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Quartet Set for Semis at Met Junior

Jackson Fretty


BAY SHORE, N.Y. (July 18, 2019) -- Impressive performances from a quartet of the Met Area's top junior competitors have set the semifinal round of the 102nd Met Junior Championship Sponsored by MetLife following two rounds of match play on Thursday at Southward Ho Country Club.

Related: Match Play Bracket | Photos

Though Alex Kyriacou of Suffern, N.Y., punched his ticket to the semis last, he had the most thrilling finish after chipping in for eagle on the 20th hole--the par-five 2nd--against Jesse Goodman of New York, N.Y.

Jackson Fretty of Cos Cob, Conn., secured the first slot, defeating stroke play medalist Ben Carpenter of Darien, Conn., 1-up in a birdie-filled match. Facing a three-hole deficit through six holes, Carpenter found his groove at the tail end of the front nine, reeling off four consecutive birdies on Nos. 8-11 to quickly flip the match in his favor. However, Fretty responded with a birdie on the par-four 12th to tie the match again. Carpenter snagged the lead back with a birdie-three on No. 15, but pars for Fretty on the next two holes allowed him to recapture the lead for the first time since the ninth hole. The pair halved the last, giving Fretty the 1-up victory.

Luke Sample of New York, N.Y., earned a 4-and-3 win over Shane DeVincenzo of Port Jefferson, N.Y., in the afternoon to secure his semifinal position. The first five holes of the match had a winner, with Sample--the 2018 MGA/Met Life Boys champion--coming out 1-up before four consecutive ties. Sample then took advantage of the back-to-back par fives, making birdies on Nos. 10-11 to go 3-up. He added a win on the 13th en route to the 4-and-3 victory, creating his matchup against Fretty.

Last year's Met Junior runner-up Will Celiberti of Ridgewood, N.J., never gave up a hole in his afternoon match as he picked up a 6-and-5 victory over Saurav Bhasin of Plainview, N.Y., to follow up a 3-and-2 victory in the morning. Bhasin put together an impressive finish to his Round of 16 match in the morning, winning each of the last five holes to flip a 3-down deficit into a 2-up win over Connor Belcastro of Rowayton, Conn.

Friday's semifinal matches begin at 7:30 a.m., with the championship match to follow. All matches will feature live hole-by-hole scoring.

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