2021 Second Quarter Magazine

FORECAST SUMMER OF CHAMPIONS

Highlights TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE KEEPING UP WITH THE PROS TOURNAMENT RECAPS FOUNDATION UPDATES JUNIOR TOUR RESULTS 2021 SECOND QUARTER

Met PGA Foreword This summer, the Met PGA was blessed to conduct all our championships, events, and activities.

As you’ll see throughout this issue, Met PGA Professionals were somehow able to compete at a high level despite the continuance of incredible activity levels at clubs and golf courses throughout the area.

Nick Yaun and Brae Burn Country Club once again hosted our opening Stroke Play event. This one-day tournament and sponsor gathering was an uplifting start to the season and an early opportunity for the Met PGA family to be together. Our match play championships, the Long Island and Westchester PGA’s, were played at Cold Spring Country Club and Country Club of New Canaan thanks to Jim Weiss and Adam Rainaud. We were unable to hold these championships in 2020 and there was a tremendous sense of satisfaction in doing so this spring. The Head Pro Championship and Met PGA Women’s Championships continue to enjoy the support of Polo/ Ralph Lauren and this year’s events, hosted by Ryan George at Rockaway Hunting Club, were tremendous successes. Huntington Crescent was an incredible test for our Metropolitan PGA Professional Championship and the event ran smoothly thanks to Patrick McCarthy and his team. Lincoln’s sponsorship of the Met PGA reaches across our entire tournament program. In July, the beneficiaries were the participants in the Women’s Met Open Championship hosted

by James Ondo and the Apawamis Club. Bethpage Black didn’t disappoint in pushing the best players in the state to the limit in the Lenox Advisors/NFP New York State Open Championship.

Ray Ford and Rolling Hills CC hosted the Met PGA Senior Championship. The Assistant’s Tour also had a busy schedule, conducting events at: Saint Andrew’s, Village Club of Sands Point, Redding CC, Nissequogue GC, St. George’s, Hollow Brook, Spook Rock, and Tamarack CC. The Met PGA Foundation was equally busy, conducting Junior Tour events, PGA Junior League, and Drive, Chip & Putt qualifiers. We also assisted the Village Club of Sands Point in conducting the first annual Lighthouse Cup, an initiative developed by club member Chris Callahan and PGA Director of Golf Karl Obermeyer. As we move from summer to fall, we are excited to continue administering tournaments, finishing a difficult season with positivity and optimism about what lies ahead.

Please enjoy greater detail, including photos and video of these and other Section activities in this edition of Met PGA FORECAST! Jeff Voorheis Met PGA Executive Director

Contents 1 3-4 5-6 7 9-10 11-12

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CALENDAR UPDATES KEEPING UP WITH THE PROS MET PGA STROKE PLAY LINCOLN WOMEN’S MET OPEN LONG ISLAND AND WESTCHESTER MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP 11-16 POLO HEAD PRO AND MET PGA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP

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17-18 19-20 21 23-24 25-26 27-29 30 31 32-33 34

MET PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP NEW YORK STATE OPEN SENIOR MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP ASSISTANTS CORNER FOUNDATION UPDATES JUNIOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT PGA JUNIOR LEAGUE ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS PARTNERS CORNER

WE FOCUS ON YOUR FINANCIAL LIFE, SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON YOUR GOLF SWING.

Grip club firmly, but do not squeeze

Hold club at a 45˚angle

Push your hips back and tilt forward Align your body and aim club face at the target

Distribute weight between heels and balls of the feet

NFP / LENOX ADVISORS NEW YORK STATE OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP B E T H PAG E B L AC K C O U R S E W W W. N F P. C O M | W W W. L E N O X A D V I S O R S . C O M

