By The TimesLedger
St. John’s University senior golfer Andrew Svoboda (Stamford, Conn.) finished second at the Metropolitan Amateur Championships played at Piping Rock Country Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. Svoboda, who qualified as the No. 1 seed with a two round score of 136, lost the 36-hole match play final to Virginia Tech’s Johnson Wagner, 3 and 2.
Svoboda cruised in his first two matches, defeating Peter Meurer and Allan Small 2 and 1, respectively. Svoboda, in a tough semifinal match, defeated fifth seed Corey Brigham 1-up to set up the final match against Wagner.
In the final match, Svoboda jumped out to an early lead with a birdie on the first hole, but Wagner responded and built a three-hole lead by the 13th hole. Svoboda stormed back with birdies on 16, 17 and 18 to even the match after the morning round.
In the afternoon round, both golfers started sluggish and Wagner took a one-hole lead with a birdie on the fifth hole. Svoboda quickly answered back with a birdie on six to draw the match even. Svoboda bogied the final two holes of the front nine to put him down two at the clubhouse turn. Wagner put the match out of reach with a birdie at the 10th and clinched the victory, 3 and 2, when both golfers made par on the 16th hole.
St. John’s alum Joe Saladino (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) qualified for the championship as the No. 13 seed, but fell to Austin Eaton in the first round, 3 and 2.
The Red Storm golfers continue to keep busy, as Svoboda, John DeForest (Cottekill, N.Y.), Tom Travalja, and Saladino travel to the famed Winged Foot Golf Club this week to compete at the Met Open. Svoboda, the two-time Winged Foot Club Champion, earned an exemption, while DeForest, Travalja, and Saladino earned positions at area qualifiers.
