ST. JAMES, N.Y. (July 19, 2012) - The 2012 LIGA Junior champion, Will Bernstein of New York, N.Y., and Scott Kim of River Edge, N.J., were able to outplay their semifinal opponents and set the stage for a tremendous finals showdown at the 95th Met Junior Championship sponsored by MetLife at Nissequogue Golf Club in St. James, N.Y., on Friday, July 20th.

Bernstein took a 1-up lead over 2008 MGA/MetLife Boys champion Peter Kim of Metuchen, N.J., on the fifth hole and never relinquished it. He was able to close Kim out 3 & 2, and played those 16 holes in 2-under-par. Kim, who’s committed to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2013, needed 21 holes to win his quarterfinal match against Stephen Pastore of Greenwich, Conn., earlier in the day.

“I’ve been hitting the ball well,” Bernstein said. “I’ve been getting off to hot starts on the front and I’ve only been down for one hole all week. You have to love match play, where you can just go one-on-one against them and not worry about the other players who are playing.”

Scott Kim(no relation to Peter) went to work immediately in his semifinal match against Jerry Wall of Brielle, N.J., by winning the first three holes. Wall found himself 6 down after the turn, but was able to win the 11th and 14th to cut the deficit. However, both players birdied the par-4 15th hole, which resulted in a 4 and 3 victory for Kim.

“It feels great,” Scott Kim said. "This is a big boost for my confidence and game. It’s great to be this far in such a prestigious tournament."

The Met Junior Championship is celebrating its 100th year and is the oldest junior championship in the nation. Past winners include the likes of world-renowned instructor Butch Harmon (1961), PGA Tour pro Marc Turnesa (1994), and Web.com pro Andrew Svoboda (1997).

Bernstein and Kim will tee off at 7:30 a.m. Friday morning for the chance to become the 95th Met Junior champion. Hole-by-hole live scoring for their match will be available here, as well as updates on the MGA's Facebook and Twitter pages.