2021 CALENDAR National car rental MET ASSISTANT Champ BETHPAGE RED

SEPTEMBER 7-8 MORE INFORMATION

MET PGA Senior CHAMPIONSHIP - hamlet G & CC

September 14-15 More Information

The Augie met pga Championship pro am championship - old oaks

SEPTember 20 REGISTER

lincoln met pga Championship championship - old oaks

september 21-23 More Information

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Whitey voight Pro AM - Sunningdale CC

september 27 REGISTER

Met pga team championship Gardiner’s Bay CC & The Bridge

October 4-5 REGISTER

Hoffhine Memorial

Atlantic City pro am

westchester CC

galloway national gc & atlantic city

october 12-13

october 18-19

REGISTER

squire cup

farley cup

friar’s head

Wykagyl cc

october 21

october 28

las vegas pro am PAiute gc - wolf & southern highlands & cascata

november 15-17

KEEPING UP WITH THE PROS Met PGA Professionals making an impact on local and national levels

Laudien Competes in us Senior open Mike Laudien of Philip J. Rotella Memorial Golf Club was one of three qualifiers from the Met Area who went on to compete in the 41st U.S. Senior Open at Omaha Country Club in Omaha, Nebraska. This was Laudien’s first time competing on the U.S. Senior Open stage.

“

Pretty amazing to play in a golf tournament with all the PGA Tour players I grew up watching. Being able to share the experience with my wife Lisa and children Emily and Michael meant the world to me.

Next year when we go back we are making the cut!

”

Carl Alexander Tops Leaderboard at Inaugural Westchester Senior Open Met PGA Past President Carl Alexander of the Golf Club of Purchase earned a three-stroke victory in the inaugural Westchester Senior Open Championship at Pelham Country Club! Rob Labritz of GlenArbor, this year’s Westchester Open winner, finished tied second alongside Craig Thomas of Metropolis.

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Peter Ballo Wins Connecticut state open Connecticut State Golf Association Release: Darien, Connecticut (July 28, 2021) - After Peter Ballo three-putted for bogey on the opening hole of the final round of the 87th Connecticut Open presented by The Reby Financial Advisory Teams of Wealth Enhancement Group to fall three shots back it didn’t feel like his day. A few holes later after 36-hole leader Ben Carpenter birdied the par -5 4th hole to reach 10-under putting Ballo three back once again it didn’t feel like his day.

“A little bit,” Ballo said when asked if after the start it felt like it might not be his day.

However, that feeling didn’t last long. On a gorgeous day at the Country Club of Darien Ballo stormed from behind flipping a three-shot deficit into a five-shot win over Ben James. Ballo fired a final round 5-under 66 to post 12-under for the week.

With the victory Ballo joins his father Mike Ballo, the 1969 and 1978 champion, on the list of Connecticut Open winners. The victory marks the first time in tournament history that a father and son have won the event.

Caron and Jones Honored on CBS in PGA of America Special PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Fifteen PGA Members and one PGA Section – reflecting the best of the PGA of America as innovators, leaders, coaches and achievers were featured in an hour-long nationwide special, “A Celebration of PGA Professionals,” on CBS Television Network. Jason Caron of Mill River Club was honored as 2020 PGA Professional of the Year and Rich Jones of Pine Ridge Golf Club was honored for receiving the 2020 PGA Player Development Award.

MET PGA Stroke play Brae Burn CC

The Met PGA Stroke Play, formally known in 2020 as Back2Golf, saw great competition as PGA Professionals and Assistants from the Met Section came together to compete in our first stroke play event of the season.

In the end, it was Del Ponchock of Hudson National Golf Club who saw great success, shooting 4-under par for the day, followed by Matt Dobyns of Meadow Brook Club at 3-under. Scott Ford of Glen Oaks Club topped the senior division at 2-under par.

In the Women’s Division, it was Peyton Durham of Westchester Country Club who topped the leaderboard, followed by Marjorie Jones of Chelsea Piers Golf Club who won the Women’s Senior Division.

Preston Shortell of Rye Golf and Country Club finished 1-over par to claim the Associate’s Division title.

Head Professional Nick Yaun and his golf staff at Brae Burn Country Club Nick Yaun Head Pro, Brae Burn CC welcomed everyone with open arms, including our Met Section Partners and Sponsors.

Over 15 partners and sponsors joined us at Brae Burn to show off their products, equipment, and merchandise to our Professionals before and after their round.

