Shelter Island, N.Y.-After two long days of tournament tough golf under sweltering temperatures - and interrupted briefly by the “Big Blackout of 2003” - the 35^th MGA/MetLife Boys Championship concluded with 14-year-old Marc Costanza of Upper Saddle River, NJ, defeating 15-year old Brendan Tracy of New York, NY, 2 & 1 in the finals at Gardiner’s Bay CC.  It was a satisfying win for Costanza who finished two strokes behind Tracy in last week’s inaugural Carter Cup – MGA Junior Stroke Play Invitational at Baltusrol Golf Club, to take third place.

Both players earned their spot in the finals with decisive victories in the morning’s semifinals. Costanza eliminated Colin Dolph, of Huntington, NY, 4 & 3.  Tracy defeated Timothy Pawul, of East Setauket, NY, 6 & 5 to earn his shot at the title.

In the final, Tracy looked headed for his second MGA victory in two weeks and held as much as a two up lead at one point in the match.  But Costanza, who also qualified for the upcoming Met Open at Metedeconk National, in Jackson NJ, kept the pressure on with long drives and consistent play to whittle the lead to one up by the 13th hole. On the 14th hole he got his break, when Tracy’s tee shot went out of bounds and he couldn’t recover.  Costanza, who plays at the Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, NY, won the hole to bring the match to all square and went on to win two of the next three holes and take the match, 2 and 1. 

Today’s Boys Championship was sponsored by MetLife for the 19^th consecutive year.

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