Back to Black: Bethpage Welcomes 107th Met Open
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (August 18, 2022) – The 107th Met Open Championship Presented by Callaway makes its fourth appearance at the revered Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., August 23-25, as the region's top professionals and amateurs aim to capture the Walker L. Trammel Trophy and add the latest chapter to the event's storied history. Professionals will also be competing for a record purse in the championship, which has been increased by $50,000 to $200,000.
The always pristine and challenging Black Course continues its history of hosting major championship golf, as the two-time U.S. Open, PGA Championship and future Ryder Cup venue welcomes its sixth MGA major. The testing layout will not doubt help identify yet another outstanding champion over the course of the 54-hole championship.
Related: Pairings | Met Open History | Met Open Records
Field Breakdown
The field contains 132 players, with 90 professionals and 42 amateurs set to compete.
Past Champions
A total of 14 past champions are in the field at Bethpage Black:
Andrew Svoboda, Engineers (2021, 2018, 2003)
Luke Sample, Old Oaks (2020)
Matt Dobyns, Fresh Meadow (2019)
Josh Rackley (2017)
Grant Sturgeon, Arcola (2014)
Danny Balin, Fresh Meadow (2012)
Tyler Hall, Upper Montclair (2011)
Bob Rittberger, Garden City (2010)
Andrew Giuliani, Trump Ferry Point (2009)
Frank Bensel, Century (2007)
John Guyton, Rockville Links (2006)
John Stoltz, Concord Resort (2005)
Mike Gilmore, Winged Foot (2000)
Darrell Kestner, Deepdale (1995, 1983, 1982)
Rare Air
Seven times has a player won back-to-back Met Open titles, with Johnson Wagner being the last in 2001-02. Andrew Svoboda is aiming to become the eighth, while a fourth career win would tie Alex Smith (1905, 1909, 1910, 1913) for the most career wins in the Met Open.
Back in the Field
The Met Open’s youngest-ever champion Luke Sample returns to the field for the first time since his 2020 victory at Mountain Ridge. Sample missed the championship at Hudson National last year, having already left for his freshman year at Duke University. Sample has past success at Bethpage Black, having finished as runner-up in the 2020 Met Amateur.
Another Amateur?
Johnson Wagner won the Met Open as an amateur at Bethpage in 2001. He was the fifth amateur to win the Met Open, while Svoboda (2003), John Stoltz (2005) and Sample (2020) have since brought the total of amateurs to win the Met Open to eight.
Trending Top-10s
Over the last 10 years, now PGA TOUR rookie standout Cameron Young of Sleepy Hollow owns the most top-10s in the Met Open, with six consecutive from 2013-2018. Of those in the field at Bethpage, Tyler Hall, and Mike Miller of Knollwood own the next highest total, with four. Over the last five years, Matt Dobyns, Paul Pastore of Fairview, Josh Rackley and Svoboda of Engineers lead the way, all with a trio of top-10 finishes apiece.
2021 Met Area Champions in the Field
Danny Balin, Fresh Meadow – Met PGA Head Professional Championship
Peter Ballo, Connecticut Golf Club – Connecticut Open
Charlie Berridge, Wykagyl – Hebron Amateur, NYSGA Amateur
Ben Carpenter, Darien – CSGA Amateur
Will Celiberti, Arcola – NJSGA Amateur
Piecheng Chen, Rock Hill – MGA Public Links, LIGA Amateur
Ryan Coughlin, Westchester – WGA Amateur
Matt Dubrowski, Atlantic – LI PGA Championship
Frank Esposito, Jr., Mountain Ridge – NJPGA/NJSGA Senior Open
Brian Gaffney, Essex Fells – NJPGA Senior PGA Championship, NJPGA Senior Match Play
Darin Goldstein, Deepdale – LIGA Mid-Am
Bill Hook, Knickerbocker – NJPGA Head Professional Championship
Reid Howey, Piping Rock – Long Island Open
Brent Ito, The Links at Union Vale – Connecticut PGA Open
Danny Lewis, Hollywood – NJPGA Assistant Championship
Michael Miller, Knollwood – New York State Open
Luke Sample, Old Oaks – Ike MGA Stroke Play
Paul Selvaggio, Westchester – Westchester PGA Championship
Grant Sturgeon, Arcola – NJPGA Match Play Championship, NJPGA Charity Clambake
Brad Tilley, Sleepy Hollow – Mittelmark, Westchester Open, Met Amateur
Chris Trout, Winged Foot – Met Professional Championship
Major Players
The field contains several players who competed in professional majors in 2022 including PGA Championship competitors Alex Beach of Westchester, Paul Dickinson of Atlantic, Dylan Newman of Brae Burn, and Casey Pyne of Stanwich, Senior PGA Championship competitors Frank Esposito, Jr., of Mountain Ridge, Jimmy Farrell of Hamlet, and Del Ponchock of Hudson National, plus U.S. Senior Open competitor Mike Meehan of Old Westbury.
