MetThe Golfer THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION MGAGOLF.ORG

In This Issue July 2019 Met Moments: History was both honored and made at Winged Foot 4 for the 100th Westchester Amateur Championship. Video: Take a bird’s-eye view to preview Hudson National Golf Club 6 for the 117th Met Amateur. Competitions: Past Carey Cup competitor Shane Lowry hoisted the 8 Claret Jug after a dominating performance at Royal Portrush. Gear: Needing some confidence for those long approach shots? Check 10 out this array of clubs for those very shots. Big Picture: One of the largest Introduction to Women’s Golf clinics 11 yet took place at Bethpage State Park. Championships: A strong putting performance down the stretch led 13 Dawson Jones to capturing the Ike title at Canoe Brook. Winning: The Joel Buchman Golf Classic at Liberty National Golf Club 15 raised money to support up-and-coming chefs.

This page: A morning weather delay led to a long first day in the 72nd Ike MGA Championship Presented by Callaway at Canoe Brook, but play completed just prior to sunset. For more on the championship, see page 13.

MET MOMENTS Met The Golfer

AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE METROPOLITAN GOLF ASSOCIATION Volume 7, Number 7 • July 2019

Editor: Tim Hartin Met Golfer Editorial Committee: Chairs: Gene M. HISTORY Bernstein, Leslie A. Schupak, Beth Z. Post; C.A. Wimpfheimer, Chairman Emeritus; Donald J. Hendler, Jeanne McCooey, Jay Mottola, Tod D. Pike, Dr. William Quirin, Roger Tulcin Metropolitan Golf Association Honored & Made 49 Knollwood Road, Elmsford, NY 10523 • 914-347-4653 www.mgagolf.org • [email protected] rom beginning to end, Winged Foot Golf Club produced a special MGA Executive Committee: Tod D. Pike, President; Andrew G. Stock, Vice President; Patrick L. Donnelly, atmosphere for the 100th Westchester Amateur Championship. Treasurer; Ned Zachar, Secretary F Committee Members: Gregg M. Angelillo, Charles Following the first day of competition, a special evening dinner Beach, Norman A. Feinstein, Jason Green, Philip M. Halpern, Dennis Lynch, Bryan Pendrick, Beth Z. welcomed former Westchester Golf Association leaders, past winners Post, Joseph Saladino, Steve Shunk, Nathaniel and this year’s field to honor the event’s storied history. Turner, Charles Weisman, Jordan Ziegler Past Presidents: Michael J. Sullivan, Stephen F. Boyd, With play taking place on the East Course, Christian Cavaliere stormed Jeffrey R. Holzschuh through the bracket en route to his third consecutive title in the event— President, LIGA: George Gatta President, NJSGA: William E. Frese the first to accomplish the feat since Winged Foot’s own Greg Rohlf did so President, WMGA: Lori Ann Cerullo from 1997-1999. The week also had the 22-year-old thinking ahead to General Counsel: Mario Ponce MGA Staff: Brian R. Mahoney, Executive Director; 2020, saying, “There’s a lot of history and so much has happened here, Hilary Barrueco, Barbara Bradley, Kim Braham, Millie and I’m kind of thinking ahead to the U.S. Open next year. If I get the Burt, Alex Chiorean, Louis Cutolo, John DeTemple Jr., Beth Francese, Chris Gaffney, Johanna Gavin, Tim chance to play sectionals and make it through, that would just be a dream Hartin, Kyle Keckeisen, Mike Kendrick, Kevin Kline, Holly Kotiadis, Ryan Malvin, Mark McCormick, Tim come true.” McGovern, Sean Murphy, Peter Nicholson, John O’Brien, Susan O’Dowd, Tom Ott, Dan Potts, Nick Tom Yellin of Stanwich also defended his title in the Senior Division, Roden, Robin Sauerhaft, Glenn Scalia, Helen Stock, Rose Tomassetti, Timothy Walter, Mike Zamalkany while Bill Dober claimed the Super Senior Division. Special Consultants: Jay Mottola, Bob Thomas, Gene Westmoreland Published for the Metropolitan Golf Association by: Great Golf Resorts of the World, Inc. 2600 Philmont Avenue, Suite 325 Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006 Phone: (215) 914-2071 CEO & Publisher: Richard K. Summers COO & Art Director: Peter J. Sansone President: Brian Folino Production/Pre-Press: Frederick Yantz Design: Jim Gerhard, Matt Hulnick, Steve Higgins, Max Kohls General Manager: Julie Yuen General Manager, Digital Operations: Matt Frey, PGA Production Marketing Coordinator: Katelyn Leer Operations: Tom Gauss, Alex Padrón, James Turchick Accounting: Larisa Kotlyar, Stacy Lombardo Advertising: For information, please contact: Tim McGovern at 914-347-4653, ext. 345, or Brian Folino at 661-312-6412 Past champions: Charles Del Priore, Jr., Brad Kittsley, Joe Sommers, George Zahringer III, Greg Rohlf, Mike Ballo, Jr., Mike Reardon, Christian Cavaliere, and Tom Yellin. Vice President, Real Estate & Travel: Mike Agee Regional Manager: Howard Derkay Don’t let the blue distract you from the Green.

