SHELTER ISLAND HEIGHTS, N.Y.(August 9, 2012) – After battling two opponents as well as temperatures rising into the 90s, four talented young players have made it into the semifinals of the 44th MGA/MetLife Boys Championship at Gardiner’s Bay Country Club in Shelter Island Heights, N.Y.
Runner-up in the 2010 MGA/MetLife Boys Championship, David Lee-Tolley of New York, N.Y., advanced easily to the semifinals by defeating Brendan Kim of River Vale, N.J., 3 & 2 in the round of 16 and then Gerry Mackedon of South Setauket, N.Y., 4 & 3. Mackedon, who took qualifying medalist honors at Port Jefferson Country Club needed all 18 holes in his morning match to oust fellow medalist Jim Smoot Jr. of Huntington, N.Y.
Vincent Palazzolo of Colts Neck, N.J., who was co-medalist at the Shorehaven qualifier with Lee-Tolley, defeated Sean Farren of Brielle, N.J., 3 & 1 in the round of 16. After trading birdies for the first three holes of his semifinal match with John Pak of Scotch Plains, N.J., Palazzolo took a commanding 5-up lead after nine, but did not close the match out until the 16th hole to defeat Pak, 3 & 2. Pak had a similar match against 12-year-old Solomon Thompson from Scarsdale, N.Y., in the round of 16. Pak, who with Thompson qualified for the Met Junior in a playoff at the Shoreham qualifier, was 5 up through 9, and survived a lip-out from Thompson to win 1-up. Thompson was the youngest player in the field and made it all the way to the Round of 16 at last month’s Met Junior at Nissequogue.
Dawson Jones, of Howell, N.J., was able to save his energy for his quarterfinal match after defeating James Nicholas of Scarsdale, N.Y., 5 & 4 in the round of 16. Jones needed 17 holes to win by a 3 & 1 margin in his quarterfinal match against Justin Chae of Summit, N.J. In a battle of qualifying medalists, Chae defeated Cameron Chottiner, of Westport, Conn.,2-up in their round of 16 match.
Willis Huynh, of Syosset, N.Y. was able to capitalize on a slightly tired Jack Rosenberg, of Laurel Hollow, N.Y., in the quarterfinals and won, 7 & 6, to advance to the semifinals. Rosenberg advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Sean Ginley, of Warwick, N.Y., 3 &1 in the round of 16.
The two semifinal matches will take place on Friday, with the first match beginning at 7:30am and the second match following at 7:38am. Live hole-by-hole scoring will be available, as well as photos and video, through mgagolf.org.
