Met Area Professionals Post Top Finishes in Florida.

Golf professionals from all over the country keep their game sharp through the “offseason” by competing in the PGA’s annual Winter Championships, and final results often display a very noticeable Met flavor. The latest series of events was no different as very familiar Met Area names claimed four of the six championships contested upon the different courses at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Tam O’Shanter Club head professional Mark Brown and assistant professional Josh Rackley—winners of the last two Met Open Championships Presented by Callaway—teamed up to claim the Four-Ball Stableford Team Championship, Jan. 28-30.

“Josh and I were steady all three days, with both of us putting for birdies on most every hole,” said Brown. “Josh drove the ball as good as anyone I’ve seen in a long time in windy conditions. He was pounding it every hole and he putted beautifully all week. It was awesome to be able to team up with him and we were lucky to come out on top.”

New Jersey professionals Frank Esposito of Forsgate and Len Siter of Mountain Ridge finished just two points back, while Alex Beach of Baltusrol and former Deepdale assistant and Met Open champion Ben Polland rounded out the top three duos in the event.

“Competing against all the best PGA pros from across the country is great to keep your game sharp,” noted Brown. “At the end of the day, Met Area pros fill the top of the leaderboards down here during the winter.”

Brown and Rackley were not the only past Met Open champions to claim hardware in Florida. Three-time Met Open winner and Deepdale director of golf Darrell Kestner paired with Piping Rock head professional Sean Quinlivan to win the Senior-Junior Team Championship, posting a 19-under 269 over four rounds, Jan. 14-17.

Meanwhile, the week prior, 2008 Met Open titlist Mark Mielke notched a win in the Senior Stroke Play Championship. Mielke, also an MGA Senior Open champion, sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to come out on top.

While Esposito settled for second in the stableford event, he ended up closing out the Winter Championships in dramatic fashion by coming from behind to win the Stroke Play Championship. Esposito trailed by three strokes with three holes to play, but registered birdies on Nos. 16 and 18 while his fellow competitor faltered down the stretch. “This was a nice way to end the Winter Championships,” said Esposito.

For Brown, who also finished tied atop his 50-54 age division in the Senior Stroke Play, the winter competition in the Sunshine State is a great way to prep for the year ahead. “Florida is a great time to sharpen up your game, whether it be your short game, long game or testing new equipment for the upcoming season,” he said. Brown has already seen benefits of the latter, putting the new Callaway Rogue driver in the bag. “I’ve been using a driving iron off most tees the last few years because it goes 260-290 and is always in play,” he explained. “With this new driver I have so much confidence that I am actually using it more than my trusty driving iron. This winter by hitting my driver longer and straighter, I have been hitting wedges into greens and capitalizing by making more birdies and having some really good rounds.”