championship, is currently ranked number one in the IJGT (International Junior Golf Tour)’s Boys (age 15-19) division and has won four times on the tour this year. Thomas La Morte of Haworth, N.J., recently qualified for the U.S. Amateur after surviving a three hole playoff. La Morte just finished his high-school golf career in winning fashion – he captured the Bergen County Individual title and was the runner-up at the NJ Tournament of Champions. The Record Boys Golfer of the Year earned a scholarship to Campbell University in North Carolina.

Reigning MGA/MetLife Boys Champion Ryan Rodriguez of Highland Mills, N.Y., is in the field, and Bear Carlson of Katonah, N.Y., finished second to Rodriguez and is looking to add a victory for himself.

Other top names to watch for are Paul Pastore of Greenwich, Conn., Ethan DeForest of Cottekill, N.Y., Christopher Gabriele  of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Matthew Csillag of Syosset, N.Y., and Zach Egermayer of Glen Rock, N.J.

Rockaway River's Junior Club Champion, Dillon Keilty of Montville, N.J., will represent the host club in the field.

Earlier in the year, the MGA announced a format change to the Met Junior and added an on-site stroke play component. On Tuesday, the field will play in 36-holes of stroke play, after which the low 16 scores will qualify for match play, which begins Wednesday and will determine the ultimate champion. The championship is open to juniors who have not started attending college, are not yet 19 by July 30 and who reside in the MGA territory. Players advancing to match play in the Met Junior will receive an invitation to the Carter Cup at Baltusrol Golf Club on July 30, 2014.

Rockaway River Country Club will host the Met Junior for the twelfth time and holds the record for the the most times hosting the championship. The event was last held at the club in 2008.

The MGA will be providing live scoring throughout the three day competition, including 9 and 18 hole scores throughout stroke play on Wednesday, and live match play scoring for the remainder of the championship.