News Release

For Immediate Release: July 17, 2007

Headline: Brent Paladino Fires 67 to Lead All at Day 1 of New England Amateur Championship

Quechee, VT – The Paladino brothers are piecing together an impressive two weeks of golf. Just one week after Cody Paladino (Timberlin GC - CT) and Brent Paladino (Timberlin GC - CT) both advanced to Match Play at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, they are in contention at the New England Amateur Championship, which is being held at The Quechee Club in Quechee, Vermont.

Brent, a junior at the College of William & Mary who was defeated in the Round of 32 at the USAPL, currently leads the 158-player field after firing a day-low score of 5-under par 67. Eighteen-year-old Cody, a freshman at Baylor University who was eliminated in the USAPL finals, sits in a tie for 11th with a score of 2-under par 70.

The Paladino brothers – along with the rest of the field – will return to Quechee on Wednesday to compete in a second round of 18 holes of stroke play. Following Wednesday's round, the field will be reduced to the low 40 scorers and ties, and only those individuals will return to The Quechee Club on Thursday for a final day of 36 holes of stroke play.

Brent's first two holes of the day were a sign of good things to come as he registered birdie on the 10th and 11th holes. A double bogey on the 353-yard, par 4 13th hole set him back only momentarily as he posted his third birdie of the day on the very next hole. A bogey on the 18th hole put him at even par at the turn. That is when Brent made his move up the leaderboard. He made birdie on four of the next five holes. He then added his sixth birdie of the front nine and 8th of the day on the 366-yard, par 4 9th hole to cap off his 5-under par 67 round.

One back of Brent Paladino with scores of 4-under par 68 are Ryan Gay (Augusta CC - ME), David McAndrew (Rhode Island CC - RI), Ryan Leahey (The Course at Yale - CT) and Frank Vana, Jr. (Marlborough CC - MA). Gay and McAndrew had four birdies and zero bogeys on the day, while Leahey finished with five birdies and one bogey. Vana was 1-over par at the turn before firing five birdies through his final nine holes. During that stretch, Vana, who finished second in last week's Massachusetts Amateur Championship, had five one putts on that front side.

Five players – Donnie Troy (CC of Pittsfield - MA), Greg Chalas (Thorny Lea GC - MA), Richard Berberian, Jr. (Hoodkroft CC - NH), Richard Brazeau (Cochecho CC - NH) and Eric Higgins (Cape Arundel GC - ME) – were the only other players to break 70 as they sit in a tie for sixth place with scores of 3-under par 69.

Defending champion Brad Valois (Valley CC – RI) is three shots off the pace following a 2-under par 70. Valois, 20, recently transferred to University of Rhode Island and just last week captured his second straight Rhode Island Amateur Championship.