2017 Met Amateur winner Matt Mattare (MGA photo)

"36 holes, it’s a marathon,” said Mattare to the Met G.A. “You can’t get too high, you can’t get too low… You just kind of have to pace yourself all day, be consistent, and just play your own game.”

He followed his own advice well today at Laurel Lakes Country Club, winning the historic Met Amateur title, 1-up.

Lankler was 4-down after nine, and could have easily dug himself an impossibly big hole had he not righted the ship after a front nine of 43 vs. Mattare's medal play equivalent of 37. An example of the way that the links course's tightly-mowed, undulating greens, a bit of Long Island wind, and tall fescue could result in scores adding up quickly comes in a morning Tweet from the MGA describing the 7th hole.

"Mattare found the fescue twice & had a chip from behind the green come back to him. Lankler 4-putted, going from front to back of the green."

Lankler four putted and won a hole with double bogey. You're not going to get away with that very often. Lankler, the qualifying medalist, found his game on the back nine, and narrowed the Mattare lead to 2-up at the lunch break.

Mattare, a Mid-Am standout, quickly lost the par-5 1st hole to a Lankler birdie, then dropped Nos. 3-4 to two more Lankler birdies. After taking a double bogey on the par-3 5th hole (the 23rd hole of the match) Mattare would find himself 2-down but fought back quickly to square the match as Lankler's aggressive play backfired on the par-5 6th hole (bogey) and he took another bogey on No. 7.

Mattare would pull even three more times, but could never gain an advantage on his opponent until the 34th hole, where his birdie on the short par-4 would put him 1-up with two to play, and able to outlast Lankler with two pars.

ABOUT LAUREL LINKS COUNTRY CLUB

Laurel Links Country Club opened for play in 2002, a relative newcomer in the Eastern Long Island Golf scene. However Metropolitan G.A. golf course ratings place Laurel Links on a level with some of its prestigious neighbors like Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links and Maidstone. The club was asked to host noteworthy golf tournaments such as the Long Island Regional U.S. Open Qualifying Tournament (2007 and 2009), the Met Section PGA Head Professional Championship (2007) and the Long Island Golf Association Stroke Play Championship (2008); plus a Sectional Qualifier for the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship.

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