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LINCOLN WOMEN’S

The Apawamis Club and their leadership team of PGA Head Professional, Jam Mike McCormick, hosted the Section’s premiere women’s championship eve The Lincoln Women’s Met Open is a 36-Hole stroke play championship ran in conjunction with the Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association for the best amateur and professional golfers in the area. A slew of amateur players topped the leaderboard led by our eventual champion, Ami Gianchandani of Watchung Valley Golf Club.

Gianchandani finished the second round with five birdies to propel her to victory, shooting 1-under par for the Championship. “I know how many great players come out of this area and how many have played in this tournament..I’ve been playing in this tournament for 6 years now and have had my eye on this for awhile so I’m really happy I could do that” said Gianchadani.

Amateurs Kaitlyn Lee of Westchester Country Club and Paige Diecidue of Smithtown Landing Golf Course shot a 36-hole total of 1-over par to finish second. “There’s clearly a lot of talent in the professional ranks and amature ranks and its just really neat to see, it made for great theater and a great championship” said by James Ondo, Head Pro, “well done to the ladies and their great playing.”

R1 R2 72 71 Ami Gianchandani (a) 9

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Watchung Valley GC

S MET OPEN

mes Ondo, General Manager, Brian Baldwin and golf course Superintendent, ent: the Lincoln Women’s Met Open.

SENIOR CHAMP Three-time Lincoln Met Open Champion, Jean Bartholomew of Engineers Country Club, topped the Senior Division leaderboard, shooting 6-over par for the championship.

LEADERBOARD RECAP VIDE0

Jean Bartholomew Engineers CC

MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

LONG ISLAND Cold Spring Country Club Tournament season is in full swing as our annual match play event, The Long Island and Westchester PGA Championship opened the season. We are thrilled to have tournament play back in 2021, especially for an event that we were unable to play last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Section Partners JBA Awards, Revo Sunglasses, Signs By the Sea, Connecticut Business Systems (CBS) and Remedy+ supported the events, allowing our Professionals the opportunity to try new products and learn more about their offerings. Kirk & Matz provided our Champions with a beautiful crystal trophy to seal their victories.

PGA Director of Golf, Jim Weiss and his staff welcomed our Long Island PGA Professionals to Cold Spring Country Club, along with General Manager, Matt Tucker, and Golf Course Superintendent, Peter Candelora who provided us with a great golf course for the championship.

Huntington Country Club Rob Corcorran Assistant Professional, Matt Noel, Poxabogue used a hole-in-one on the par 3 17th to advance past Garden City Country Club Head Professional, John Kuntz. This set up a meeting with his Head Professional from Huntington Country Club, Jim Smoot, who would get the better of Noel to move on.

Garden City Country Club Assistant Professional, Tom Withee, knocked off five-time Met PGA Player of the Year, Danny Balin of Fresh Meadow Country Club, and Mill River Club’s Liz Caron, before losing 8 & 6 to

WESTCHESTER Country Club of New Canaan eventual Champion, Rob Corcoran of Poxabogue Golf Club. In the final match, Corcoran faced off against Meadow Brook Club’s Head Professional Matt Dobyns. Corcoran grabbed an early lead in the final, but Dobyns squared the match with two holes to play. Cororan was able to make a solid par on the final hole to edge Dobyns and become the 2021 Long Island Match Play Champion, giving him his first major win in the Section.

Country Club of New Canaan hosted our Westchester PGA Professionals as we were welcomed by Head Professional Adam Rainaud, General Manager, Kevin Lalumiere, and Superintendent Mike Row who had the course in impeccable condition.

Frank Bensel of Century Country Club needed 23 holes to defeat Metropolis Head Professional, Craig Thomas. He then went 19-holes with Greg Bisconti of Saint Andrew’s Golf Club, followed by 21 holes against Siwanoy Assistant, Charlie Maizel, before falling to eventual champion, Peter Ballo of

Pete Ballo Silvermine Silvermine Golf Club in their semi-final match.