Tour Notes
The field includes a number of players with past and current professional experience on a number of tours, including PGA TOUR winner and seven-time Korn Ferry Tour winner Jason Gore of Hamilton Farm, 2021 Met Open runner-up and former PGA TOUR competitor Tom Lovelady of Silo Ridge, current Korn Ferry Tour competitors Max Greyserman of Hamilton Farm and Jay Card of Gardiner’s Bay, plus recent PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Dev Series Final winner Josh Goldenberg of Atlantic and Minor League Golf Tour career earnings leader and past MGA/MetLife Boys champion Sunny Kim of Clearview Park.
Race ‘til the End
The excitement around the MGA’s yearlong race for the MGA Jerry Courville Sr. Player of the Year Award truly heightens around the Met Open as the event offers the most points available for a local event. This year, six players inside the current top-10 standings are in the field, including Nos. 1-2 Brad Tilley (642 pts) and Mark Costanza of Hamilton Farm (580 pts). Sample (No. 4/445 pts), Charlie Berridge of Wykagyl (No. 6/385 pts), Matt Lowe of Bethpage (No. 7/365 pts), and Peicheng Chen (No. 8/360 pts) are also in the field looking to bolster their season’s point total.
Past MGA Player of the Year Winners in the Field
Mark Costanza, Hamilton Farm – 2021, 2020
Darin Goldstein, Deepdale – 2018
David Pastore, Golf Performance Center – 2014
Michael Miller, Knollwood – 2012, 2011
Joe Saladino, Huntington – 2010, 2008
Andrew Giuliani, Trump Ferry Point – 2006
Andrew Svoboda, Engineers – 2003
Shaking Up the Junior Race
Just a trio of juniors will compete in the Met Open Championship. Henry Feinstein of Shorehaven and Winston Blank of Baltusrol are in the field, while Reed Greyserman of Hamilton Farm (No. 11, 175 pts) has the best opportunity to make a run at catapulting to the top of the race (318 pts) for the MGA Junior Player of the Year Award, Presented by Callaway.
More on the Line
The MGA in March announced an increased purse for the 107th Met Open Championship Presented by Callaway, increasing by $50,000 to $200,000. The winner’s share—previously $27,500—now stands at $36,500. This increase elevates the always exciting opportunity for professionals and is thanks to continued support from MGA partners including championship partner Callaway Golf.
In the Money
Since 2003, Danny Balin stands as the top earner in the Met Open, with two-time winners Andrew Svoboda and Mark Brown close behind. A big week could place a player over $100,000 earned over the 20-year span.
$86,754 – Danny Balin (2012(
$85,680 – Andrew Svoboda (2021, 2018, 2003 (a))
$81,748 – Mark Brown (2016, 2013)
$79,342 – Frank Bensel (2007)
$73,733 – Tyler Hall (2011)
$72,584 – Ben Polland (2015)
$69,785 – Matt Dobyns (2019)
The People’s Country Club
The famed Black Course, which stands among 19 MGA venues to have welcomed all three MGA majors, is hosting its sixth MGA Major and has produced an outstanding list of past champions:
2020 Met Amateur, Jack Wall
2010 Met Open, Bob Rittberger
2001 Met Open, Johnson Wagner (a)
1994 Ike, Ed Gibstein
1989 Met Open, Bobby Heins
Format
• Three days, 54 holes of stroke play
• Field cut to low 54 scores & ties after 36 holes
Coverage
• Live hole-by-hole scoring throughout the championship
• Social media: @MGA1897 on Twitter for updates throughout the day; additional content on Facebook and Instagram
• Scoring, recaps, photos and videos on mgagolf.org