ELMSFORD, N.Y. (April 16, 2012) - It didn't take long for reigning MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year Mike Miller to find his 2011 form in 2012. The same can be said for the younger but equally talented Jim Liu, of Smithtown, N.Y. Both Met Area amateurs finished tied for second at the prestigious Terra Cotta Invitational, held on April 13-15 at Naples National Golf Club in Naples, Fla.  

Miller, 20, who plays out of Knollwood Country Club and won the 2011 Met Amateur at Piping Rock, carded rounds of 72-71-70 to finish at 213, one shot back of champion Donald Constable. Liu, 16, the youngest ever U.S. Junior Amateur champion (he won at 14-years-old in 2010, beating the age record previously held by Tiger Woods), shot a final round 1-over 73 to also finish a shot back. Liu held a share of the lead after firing a first round 68 and was T2 entering the final round, but costly bogeys on 10, 13, and 17 kept him out of a potential playoff. 

“I got caught on a couple of holes on the back nine,” Liu told Greg Hardwig of NapleNews.com. “(On No. 17), I hit another bad tee shot. It was something with my swing today — I’ll probably go work on it later.”

The Terra Cotta Invitational, held every year at Naples National Golf Club, is a category "B" event in the World Golf Amateur Rankings and is considered one of the top 100 amateur championships in the world. Past champions include six-time MGA major winner Jerry Courville Jr. ('96), and current tour profesionals Matt Kuchar ('97), Danny Green ('00, '04), Peter Uihlein ('07), and Bud Cauley ('08).

Miller will continue his 2012 season with his first-ever trip to Europe. He will compete beginning on April 30 with the Munster Youths' Amateur Open Championship in Muskerry, Ireland, and then to travel to England to compete at the Lytham Trophy on May 4-6 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, site of this year's British Open Championship.  He'll then head back to Ireland to participate in the Irish Amateur Open Championship on May 11-13 at Royal Dublin Golf Club.  Miller will also be providing a daily blog on mgagolf.org while he plays overseas.