Westchester Hills Assistant, Kent St. Charles, made an impressive run to the other semi-final match, but was bested by another Siwanoy Assistant Professional, Tim Puetz. Puetz grabbed an early lead in the final match, but Ballo capitalized on opportunities on the back nine and made a few timely birdies to swing the momentum and take the Tim Puetz match. Ballo, the 2019 Met PGA Champion now Siwanoy adds a Westchester PGA title to his resume. www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2021 ||

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THE

ROCKAWAY HUNTING CLUB

The Rockaway Hunting Club played host to two of our most exciting events of the season, the POLO Golf Met PGA Head Pro Championship and the Met PGA Women’s Championship. The two-day, 36-hole championship events were welcomed by PGA Head Professional, Ryan George and his staff, General Manager, Frank Argento, and golf course Superintendent, Nick Brodziak. POLO Ralph Lauren’s support and presence on site once again elevated the Championship to the next level.

Sean Quinlivan of Piping Rock Club took an early lead during round one, shooting 65 to top the leaderboard by one stroke over Danny Balin of Fresh Meadow Country Club who would then get the better of Quinlivan in the final round.

Sean Quinlivan Piping Rock

Balin’s eight birdies and one eagle propelled him into the top spot of the Championship, shooting the course record at Rockaway with a final round 61. Just coming off from his eighth PGA Championship appearance,

Host of the POLO Head Professional Championship and Met PGA Women’s Championship the five-time Player of the Year adds his first Head Professional Championship win to his list of accolades.

In the senior division, 36-holes was not enough to name a champion.

Dave Fusco of Patriot Hills Golf Club, Mike Meehan of Old Westbury Golf and Country Club, and Chris Toulson of Dave Fusco Sunningdale Patriot Hills Danny Balin Country Club went to the Fresh Meadow eighteenth hole to begin their playoff, but it would quickly end there as Dave Fusco came out on top with a birdie to seal the victory. www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2021 ||

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The Met PGA Women’s Championship saw a thrilling finish as Carina Capobianco of Woodway Country Club and Liz Caron of Mill River Club went to a playoff to decide the victor.

Liz Caron

Capobianco took the lead after day one shooting 71 over Peyton Durham of Westchester Country Club who finished with a first round 72. On day two, Liz Caron climbed to the top of the leaderboard with a birdie on 4 and 12.

Mill River

Caron and Capobianco met on the first hole to decide the victor, but Caron quickly made her mark with a birdie to win her second Women’s Championship. Janie Sirmons of Cold Spring Country Club took home the title in the Senior Division.

Janie Sirmons

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEWS

CLICK HERE FOR THE LEADERBOARD 15

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Cold Spring

“POLO Ralph Lauren’s support and presence on site once again elevated the Championship to the next level.”

www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2020 ||

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METROPOLITAN PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Congratulations to Rob Labritz of GlenArbor Golf Club, your 2021 Metropolitan Professional Champion! This is Rob’s 4th time winning the Met PC. Labritz along with his fellow qualifiers and exempt players, will be heading to the PGA Professional Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, to compete for the chance to go to the 2022 PGA Championship.

“This is the tournament that matters the most...this one leads into a major championship and the major championship, if you play well, four days can change your life.” - Rob Labritiz

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QUALIFIERS JASON CARON

DYLAN NEWMAN

Mill River Club

PAUL DICKINSON

ADAM RAINAUD CC of New Canaan

MIKE GILMORE

Patriot Hills GC

ERIC HARSTEIN CC of Darien

Glen Oaks Club

Piping Rock

DAVE FUSCO

Atlantic GC

SCOTT FORD

SEAN QUINLIVAN

Brae Burn CC

Winged Foot GC

JESSE FITZGERALD Garden City GC

KYLE BAEHLER Rye GCC

EXEMPT MATT DOBYNS

DANNY BALIN

Fresh Meadow CC

ALEX BEACH

Meadow Brook

Westchester CC

PETER BALLO Silvermine GC

DARRELL KESTNER Deepdale GC

NEW YOR BALIN WINS NEW YORK STATE OPEN FARMINGDALE – Bethpage Black put the skills of the best amateur and professional golfers in New York State to the test during the playing of the 2021 Lenox Advisors / NFP New York State Open, one of our area’s premiere golf tournaments. Bethpage State Park Director Scott Matson, the agronomy team led

by Andrew Wilson and Michael Hadley, and Director of Golf Kelley Brooke, LPGA, and PGA Head Professional, Justin Koff, set the stage for a great championship.

