Bernardsville, N.J.-After two grueling days of championship golf at Somerset Hills Country Club, only four players remain in search of the 101st Met Amateur Championship title.  Youth will face experience in the semifinals, as 20-year old 2003 MGA/Canon Ike Champion, Brad Tilley, of Sleepy Hollow, will compete against 31-year-old Mike Stamberger of Plainfield, and 16-year-old 2003 MGA Junior Champion Michael Quagliano, of Knollwood, will face 51-year-old Allan Small of Fairmount CC, in Chatham, NJ.

 

Tilley dominated his afternoon match with a 5 & 4 victory over Thomas Evans, of Siwanoy.  Tilley barely reached the quarterfinal match, as he needed a chip-in birdie from 20 feet on the 19th hole of his first round match against Clark Holle, of New Jersey National, to advance to the afternoon round.  Tilley credited his improved play to straighter drives in the afternoon.  Mike Stamberger defeated number-one-seeded John Stoltz, of Concord, in a quarterfinal match that lasted 20 holes.  Stamberger sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a play-off. Stoltz three-putted for bogey while Stamberger one-putted for bogey on the first play-off hole.  Stoltz hit his tee-shot well right on the par-3 second when his club slipped in his hands due to the rainy conditions.  Stoltz was unable to get up and down for par, and Stamberger two-putted for par and the match.  Stamberger defeated 2002 MGA/MetLife Public Links Champion Peter Meurer of Silver Lake, 3 & 2 in the morning’s first round match.

 

Quagliano edged out Ronald Vannelli, of Metuchen, one up in the afternoon’s quarterfinal match.  Quagliano started the match three up after three holes, but slowly lost his lead as he came to the 16th all-square. Birdies on the 16th and 17th brought Quagliano to the 18th 1 up, where he and Vannelli both made pars giving Quagliano the match.  Veteran Allan Small weathered the rainy conditions and his arthritic knees to defeat Michael Deo, of Oak Hill, 5 & 3, in the afternoon’s quarterfinal match.  Small edged out 2002 Met Amateur runner-up Andrew Svoboda, of Winged Foot, one up in the morning’s first round match.  Small stated that, “Winning an MGA event would be the best thing ever in my golf career.”  He made it to the finals in the 1987 New Jersey Mid-Amateur the last time he played at Somerset Hills in competition.

 

Tomorrow's 18-hole semi-final matches will start at 12:30 and conclude with a 36-hole final at 7:30am on Sunday.

 

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 Round 1 Results

 

Click Here For Match Play Tree

 

Day Two Photo Gallery