ELMSFORD, N.Y. (July 16, 2012) - After completion of the final sectional qualifier round for the Met Junior Championship, to be played on July 17-19, 2012, at Nissequogue Golf Club in St. James, N.Y., it is quite clear that the 100^th anniversary of the championship should be historic. Between the strong field of past champions and the strong layout of Nissequogue, the level of competition is set high for the 95^th playing and 100^th anniversary of the Met Junior Championship sponsored by MetLife. 

Three out of the four most recent MGA/MetLife Boy’s Champions, Peter Kim of Metuchen, N.J. (’08), Mark Reilly of Babylon, N.Y. (’09), and Theo Humphrey of Greenwich, Conn. (’11) are all contenders in the upcoming Junior and will look to put themselves in the record books for winning both the Boy’s and Junior Championships. Last Thursday, Reilly finished runner-up in the 65th MGA Public Links at the challenging Black Course at Bethpage State Park.

Distinguishable players coming into the Junior Championship playing well are Ethan Wall from Brielle, N.J., who is the 2011 Carter Cup runner-up and medalist of the Met Amateur sectional qualifier at Indian Hills. Recently, Will Bernstein from New York, N.Y. tied for 22^nd at the 57^th Ike Championship, and is set for the upcoming Junior Championship. Yesterday’s co-medalist and 2010 Boy’s Championship Runner-up, David Lee-Tolley from New York, N.Y., also seems to be in top form heading into the 2012 Met Junior Championship.

In the 1933 tournament, three Strafaci brothers — Frank, Ralph and Tom —reached the semifinals. Ralph won the title, while his brothers lost in the semifinals. Frank came back to win in 1935. Speaking of brotherly history in the Met Junior, Butch and Bill Harmon, and Ralph and Frank Strafaci are the only set of brothers that have successfully won the Met Junior.

Players with an opportunity to live the legacy of the Strafaci brothers are sectional qualifier and medalist Stephen Pastore of Greenwich, Conn., brother of 2-time Champion David Pastore; and John Edler of Fair Haven, N.J., brother of last year’s Championship, Charlie Edler.

So, the stage is set for 100th anniversary of the Met Junior Championship and history is always made along side the nations oldest Junior Championship. Who will it be this year, can Edler or Pastore be the third ever brother combination to win the Junior, or will one of the past Boy’s Champions add their names to the record books? Time will tell, when the Met Junior returns to Nissequogue Golf Club.