Danny Balin, Head Professional at Fresh Meadow Country Club, proved that he is no stranger to the grueling labor of the Black Course as he went on to capture his third New York State Open title, totaling 6-under par for the championship. Balin is now tied for most New York State Open wins with Rob Labritz of GlenArbor and P.J. Cowan.

Tied with Dylan Crowley of Glen Cove Golf Course at 5-under through 17 holes on the final day, Balin hit his approach shot on the final hole to inside a foot for a tap in birdie to claim victory. “It’s [Bethpage Black] just a brutal test of golf, one of my favorite golf courses in the world” said Balin, “it brings the best players to the top every year.”

Crowley’s final round 66 propelled him to his second-place finish, one shot behind Balin. 2021 Westchester PGA Champion, Peter Ballo of Silvermine Golf Club, and 2020 PGA Player of the Year, Jason Caron of the Mill River Club, finished 4-under par to take third. Andre Chi of Deepdale Golf Club and 2020 Low Amateur Christian Cavaliere of Mahopac Golf Club shared Low Amateur Honors, finishing at 1-over par.

R1 R2 R3

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68 66 73 207

RK STATE OPEN

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE 2021 RECAP AND INTERVIEW

Senior

Match Play Championship The leadership team of Head Professional, Ray Ford and his staff, golf course Superintendent, Glenn Perry, and General Manager, Steven Revelant, embraced the best Senior Professionals in the Met Section to Rolling Hills Country Club for the 2021 Senior Match Play Championship. In the final match, Scott Ford of Glen Oaks Club faced off against Mike Meehan of Old Westbury Golf and Country Club. Ford got a quick lead on Meehan, going three up through three holes and was able to seal the deal with a birdie on 12 to win Scott Ford the match 6&4. Both Ford and Glen Oaks Club Meehan had a challenging route to the championship match. Ford defeated two-time Senior Match Play Champion, Frank Bensel of Century Country Club in the Ray Ford of Rolling Hills, Scott Ford of Glen Oaks, & Meehan Superintendent Glenn Perry round of 16. Meehan Mike Old Westbury G&CC defeated 2021 POLO Met PGA Head Professional Champion, Rob Labritz of GlenArbor Golf Club, in the quarterfinals, and 3-time Senior Match Play Champion, Craig Thomas of Metropolis Country Club, in the semifinals.

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THE B EST L ENS ON E ARTH

ASSISTANTS CORNER ASSISTANT TOUR WINNERS Dylan Newman Brae Burn CC AT Spring Major at Saint Andrew’s GC

tristin goodwin Rockaway Hunting Club AT Village Club of Sands Point

Mike ballo Westchester CC AT Redding CC

DAVID ABOLT Meadow Brook Club AT Nissequogue GC

Mark Brown Pine Hollow CC AT St. George’s G&CC

Lucas Spahl The Patterson Club AT Hollow Brook GC

Hollow Brook

Casey Pyne The Stanwich Club AT Spook Rock GC

Alex Ruxer Tamarack CC AT Tamarack CC

www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2021 ||

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FOUNDATION The Met Section PGA Foundation hit the ground running this season to get back to serving our community through the game of golf by offering its full menu of golf programs in 2021. As we all know, the thirst for the game of golf has hit a new high through the pandemic and we can’t thank our PGA Professionals who still found a way to give back. Whether you captained a PGA Junior League team, hosted a junior event, captained a PGA HOPE League team, or ran a fundraiser you have played a huge role in our success so far this year and our hats are off to you.

If you haven’t been involved yet, don’t worry there is still time! Our biggest ask this time of year is to have more Professionals step up to the plate and run a fundraiser at their club. By running a fundraiser, your members awareness level of the good PGA Professionals are doing in the community will automatically be a benefit to you and in turn a benefit to the Foundation.

This is YOUR Foundation and the work we do is only testament to the great PGA Professionals we have in this section that truly care about Growing the Game of Golf. To learn about the various turnkey fundraising models we have available to our membership please email Kelli Clayton at kclayton@pgahq.com We hope you enjoy reading the highlights of our Foundation initiatives from this last quarter that are highlighted over the next few pages. We are doing amazing things each and every day!

