The 110th MET AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP _________ • _________ HOLLYWOOD GOLF CLUB Deal, N.J. August 2-5, 2012 MET AMATEUR STAR-STUDDED FIELD READY FOR 110TH MET AMATEUR AT HOLLYWOOD The red carpet is rolled out for one of the strongest fields in recent memory as 71 top Met Area amateurs journey to Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, N.J., beginning Thursday, Au- gust 2nd for the 110th Met Amateur Championship. Players must survive 36 holes of stroke play in order to ad- vance to the 16-man match play por- tion of the MGA’s oldest championship. Looking to defend his title and be- come the first repeat champion since PGA Tour star Johnson Wagner won Last year’s champion, Miller (above left) in 2001 and 2002 is reigning MGA and runner-up, Bernstein Player of the Year Mike Miller of Knollwood, who is having yet another standout season. The 20-year-old has already captured the Westchester Amateur Championship, tied for 2nd at the Sunnehanna Amateur and Terra Cotta Invitational (both national amateur events), and also finished second in the NYC Ama- teur. He also had top-5 finishes at the Ike and Westchester Open, and qualified last week for the U.S. Amateur (which will mark his third appearance). “When you come home and look at the trophy and look at the names, it definitely means a lot,” said Miller, describing his year as the champion. “It’s one of the biggest events the MGA runs. To be on the trophy with a bunch of high-caliber names, it’s something that I’ll cherish and hopefully be able to defend.” Miller, who’s currently No. 52 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, says he’s pleased with the state of his game heading into Hollywood, especially the mental aspect. “I used to be real hard on myself,” he said. “Over the past six months I’d say, I’ve just really improved more than I thought I would. Mentally I’m more prepared and more into it this year.” But challenging Miller is a plethora of accomplished players and past Met Am champions, including 5-time winner George Zahringer III of Deepdale (’82,’84,’85,’86,’87), 2-time champ Greg Rolhf of Winged Foot (’99,’07), Mike Stamberger of Spring Lake (’03), Ken Bakst of Friar’s Head (’96), and Peter Van Ingen of Deepdale (’81). Given the quality of golf he has produced this year, 15-year-old Cameron Young of Sleepy Hollow is also a favorite heading into this year’s championship. With victories at the Hochster Invitational at Quaker Ridge, Brae Burn Invitational at Brae Burn, and Mittelmark Invita- tional at Fenway, Young won’t be able to sneak up on the field anymore. The same goes for Max Buckley of Westchester, who tied for second at the Ike and recently advanced to the match play portion of the North & South Amateur Championship at Pinehurst. And Buckley has tasted success at the Met Amateur before, making the quarterfinals a year ago. www.mgagolf.org Though hard to believe, established Met Area competitor Joe Saladino of Huntington is still seeking his first MGA victory. The two-time MGA Player of the Year is having yet another stellar season, with a victory at the Travis Memorial, T2 finish at the Ike, and second-place finish at the Mittel- mark. Sam Bernstein of Century is also looking to etch his name on a major MGA championship trophy. The 2011 Met Amateur runner-up recently fired a 5-under 67 to medal at a Met Open sectional qualifying round at North Hills Country Club, to go along with his fifth-place finish at the Ike. Also on the watch list for 2012 is the St. John’s Univer- sity trio of Pat Wilson of Panther Valley, Ryan McCormick of Suburban, and Dylan Crowley of Glen Cove. Wilson has already tallied seven top-8 finishes this season, while Mc- Cormick added two wins to his résumé at the NJSGA Ama- teur and NYC Amateur. Crowley has made several cuts in 2012, qualified for the U.S. Public Links in June and booked his ticket to the U.S. Amateur, along with his team- mate Wilson. Other past MGA champions who could be a factor at Hol- Pat Wilson lywood include the 2012 MGA/MetLife Public Links champion Eric LeFante of MGA eClub – N.J.; 2011 MGA/MetLife Public Links winner Anthony Aloi of MGA eClub – N.J.; 2010 Public Links champion Brian Komline of Black Oak; 2011 MGA Senior Amateur and 2010 MGA Senior Open winner John Ervasti of Sleepy Hollow; 2009 MGA Senior Amateur champion and 2011 Carey Cup team member Allan Small of Fair- mount; 2010 Carter Cup and two-time Met Junior winner David Pastore of Griff Harris; 