MONTGOMERY, N.Y. (June 6, 2013) – A total of 57 players competed for seven qualifying spots (plus ties) at the Sectional Qualifying Round for the 66^th MGA/MetLife Public Links Championship. The competition was held Thursday at Stony Ford Golf Course in Montgomery, N.Y.

Despite cool and windy conditions, the eight players who advanced to the championship at Richter Park Golf Course on July 11 all managed to shoot under par.

Michael Sporton of MGA eClub – L.I. was the low man of the day, carding a 4-under 68 to claim medalist honors. Sporton, a Flushing, N.Y., resident who works full-time as an assistant athletic director at Queens College, carded six birdies and two bogeys.

Just a stroke behind him was Nick Patrick Dilio of Casperkill with a 3-under 69. Cody Cox of Hickory Hill, Tom McHugh of Mansion Ridge and Jim Kienz of Osiris all tied for third with 2-under 70s.

The MGA/MetLife Public Links Championship is open to all amateur golfers who play out of a public golf course and carry a Handicap Index of 8.0 or below. Stony Ford Golf Course, a par-72 (36-36), played to 6,151 yards for the qualifier.

Rounding out the final players advancing to Richter Park in Danbury, Conn., were Jim Hamburger of McCann, Ryan Gabel of Casperkill and Mike Smith of Stony Ford, all of whom fired 1-under 71s. It was Smith who provided the highlight of the day, chipping in for birdie on 18 from behind the green, which would help him qualify by one shot.

The MGA will hold four more Public Links qualifiers over the next week to decide the final field.

-       By Chris Powers, MGA Communications Intern