Chung Wins 107th Met Junior Championship
SCARSDALE, N.Y. (July 17, 2024) — Jack Chung of Greenwich, Conn., won 4 and 2 to claim the 107th Met Junior Championship Sponsored by MetLife at Sunningdale Country Club.
The win is Chung’s first in an MGA event. Liam Pasternak of Morristown, N.J., finished runner-up for the second straight year. The New Jersey native finished second to Barnes Blake last year at Echo Lake.
Related: Results | Photos | Day Two Recap | Day One Recap
The match started with Chung’s opponent, Pasternak, winning the par-4 second. The match was all square after both won two holes after the front nine.
On the back nine, Chung picked up his game and won four holes in a row—with three birdies on Nos. 11, 12, and 13. All three birdies followed approach shots that were tight to the flagstick.
“Building that lead was huge,” Chung said. “That’s the key to match play,” Chung said. “It was nice to start building momentum after that hole.”
The 4-up lead was cut to three when Pasternak won the 15th hole with a birdie after hitting his approach shot within eight feet.
Chung emphasized that patience would help him throughout the day. “Liam’s a solid player, solid ball striker, and I expected the match to be back and forth… staying patient was the key.”
A well-placed wedge, after laying up, on the par-5 16th led to a birdie that sealed the win for the Connecticut native.
It took 102 holes over three days for Chung to win the 107th Met Junior Championship.
To advance to the championship match, Chung won 2 & 1 against Zachary Munno of Stamford, Conn., in the semifinals in the morning on Wednesday. Chung was 1-up after the first nine. However, five tied holes later, Chung won the 15th.
Again, Chung emphasized the importance of his patience. “Zach had a ton of great saves,” Chung said, “I just tried to stay as patient as I could.”
“This is such a special event. I look forward to it every year. When I was putting together my schedule this year, this was the one I had circled.” Chung said afterward.