Visit HammockBeach.com or call 833.322.1644 to book your St. Augustine, Florida golf escape.

SalamanderHotels.com VIDEO HIGHLIGHTING HUDSON NATIONAL

he region’s top amateurs have T set their eyes on claiming the MGA’s oldest title as the 117th Met Amateur Championship heads to spectacular Hudson National Golf Club in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., August 1-4. Skill and stamina are tested in the event, as players compete over 36 holes of on-site stroke play qualifying and then four rounds of , including the 36-hole championship match. Though young by Met Area standards, Hudson National already has an impressive history hosting MGA events, previously welcoming the 1996 Carey Cup, 2001 Met Amateur won by Johnson Wagner, 2004 Met Open won by Rick Hartmann and the inaugural MGA Mid-Am in 2007 won by Mike Reardon. Visit the 117th Met Amateur video playlist for more on the championship.

COMPETITIONS From CAREY CUP to CLARET JUG

ctober 21-23, the MGA will host the Golfing Union of Ireland O(GUI) for the biennial Governor Hugh L. Carey Challenge Cup at Arcola Country Club in Paramus, N.J. Both squads—who compete in four-ball, , and singles matches over two days— are undoubtedly well on their way to selecting their respective teams, but part of the competition’s fun is not looking forward, but instead looking back at former competitors. Champion Golfer of the Year Shane Lowry, who hoisted the Claret Jug after a dominating performance at Royal Portrush this month, was part of the GUI squad in 2007 at Trump National Golf Club – Westchester. The MGA also had eventual professionals on its side in Morgan Hoffmann and Cameron Wilson, once again making for a thrilling competition. Then reigning Met Amateur champion Greg Rohlf had a 45-foot putt to win the matches, but with his bid just missing, the score ended in a 6-6 tie and allowed the visitors to retain the cup. Keep an eye on mgagolf.org in the coming weeks for more details on the 15th Governor Hugh L. Carey Challenge Cup matches. Lowry (far right) celebrating the GUI’s retaining of the Carey Cup in 2007. The 2007 MGA & GUI Carey Cup teams. CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/PGA OF AMERICA 5TH ANNUAL

Executive Chef Executive Chef Executive Sous Chef Executive Chef Executive Chef Executive Chef Rhiannon Evans Kevin Furmanek Manuel Alejandro Alex Lee Tony Pope Anthony Rabeni Quaker Ridge The Cliffs at González Alpine Country Club Dor Vineyard Golf Club Mountain Park Resort & Residences by CuisinArt

The Epicurea package, priced per couple or double occupancy, includes: A N M G A G O L F E V E N T F O R T H O S E Seaview or Golfview Junior Suite accommodations with a complimentary breakfast daily; four celebrity-chef prepared dining experiences with wine pairings; W H O L O V E F I N E F O O D one complimentary celebrity-chef led cooking class per person; two rounds of golf per person (non-transferable); and semi-private round-trip boat transfers between St. Maarten Airport and Anguilla. December 5 – 9, 2019 • Caribbean Optional activities (priced per service) include: a CuisinArt sommelier-led wine sampling and pairing class, Venus Spa treatments, additional rounds of golf, and more.

Welcome to a culinary adventure at Anguilla’s luxury destination The Reef by CuisinArt, part of the Resorts Special early pricing is $4,887 per couple. & Residences by CuisinArt. Spend four nights in the Caribbean with celebrated chefs, savory fresh foods, Regular price: $5,430 per couple. inspiring and well-crafted wines, cooking classes and wine tastings, wonderful company and unsurpassed The Epicurea culinary adventure has limited places available. golf that all blend together to create a vacation experience like no other. Visit EpicureaGolf.com today for details and to register.