1994 Ike champion Ed Gibstein of Engineers; 2010 MGA/MetLife Boys champion Matt Lowe of Colonial Springs; and 2008 MGA/MetLife Boys winner Peter Kim of Royce Brook, who re- cently won the New Jersey State high school boys championship. This year marks the first time the Met Amateur will be at Hollywood since 1925, when it was won by the legendary Jess Sweetser. The par-71, 7,040-yard Jersey shore track was origi- nally designed by Walter Travis and retains the hallmarks of classic golf course architecture. It is known for having some of the most challenging green complexes in the Met Area, and its emphasis on strategic play makes it a particularly compelling venue for match play. Hollywood has long held a place among New Jersey’s top-ranked layouts and was ranked in the top 50 in the Met Area in the April/May 2007 issue of The Met Golfer. Prior to this year’s Met Amateur, it has previously hosted the 1991 Met Open and the 2008 MGA Senior Open, and also hosted the 2011 New Jersey State Open, won by web.com Tour professional and 2008 Ike champion Kevin Foley. Quick Facts Final Field: 71 Total Entries: 712 Exempts: 23 Qualifiers: 48 Format: 36 holes of on-site qualifying to determine the 16 players who advance to match play. FINAL FIELD Name Club SQR/Exemption Hans Albertsson Hudson Hills 73 (W/CT) Anthony Aloi MGA eClub - New Jersey Exempt (6) Colby Anderson Montauk Downs 71 (LI #2) Ken Bakst Friar’s Head 73 (LI #2) Peter Ballo Woodway 70 (W/CT) Nathaniel Berman Sterling Farms 73 (W/CT) Sam Bernstein Century Exempt (3/6) Max Buckley Westchester Exempt (3/6) Chris Connell Osiris 70 (HudV) Cory Crelan MGA eClub - West./Fairfield 73 (LI #2) Dylan Crowley Glen Cove 71 (LI #1) Matthew Csillag Met PGA Junior Golf Club 73 (LI #2) Robert D'Addario Garden City GC 72 (LI #2) Brandon Dalinka MGA eClub - New Jersey Exempt (10) Marc Delzio Mahopac 73 (W/CT) Luke Edelman North Jersey 69 (NJ) John Ervasti Sleepy Hollow Exempt (9) Greg Etimos Island Hills 72 (LI #1) Thomas Gallagher III St. George’s 73 (LI #2) Edward Gibstein Engineers 72 (LI #1) Niall Handley Essex Fells Exempt (6) Stu Kaufman Westchester 71 (W/CT) Derrick Kim River Vale 72 (LI #1) Peter Kim Royce Brook 67 (NJ) Doug Kleeschulte Wiltwyck 71 (HudV) Brian Komline Black Oak Exempt (6) Todd Kozlowsky St. George’s 72 (LI #2) Ross Kronberg Sterling Farms 72 (W/CT) Eric LeFante MGA eClub - New Jersey Exempt (7) Colby Lewis Mansion Ridge 70 (W/CT) Justin Lomenzo Bethpage State Park 71 (LI #1) Matthew Lowe Colonial Springs Exempt (3) Jared R Mactas Edgewood 70 (NJ) Jack Maerki Bethpage State Park 73 (LI #2) Matt Mattare Bethpage State Park 72 (LI #1) Ryan McCormick Suburban Exempt (5/6/7) Colin McDade Winged Foot 71 (W/CT) Tommy McDonagh Shorehaven Exempt (1/10 Mike Miller Knollwood Exempt (1) John Moore Pelham 71 (LI #2) Dylan Newman Bonnie Briar 71 (HudV) David Pastore Griff Harris Exempt (3) Rish Patel Knickerbocker 69 (NJ) Chris Pavelic Round Hill 72 (LI #1) www.mgagolf.org Name Club SQR/Exemption Bryan Pendrick Nassau Exempt Jeremy Quinn Panther Valley 70 (NJ) Travis Ricca Hamlet 73 (LI #2) Greg Rohlf Winged Foot Exempt (1) Tim Rosenhouse Engingeers Exempt (5) Joseph Saladino Huntington Exempt (6/10/11) Jeffrey Schaller Twaalfskill 71 (HudV) Blake Schulman Old Oaks 73 (W/CT) Dave Segot Nassau Players 71 (LI #1) Harrison Shih Alpine 73 (LI #2) Ryan Siegler MGA eClub - New Jersey 70 (NJ) Garry Singer Stanwich 71 (HudV) Allan Small Fairmount 71 (LI #1) William Smittle Scarsdale 65 (HudV) Robert Sobel Hudson National 73 (W/CT) Mike Stamberger Spring Lake Exempt (6) Greg Stavrou The First Tee @ Eisenhower Park 73 (LI #2) Peter Van Ingen Deepdale Exempt (4) Ethan Wall Manasquan River 69 (LI #1)) David Weisfeld Fenway 71 (HudV) Ryan Williams Bethpage State Park 73 (LI #2) Pat Wilson Panther Valley Exempt (10) Rob Wolf Hollywood Exempt (8) Tom Yellin Stanwich 72 (W/CT) Cameron Young Sleepy Hollow Exempt (3) Matthew Yun Douglaston 73 (LI #2) George J Zahringer III Deepdale Exempt (4) Exempt Categories 1. Ike, Met Amateur, and Met Open champions from the last five years 2. USGA champions and members of the Walker Cup team from the last 10 years 3. The 2011 Met Amateur quarterfinalists 4. Met Amateur champions prior to 1984 5. The 2012 Amateur champions of the LIGA, CSGA, NJSGA, WGA, and NYSGA 6. The 2011 MGA Player of the Year Honor Roll 7. The 2012 NYC Amateur & MGA/MetLife Public Links champions 8. The club champion at the championship host club 9. Low Amateur in the 2011 Met Open 10.