Rye, N.Y.-After three long days of tournament tough golf and blistering heat, the 86th MGA/MetLife Junior Championship came to an end with 16-year-old Michael Quagliano of White Plains, NY, crowned the 2003 Champion and Andrew Giuliani of New York, NY, son of former mayor Rudy Giuliani, the runner-up.  As the 2002 MGA/MetLife Boys champion, Quagliano has joined a list of just two other juniors who have held the Junior and Boys titles at the same time, and also earned himself an exemption for the upcoming Met Amateur Championship on July 31st – August 3rd at the beautiful Somerset Hills Country Club in Bernardsville, NJ.  With a brilliant 33 on the front nine, Quagliano clearly controlled the match as he defeated Giuliani 6 & 4 at The Apawamis Club in Rye, NY.  The event, the nation’s oldest junior championship, was sponsored for the 21^st consecutive year by MetLife.

 

Quagliano only lost one hole and dominated the match with five birdies.  He stepped up his game when the pressure was on and said he played his “best golf in the finals.”   Quagliano birdied the 6th, 7th, and 9th holes to make the turn at 3 up.  Giuliani’s second shot on the par-5 10th found a creek on the left side and allowed Quagliano to bogey and still win the hole.  Quagliano played the 11th and 12th holes flawlessly, leaving himself 5 foot birdie putts that he would leave on the edge both times.  Giuliani scrambled for par on both holes to stay 4-down with 6 to play.  On the 13th, Giuliani once again found a creek in front of the green with his second, while Quagliano placed his wedge within four feet for birdie.  Giuliani conceded the hole and sent Quagliano’s lead to dormie five.  With the match on the line, both players found the rough off the 14th tee, and both missed the green with their approaches.  Quagliano placed his bunker shot within three feet; Giuliani then missed his 20-foot attempt at par, and conceded the hole and the match. 

 

Giuliani remarked that he was happy with how he played and that today’s championship was his best tournament finish.  He had also hoped to win the afternoon’s match, but “the better player won.”  Quagliano plans to leave tomorrow for the USGA Junior Championship, which will be held July 21st – 26th, 2003, at Columbia Country Club, in Chevy Chase, MD.  Quagliano was the sectional qualifying edallist for the USGA Junior as he shot a 6-under-par 136 (67 – 69) at the Peddie School Golf Club in Hightstown, NJ.  He will be returning to the area the following week to play in the Met Amateur Championship.

 

Earlier this morning in the semifinal round, Quagliano easily defeated 16-year old Eric LeFante, of Colts Neck, NJ, 4 & 3.  Giuliani edged his way into the final match with a 2 up victory over Joseph Yastrub, of Lake Grove, NY.

 

A complete list of today’s results is attached.  For more information, contact Scott Peper or Gene Westmoreland of the MGA @ (914) 347-GOLF or visit the MGA website at mgagolf.org.

 

Click Here For Match Play Tree