Dobyns Carries Lead into Final Round of 100th Long Island Open
Matt Dobyns will attempt to capture his third career Long Island Open title on Thursday.
LOCUST VALLEY, N.Y. (June 5, 2024) – After carding a 2-under 68 to open the 100th Long Island Open Championship Presented by Stifel, two-time past winner Matt Dobyns of Meadow Brook turned in a 5-under 65 to capture the 36-hole lead at Piping Rock Club.
Related: Leaderboard | Rd. 2 Photos
Dobyns, the 2019 Met Open champion at the same venue, will carry a two-shot lead over Danny Balin of Fresh Meadow into Thursday’s final round. Balin posted a 4-under 66 on Wednesday, his score bested only by Dobyns.
Dobyns’ bogey-free round began with a birdie on the par-5 10th. He added another circle to his card on the par-4 14th, before reeling off three in a row on Nos. 2-4 to propel him into the lead at 7-under.
He closed with four consecutive pars and with the winds picking up in the afternoon, no player challenged his lead.
“I was a little fresher today and kind of knew what to expect from the golf course,” said Dobyns, comparing the first two days. “I hadn’t seen the course in quite a long time, so I just knew how it was going to play and that was really the only difference.”
Overall, Dobyns’ game was sharp all around
“I just did everything pretty good and picked my spots and didn’t make a ton of mistakes,” said the 46-year-old who last month competed in the PGA Championship.
“I think it gives you room to be creative,” said Dobyns when asked about why the course seems to fit his game. “I think it places a premium on being able to lag putt and think your way around the golf course a little bit. I think I’m ok at that, so, that combined with how beautiful it is and how squared off it is off the tees kind of fits my eye.”
Meanwhile, Balin’s 66 featured five birdies and a lone bogey on the par-4 18th—his ninth hole of the day. For the 42-year-old, one club seemed to make the difference after a rough stretch as of late.
“I’ve been playing horrible lately,” said Balin. “I finally figured something out with the driver, so I think if I drive it good, I’m a pretty good iron player and good wedge player. I found something a week or two ago with the driver and just tried to stick with it. I’m not the longest player, but on a golf course like this where it’s firm and fast that helps me get more distance, so I have more wedges in my hand.”
After driving it well and seeing his ball run out, Balin had plenty of scoring chances and took advantage of several opportunities.
“I just drove it in the fairway and hit it on the greens and the greens are perfect—this place is in perfect shape—and I gave myself a lot of chances and a couple putts went in,” he said.
First-round leader Tyler Gerbavsits of Huntington Crescent sits in third at 4-under following a 1-over 71 while amateur and reigning Met Amateur champion Josh German of Meadow Brook and Jay Card of Gardiner’s Bay are two shots further back at 2-under for the championship. Andre Chi of Deepdale and reigning Met Open champion Dylan Newman of Meadow Brook are at 1-under and are the only other players under-par.
Additional Content: Rd. 1 Recap | Rd. 1 Photos
Following 36 holes, a cut was made to the low 40 players and ties, with 45 players making the cut at 6-over 146 or better. Thursday’s final round will feature a split-tee start due to forecasted weather. Tee times will begin at 8:00 a.m., with the final pairing of Dobyns and Balin going off the first tee at 9:39 a.m.
Piping Rock Club is welcoming the Long Island Open for just the second time, previously doing so in 1965 when Tom Nieporte captured the title. It’s classic C.B. Macdonald always proves to be a stern test for the region’s top players, especially when delivering firm, fast conditions.