World class chefs and gourmet food, great wine, gorgeous accommodations and fantastic golf. What more do you need? Oh, and add in some really super guests and throw in a few live bands and some DJ’s. 2018 was our first time attending this event. When I first saw the ad in Met Golfer Magazine, I thought that for the price, this was a no brainer. But now having experienced Epicurea I can say that the experience far exceeded my expectations. My wife and I do a lot of traveling and we don't usually repeat destinations. But we will be back in 2019. —Ken and Debra Kawaller (New York)

The Epicurea event is such a wonderful combination of great food, wine, golf and a beautiful beach...how can you go wrong! This event surpassed our expectations. The food was truly superb. We were able to meet and mingle with all om Antinori Wines did an excellent job of presenting their wines. The friendliness of the staff at The Reef, combined with the terrific staff from PGA Magazine, made this a most memorable vacation. —Jim and Marsha Watson (New Jersey)

Visit EpicureaGolf.com for detailed information, updates and reservations. GEAR Taking a New Approach BY SCOTT KRAMER

erhaps one of the shots most amateurs have the least confidence in? That long approach into a green. Many P players – even better golfers – simply avoid playing low- lofted, clunky-looking woods off the deck for fear of hitting ground balls. But club manufacturers keep coming up with viable alternatives that are easy to hit. Three new options just hit the market this month. Callaway’s premium, ultralight Epic Flash Star fairway woods ($400/club) enhance ball speed via proprietary Jailbreak and Face Cup technologies. Offered in five lofts, it’s geared for slower swing speeds. An ultra-thin face rim acts as a hinge on off-center hits to catapult shots forward with trajectory. Titleist’s forgiving U•510 utility ($250) aims to generate more distance than a standard iron with less spin than a . It combines forged L-face technology with extreme high-density tungsten and a wide sole, for a high launch and fast ball speed. It’s available in four lofts. Tour Edge’s low-profile HL4 hybrid ($120) has plenty of weight in its sole, which lowers the CG and raises the MOI for optimal feel, launch and forgiveness. It includes a thin cup face with variable face thickness – resulting in more face flex at impact, for extra distance on off-center hits. It comes in four lofts. BIG PICTURELearning Basics at Bethpage

Attendees came away with a foundation he MGA and official partner Lexus continued the Introduction to Women’s Golf clinic of skills that will help them take the series on June 27 at Bethpage State Park. An eager crowd of more than 40 women took next step in learning the game. Ttheir first steps toward becoming more acquainted with the game, learning fundamentals from the grip and putting to chipping and full swings. “It was a great night,” said attendee Rosemary Costabile. “I enjoyed spending time with my daughter and mingling with her co-workers. It was so nice to share this experience with women who all have common goals in life. It was a great experience and one that I will always remember.” After gaining instruction at three different stations, attendees also heard from Kelley Brooke. Brooke shared her golf journey and detailed her career path to becoming Director of Golf at Bethpage State Park and owner of Academy with Kelley Brooke. The MGA and Lexus’ collaborative clinic series has one Kelley Brooke, 2018 LPGA Professional of the Year, provides instruction date remaining for the summer, with details to be announced. during the Introduction to Women’s Golf clinic at Bethpage. Imagine a Relationship Manager as your single point of contact, who takes personal respponsibility for bringing you tailored financial solutions to mmeet the needs of your business. No getting lost between departments. No waiting for days for someone to call you back. That’s Sterling.

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ou figure, make as many birdies as you can to try and put the pressure on him.” That was “Y Dawson Jones’ mindset as he entered the final round of the 64th Ike MGA Stroke Play Championship Presented by Callaway trailing Thomas La Morte by five shots. After rounds of 69-70 on Canoe Brook’s North Course, Jones’ game was certainly strong enough to apply pressure. Though he played the first nine of the final round in 1-over, a -saving putt on No. 10 maintained momentum and gave him a shot of confidence as he found he was then just a couple shots off the pace. After birdies on Nos. 12-13, Jones—a recent University of Rhode Island graduate who plays out of Eagle Oaks—rolled in a sharply breaking 25-foot birdie putt on the par-four 15th to jump atop the leaderboard. Three pars to close landed him a final round 70, a 7-under total for the championship and a one-shot victory. The win has propelled Jones to an outstanding season already, having qualified for the U.S. Amateur and won the New Jersey State Amateur in the following weeks.

Jones was one of just two players to post three sub-par scores for the championship.

WINNING

On Course for the Culinary Arts iberty National Golf Club—who’s set L to welcome the game’s best players for the first leg of the FedExCup Playoffs, Aug. 8-11—this month hosted Ment’or BKB’s annual Joel Buchman Golf Classic. The event had over 60 golfers in attendance and raised more than $125,000 for the non-profit’s impactful work supporting young culinary professionals. The Foundation, whose Board of Directors include Chefs Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Jérôme Bocuse, is dedicated to elevating and promoting fine culinary arts in America by offering grants as continuing educational opportunities and training young chefs. Chef Thomas Keller, Charles Park, Sam Choi and Jack An came away as the first place team. A number of live auction lots also helped fundraising efforts, with items including a Sky Box dining experience at Chef Daniel Boulud’s award-winning restaurant, DANIEL, and a culinary and golfing getaway to Napa Valley. KEN GOODMAN