Greg Bisconti Leads Met Open Sponsored by MetLife After First Round
OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. (August 20, 2013) – The Metropolitan Golf Association's premier event began Tuesday as 146 of the area’s top 
professionals and amateurs took on Old Westbury Golf and Country Club in the 98th Met Open Championship Sponsored by MetLife. Greg Bisconti of Saint Andrew’s, a seasoned Met Area competitor since his junior golf days, leads the field after an impressive 3-under 68 under fast conditions.
Bisconti’s four birdies, including three on his back nine, propelled him to the lead on a day that saw only four under- par scores.
“I got to the back nine and got a couple of good breaks,” he said. “I hit it just the same on the back, just had a few more opportunities for birdie.”
Bisconti, who earlier this year captured the Mastercard Westchester PGA Championship, will have a two-stroke lead heading into Wednesday.
Two former Met Open champions shared a score of 1-under 70 today. 2005 winner John Stoltz of Concord Monster and ’99 champ Mark Brown of Tam O’Shanter are in position to join the elite club of two-time champions. Stoltz’s win in 2005 actually came at Old Westbury when he was still an amateur. Brown, fresh off an appearance at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, is also a former New York State Open and Long Island Open champion. Joining Stoltz and Brown is amateur Ryan Snouffer of Panther Valley, whose score came in late in the afternoon wave to give him a share of second place.
The rest of the leaderboard is dotted with accomplished names, with nine familiar players finishing at even par. Two-time reigning MGA Player of the Year Mike Miller of Knollwood managed a 71 in his professional debut, as did ’87 Met Open champ Jim McGovern of White Beeches. Two Met Open runners-up are also in that group – Robert Gage of Forsgate (2012 and ’11) and Ed Whitman of Knickerbocker (1992), who used a hole-in-one on the 185-yard par 3 17th to help him stay on track. Brett Jones of Trump National – Bedminster, Colin Dolph of Huntington, Mark McCormick of Suburban, Frank Esposito Jr. of Brooklake, and Kevin Ausserlechner of Darien shot par as well.
Right in the mix at 1-over 72 is 2013 New Jersey Amateur champion Mike Stamberger of Spring Lake, 2013 Met Junior champ Cameron Young of Sleepy Hollow, 2013 and ’12 Ike winner Cameron Wilson of Shorehaven, and professionals Carl Alexander of Purchase and Paul Selvaggio of Wykagyl.
This is the third Met Open hosted at Old Westbury, a beautiful 27-hole private facility in the heart of Nassau County. After the second 18-hole round tomorrow, the starting field of 146 players will be cut to the low 60 scores (plus ties) for the final 18 to be played on Thursday.
The MGA will be providing 9-hole scoring for the second round and live hole-by-hole scoring for approximately the last 15 leading groups for Thursday’s final round.
Full coverage of the 98th Met Open Championship Sponsored by MetLife can be found on www.mgagolf.org as well as our free Mobile App, My MGA.
- BY HELEN STOCK, MGA COMMUNICATIONS
