REDDING, Conn. (August 12, 2025) – After two rounds of match play, four remain at the 57th MGA/MetLife Boys’ Championship from Redding Country Club.
The semifinalists are Hudson Vargas from New York, N.Y., Minho Chung of Mahopac, N.Y., Samuel Gao from Scarsdale, N.Y., and Graham Erickson from Rye, N.Y.
It is the second straight year Gao has made the semifinals. Last year, he lost to eventual champion Zach Berger.
Vargas will meet Chung in the first semifinal tomorrow. Vargas edged Stephen Hartenfels in the Round of 16, 2-up. Vargas won the final three holes to advance. In the quarterfinals, Vargas trailed early before winning four holes in a five-hole stretch on the back nine to win, 3-and-1.
Chung won his Round of 16 match against Max Cohen of Wyckoff, N.J., 1-up before advancing to the semifinals after beating Henry Blake from Westfield, N.J., 4-and-2. Chung erased a 2-down deficit against Cohen by winning four straight holes, Nos. 8-11. Against Blake, Chung led by four at the turn before seeing the advantage get trimmed to two after 11 holes. Chung responded with wins on Nos. 13 and 16.
Gao cruised in his opening match against Liam McMenamy from Mineola, N.Y., 8-and-6. In the quarterfinals, Gao was 4-up with five holes to play against Alex Plutzer from Tenafly, N.J. Plutzer rallied and forced the match to the 17th hole after winning the par-4 14th, 15th, and 16th holes. Gao drained a 20-foot par putt on No. 17 to win 2-and-1.
Erickson will face Gao in the second semifinal. Erickson beat Gregory Psaki 4-and-3 to move on to the semifinals. Erickson took the lead for good with a birdie on the par-5 sixth. The 15-year-old slowly built a 4-up advantage after a birdie on the par-4 15th. Erickson’s Round of 16 match was conceded.
The first semifinal tee time is 8 a.m. on Wednesday, with the second semifinal following at 8:10 a.m.
It is the first time Redding is hosting the Boys’ Championship. Rees Jones redesigned the par-71 layout in the early 1970s.