INCLUSION On Monday, August 2, the first inaugural Lighthouse Cup took place at the Village Club of Sands Point. The event featured nearly two dozen junior golfers, all from diverse backgrounds, aspiring for a career in the golf industry. Players who participated were either a part of the Junior Tour, First Tee, or PSAL program and were selected through an application process. Besides proving to be a memorable day on the links, following the competition was a distinguished panel of industry professionals to introduce the participants to career opportunities available in the world of golf including PGA membership, General Management, and other positions within the golf and hospitality industries. These symposium speakers included: Dana Cancellaro, General Manager at Sunningdale CC, Kyra Cox, Tournament Operations Intern, Metropolitan PGA, Furman University Women’s Golf Team Member, James Euguene, PGA Works Fellow Emeritus, Metropolitan PGA, Brittany Ferrante, Director of Junior Golf at Village Club of Sands Point, Stanley Garrant, PGA Works Fellow, Metropolitan PGA, Rich Jones, PGA, Director of Instruction at Pine Ridge GC, Rich Jones, Jr., Howard University Men’s Golf Team Member, Qian Wang, Clubhouse Manager at Beach Point Club, and Callen Williams, Assistant Program Director, First Tee (Nassau County).

Special thank you to Village Club of Sands Point member Chris Callahan who conceived this event and made his vision a reality providing this special opportunity to deserving junior golfers.

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PGA HOPE League Due to the ever-changing nature of the pandemic, our PGA HOPE program took a different approach to keep our veterans, safe, active, and enjoying the game of golf and all that it offers. As we were not able to host new veterans at PGA HOPE classes, we conducted a PGA HOPE League that allowed past veterans to join a local team captained by a PGA Professional, as well as a Veteran Captain. Each team had two matches a week throughout the season, one home and one away match in a 9-hole team scramble format. A total of 14 teams competed each week from different areas of Long Island, Westchester, and Connecticut, culminating in a season ending championship at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. In the end, it was Turtle Creek Golf Club’s Creek Warriors, captained by Andy Crane and veteran Joe Freeborn, who took home the victory.

Thank you in large part to the following PGA Professionals for their dedication to getting over 150 of our veterans back out on the links this season: Judy Alvarez of Sunken Meadow GC, Ambry Bishop of St. Andrews GC, Andy Crane of Turtle Creek GC, Brian Crowell of Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, Steve Elias of Southern Dutchess CC, Max Galloway of Mohansic GC, Jonathan Gold of Middle Bay GC, Mitch Gray of St. Andrews GC, Michael Hebron of Smithtown Landing CC, Jim McCann of Spook Rock GC, Fred Moore of Mosholu GC, Aaron Mueller of Indian Hills CC, Nick Novak of the Golf Performance Center, Jim Smoot of Huntington CC, Ronnie Wright of Middle Bay GC, and Nick Yaun of Brae Burn CC.

www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2021 ||

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Updates Championship Results Metropolitan Junior PGA Championship Hampshire Country Club - June 28th - June 29th The Girls and Boys Junior PGA Championship is a 36 hole event for 12-18 year olds. The overall champion and runner-up for the boys and girls qualify for the PGA of America’s National Junior Championship.

Boys Champion

Girls Champion

William Rich - Sleepy Hollow CC

Katie Dzialga - Golf Club of Purchase

9-Hole Met Junior PGA Championship Milbrook Club - August 9th

Girls Champion

Boys Champion

Harrison Wolk (Boys 10-13) - Hamlet G&CC

Alexis Byun (Girls 10-13) - Mosholu GC Brooke Matthews (Girls 14-18) - Mosholu GC

New York City Championship Pelham Bay Golf Club - July 12th - July 13th The New York City Championship is a 36 hole event for 12-18 year old boys and girls at Pelham Bay GC in the Bronx.

