Jamaica, N.Y. The St. Johns University Golf team members have been keeping busy this summer competing in local amateur events. This week, the area's premier amateur event, The Met Amateur Championship, will be held at The Piping Rock Club, located on Long Island. Current Red Storm players Andrew Svoboda (Stamford, Conn.) and John DeForest (Cottekill, N.Y.), who led the Red Storm to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, both earned exemptions to the event due to their consistent play this summer. Incoming freshman, Tom Travalja, the New Jersey High School Player of the Year, also made into the field as an area qualifier. Coach Frank Darby is impressed by the incoming freshman stating, Tom has had a great summer and will fit right in with this deep team.

In two weeks, the Red Storm will take the famed Winged Foot Golf Club by storm when Svoboda, DeForest, Travalja, and alum Joe Saladino (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) compete at the Met Open. Svoboda, the two-time Winged Foot Club Champion, earned an exemption and didnt need to qualify for the event. DeForest, Travalja, and Saladino earned a position at the area qualifiers this past week.

On August 12, the Mittlemark Invitational will be played at the Fenway Golf Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. Svoboda, the defending champion, will lead Red Storm players Kyle Sleasman (Loudonville, N.Y.), DeForest, and Travalja against an elite amateur field.

This past week, Saladino finished fifth in the New York State Open, played on the Black Course at Bethpage. The Black Course, host of the 2002 U.S. Open, was a difficult test for the best players in New York. Saladino shot a three round score of 213, earning him an exemption to next years championship. He was the low amateur in the field, marking the third consecutive year a St. Johns golfer has earned the honor. Svoboda and Jesse Fitzgerald (Sayville, N.Y.) captured the honors the two previous years.

The next two weeks are busy as everyone is trying to qualify for the USGA Amateurs, says Darby. St. Johns has had seven players qualify for the event in the past five years and the current Red Storm look to add their names to the list.