ELMSFORD, N.Y. (July 2, 2008) - The 2008 MGA/MetLife Public Links Championship, sponsored by MetLife, is set for Tuesday, July 8th at Richter Park Golf Course in Danbury, Conn.. An entry of 382 public links golfers has been narrowed down, through five sectional qualifying rounds, to a final field of 60o stay late AGAIN tonightokenyou , Grouper.  d viruses.he work that piles up while you are out:45am, so i ship yesterday.  Pret contestants, including eight exempt players, who will compete for the title in the 36-hole, stroke play championship.

   This year’s event will be the 61st edition of a tournament that was first played in 1936 at the Hendricks Field Golf Course in Belleville, N.J., whose golfers were the driving force behind the event’s creation. It was not played between 1973 and 1983, but was reinstated by the MGA in 1984 and, with the support of MetLife, it has flourished since. The championship has been conducted on some of the most highly acclaimed public layouts in the nation including Bethpage Black, site of the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens, and nationally ranked facilities such as Richter Park in Danbury, Conn., and Hominy Hill in Colt's Neck, N.J. The MGA/MetLife Public Links Championship remains one of the most longstanding public links championships in the country. 

   Highlighting this year’s field is defending champion Justin Jacaruso of Spook Rock (Suffern, N.Y.), who will lead a group of eight exempt players into the Championship. Among these is two-time New Jersey Open champion Brian Komline of High Bridge Hills (Newton, N.J.), fresh off a third place finish at the Ike Championship in late June, promises to be among the top contenders. Also among the exempt players is Sean Semenetz of Villa Roma (Callicoon, N.Y.), last year’s first round leader, who will look to build on his third-place finish in 2007. Brian Mackey of Spook Rock finished tied for fourth in 2007 and hopes to contend for the title again in 2008.

   Among the players to emerge from one of the five sectional qualifying rounds is Michael Dominici of Oak Hills Park (Norwalk, Conn.), who tied for low amateur honors at the 2007 Met Open. Harry Zdziarski, the 2007 Connecticut State Public Links champion, and Donald Watkins will represent the host course in the championship.

   The championship is open to male golfers who reside in the MGA district, have an official USGA Handicap Index of 8.0 or less and who do not hold playing privileges at a course from which the general public is excluded. The championship is conducted at 36 holes of stroke play, with the final 18-holes featuring real-time scoring on the MGA Web site, www.mgagolf.org.