Girls Champion

Boys Champion

Chad Ruggiero - Burning Tree CC

Amelie Phung - North Shore Towers CC

9-Hole New York City Championship Mosholu Golf Club - July 13th

Boys Champions

Girls Champions

Rikito Araki (Boys 10-13) - Mosholu GC

Alexis Byun (Girls 10-13) - Mosholu GC

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Sarah Brannigan (Girls 14-18) - Mosholu GC

Michael Hebron Junior Classic Smithtown Landing Golf Course - August 2nd - August 3rd The Junior Classic is a 36 Hole Championship for 12-18 year old boys and girls at Smithtown Landing CC in Smithtown, NY. There is also a 9-Hole competition for those on the 9 Hole Tour.

Boys Champions

CJ Merritt (Future Series) - Cold Spring CC Players Tour

Girls Champions

Kate Hong (Future Series) - Greenwich CC Players Tour

Alessandro Maltese (12-14) - Huntington Crescent Bibiana Cha (Girls 12-18) - North Hills CC Henry Bukowski (15-18) - Pine Hills GC 9 Hole Tour Jake Fortin (Boys 10-13) - Wheatley Hills GC

9 Hole Tour Helena Zhang (Girls 10-13) - Bethpage Caitlin Mullen (Girls 14-18) - Hempstead GC

9-Hole Championship Westchester CC - August 17th

Boys Champion John Parkin Overbay (Boys 10-13) - Apawamis

Tour Championship

Girls Champions Liya Chu (Girls 10-13) - Leewood GC Isabella Del Bosco (Girls 14-18) - Rotella GC

Ardsley Country Club - August 24th An invitational championship comprised of juniors ages 12-18 who have finished in the top 75 in Player of the Year points for boys and the top 35 for girls Future Series, and the top 10 in Player of the Year Points for Boys 12-18 and Girls 12-18 Players Tour.

Boys Champion

Jonathan Oakes - Ardsley CC

Girls Champion

Olivia Deakins - Ardsley CC

www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2021 ||

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Match Play Championship Glen Oaks Club - August 24th Players qualify for the Match Play by finishing in the top 16 for the boys and the top 8 for the girls at the Tour Championship.

Boys Champion Andrew Stickel- Burning Tree CC

Girls Champion Eliza Dana - Maidstone Club

Tommy Kuhn Cup Piping Rock Club - August 31st At the conclusion of the season the top Future Series point leaders go head-to-head based on residence in a Ryder Cup style event.

Champions: Team Long Island Captained by Joan Crowley

Alphabetically: Julia Bearden, Jack Breutsch, Matt DiFiore, Jojo Dolezal, Gavin Girard, Padruig Douglas, Broden Douglas, Francesca Choquette, TJ Clark, Lia Huang, Luke Huang, Ethan Kalenderian, Kyle Kalenderian, Max Silverman, Michael McConie, Colin McCullagh, Cj Merritt, Anthony Naples, Sam O’Hara, Caylin Wong

The 2021 Drive, Chip and Putt qualifying season has come to a close. The Met Section hosted six local quailifers: The Stanwich Club, Harbor Links Golf Course, The Apawamis Club, Sunken Meadow Golf Course, Colonial Springs Golf Club, and Knollwood Country Club. The Sub-Regional qualifier was held once again at Bethpage State Park, as sixteen particpants are moving on to compete at the Regional Qualifier at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, CT. Congratulations to the following who will be representing the Met Section in a few weeks:

Girls 7-9: Sofia Corbo and Ariah Ahuja

Boys 7-9: Daniel Porpora and Rickie Lim

Girls 10-11: Isabella Lanzello and Ella Ingrasia

Boys 10-11: Cooper Blank and Jaxon Wong

Girls 12-13: Sanvi Srivastava and Kennedy Hines Boys 12-13: Kurt Cary and Dylan Kotes Girls 14-15: Amelie Phung and Faith Petrino

Boys 14-15: Bryan Zhao and Joseph Dolezal

www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2021 ||

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Junior League saw great success this year with over 90 13U teams in the section competing and 20 17U teams. Post-Season began in August with the All-Star Section Championship at Mosholu Golf Club. In the end, it was Bethpage State Park’s 13U team and Pine Ridge Golf Club’s 17U team who came out victorious! PGA Jr. League Captain, Kelley Brooke, will be leading her team to the Regional Championship at Teugega Country Club in Rome, N.Y. Our PGA Jr. League Met Section Championship saw four teams representing their respective regions compete at Silvermine Golf Club.

