Semifinals Set at 121st Met Amateur
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (August 4, 2023) – The semifinal matchups are set at Friar’s Head in the 121st Met Amateur Championship following two rounds of match play, Friday, with William Knauth, Josh German, William O’Neill and Christian Cavaliere all looking to capture the MGA’s oldest championship.
Related: Match Play Bracket | Day 2 Photos
The Semifinal Files
Player: William Knauth
Age: 24
Affiliation: Inwood
How he got here: 69-71 in stroke play qualifying, T9; def. Jack Simon, 4 and 3; def. Mark Costanza, 2 and 1.
Key to the quarterfinal match: Knauth and Costanza went back and forth, but Knauth had two stretches where he won two holes in a three-hole stretch (Nos. 1 and 3, 11 and 13). Knauth won by a 2-and-1 margin, and stood at 4-under through 17 holes.
What they said: “Honestly, it’s just a pleasant surprise to come out here and play really good golf for a couple days. I’ve been hitting it really well.”
Player: Josh German
Age: 20
Affiliation: The Seawane Club
How he got here: 67-70 in stroke play qualifying, T4; def. Stephen Nicholas, 5 and 3; def. Luke Sample, 20 holes.
Key to the quarterfinal match: While German stood one down on the 18th tee, a Sample three-putt and a German par from a fairway bunker sent the match to extras. German then holed a long putt for birdie on the par-5 second to advance.
What they said: “It was a very good match and a lot of fun to play. I thought I hit it right down the middle on 18, and I got down and it was all the way in the bunker, but I managed to make par and he kind of gave me a break on 18, but that’s golf and you have to take it when you can.
Player: William O’Neill
Age: 23
Affiliation: Spring Brook
How he got here: 70-70 in stroke play qualifying, T9; def. Charlie Berridge, 8 and 6; def. Ethan Ng, 3 and 2.
Key to the quarterfinal match: O’Neill has had success in making pars, and won the par-3 fourth with a three, but he followed that with an eagle on the par-4 fifth to quickly flip a one-hole deficit to a one-hole advantage against Ng.
What they said: “I haven’t made a lot of bogeys which has been the key. I’ve just been making a ton of pars and in match play I think that puts a lot of pressure on your opponent when you’re not giving any holes away.
Player: Christian Cavaliere
Age: 25
Affiliation: Hudson National
How he got here: 69-67 in stroke play qualifying, T2; def. Peicheng Chen, 2 and 1; def. Will Lodge, 5 and 4.
Key to the quarterfinal match: Cavaliere took control of the match early, winning Nos. 3, and 5-7 to earn a 3-up lead from which he never looked back.
What they said: “My short game’s been really solid, so I’ve been leaning on that a little bit. I feel like I’m in a good spot mentally too. My putter feels pretty solid this week as well which is kind of a change, I’ve been struggling with that this year.”
Additional Coverage:
Day 1 Recap | Day 1 Photos