Team Rotella Wins the Section Championship Captains Cary Stephan from Whippoorwill, Dean Johnson from Leewood, Mike Laudien from Rotella Memorial and John Scmoll from Burning Tree led their teams during competition, but it was Mike Laudien’s Rotella team who hoisted the trophy for the second year in a row!

Team Pine Ridge and Captain Rich Jones

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS

kyra cox The game of golf has given me so many opportunities that I cherish and appreciate each day. I have learned a great deal and have grown as a player, both mentally and personally. I have traveled to incredible destinations and have met amazing people in the twelve years I have been playing competitive golf. It’s been a journey I am truly blessed to have had.

I credit the Met Section Junior tour for giving me the most amazing start to my golf career. I played in my first tournament with the Met Junior tour when I was just nine years old and continued competing in these events until I was off to college. Playing on the Junior tour laid the foundation for the love and respect I have for this sport. It has taught me so much about the game of golf in a competitive setting, from course etiquette to the rules and the integrity of the game. These are the skills I will carry with me for the rest of my life and has shaped me to become the person I am today.

Advice to Juniors

My advice to junior golfers in the MET section is to keep playing as much as you can and do not get discouraged!

The game of golf is a tricky one and there are going to be bad rounds and bad practices, but it happens to the best of us and to use those instances as motivation! The best way to grow your game is to play and have as much experience as possible and always be open to learning from your peers and others you may come across! There are so many resources that the MET section provides and it’s a good thing to utilize all the possibilities you can!

As a collegiate golfer, now in my senior year at Furman University, I can truly say I owe a lot of my success to the Met PGA for providing the framework I needed to excel in the game. In the summer of 2021, I was so pleased, and honored, to work as a Met Section Junior Tour intern. I was able to give back to the organization that gave so much to me. In this role, I was again gaining knowledge and a skill set that will help me even further succeed in my career as a golfer. Through this internship, I learned the hard work it takes to put on these events for our junior golfers, and to develop good relationships with the numerous golf clubs that open their courses to the Met Section. I was also able to provide guidance and support to the junior players in the course of play, something that I know firsthand is greatly appreciated. To have the opportunity to help a rising junior golfer in being the best player they can be, is what this organization is all about, and I am happy to have been a part of it. www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2021 || 32

Stanley Garrant PGA Works Fellow

Growing up on the Metropolitan PGA Junior Tour was a very rewarding experience.

Playing in Junior tournaments throughout the summer gave me a great foundation not only for competition, but also good golf course etiquette and a greater understanding of the rules of golf.

Playing on the Junior tour gave me the opportunity to play many amazing golf courses throughout the Metropolitan area. I was fortunate enough to play with many great players as well. I made many friendships which I still maintain today. The great competition and consistent tournament play really prepared me to compete in collegiate golf at Saint Peter’s University. I had an awesome four years playing for the golf team at Saint Peter’s and It would not have been possible without the Met PGA. While attending Saint Peter’s during the summer I worked as a tournament operations intern for the Met PGA. The opportunity to see how the other side of tournaments worked was a really great experience and it inspired me to pursue a career in the golf industry. After graduating from Saint Peter’s in 2020, I began the PGA Works Fellowship here at the Met PGA which I am currently still completing. It has been great to give back to the Junior tour which gave me so many amazing opportunities as a Junior golfer. I cannot thank the Met PGA enough for all that they do.

Advice to Juniors Go out and have fun each and every time that you play. Even if you don’t play great, keep a positive attitude and see what you can improve on in the next round. Golf is a game of a lifetime. Don’t worry about a few bad shots or even a couple of bad rounds there will be plenty of good to come. If you keep your head up and practice with a purpose you will make it where you want

PARTNERS CORNER

Head over to the Metropolitan PGA Directory and get in contact with a Met PGA Partner today!

DIRECTORY 2021 PARTNERS

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www.met.pga.com || 2nd Quarter 2021 ||

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