Ike Bound for Brooklawn
ELMSFORD, N.Y. (June 22, 2023) – For the fifth consecutive year the Ike MGA Stroke Play Championship will head to a first-time host, with historic Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Conn., welcoming the 68th playing June 26-27. The field once again contains many of the region’s top amateurs, with more than 130 players set to compete for the iconic Ike bust trophy.
Related: Pairings | History | Records | Past Champion Gallery
Brooklawn’s Tillinghast layout has withstood the test of time, welcoming five USGA championships between 1974 and 2021, when it welcomed the U.S. Senior Women’s Open won by Annika Sorenstam. It has also hosted several MGA championships, hosting the Met Amateur in 1919 the Met Junior three times (1982, 1997, 2007), and the Lexus Senior Open in 2016. Time and time again it’s proven its ability to produce incredible champions, with Oswald Kirkby, Mike Lopuzsynski, Andrew Svoboda, Mark Costanza and Jim McGovern, respectively, winning the past MGA events welcomed by the club.
Meanwhile, the Ike continued to deliver exciting championships in recent memory, from Cameron Young’s back-to-back victories in 2015-16 and Matt Lowe’s record-setting performance at Century in 2017 to Mark Costanza’s thrilling eagle chip-in victory at Darien in 2020 and Luke Sample’s strong finish at Baltusrol just last season. With the Met Area’s top amateurs set to compete upon one of the region’s most historic layouts, the 68th Ike has all the ingredients for an exciting championship.
Past Champions
There are four past champions in the field aiming to vie for the title once again: Matthew Fields of Quaker Ridge (’21), Matt Lowe of Bethpage (’17), Brad Tilley of host Brooklawn (’03), and five-time Ike champion George Zahringer of Deepdale (1989, ’93, 2001, ’04, ’07).
MGA Champions
The depth in this year's field can be shown in terms of past MGA champions, with 19 players having MGA titles to their name.
| Name | Club | MGA Win(s) |
| James Allen | Scarsdale | '20 Carter Cup |
| Cameron Besaw | GlenArbor | '22 Carter Cup |
| Ben Carpenter | Darien | '19 Carter Cup |
| Christian Cavaliere | Hudson National | '16 Met Junior |
| Will Celiberti | Arcola | '19 Met Junior |
| Bobby DiForio | MGA eClub - HV | '15 Carter Cup |
| Matthew Fields | Quaker Ridge | '21 Ike |
| Darin Goldstein | Deepdale | '17 Mid-Am |
| Reed Greyserman | Hamilton Farm | '19-'20 Boys' |
| Nathan Han | Salem | '15-'16 Boys' |
| Lance Hollingshead | Trump - Bedminster | '21 Boys' |
| Matt Lowe | Bethpage | '23 Public Links, '17 Ike, '10 Boys' |
| Matt Mattare | MGA eClub - NJ | '17 Met Am |
| James McHugh | MGA eClub - NJ | '15 Met Junior |
| Trevor Randolph | Arcola | '15-'16 Mid-Am |
| Colin Summers | Plainfield | '21 Met Junior |
| Brad Tilley | Brooklawn | '22 Met Am, '19 Mid-Am, '03 Ike |
| Pat Wilson | Hamilton Farm | '22 Mid-Am, '13 Met Am |
| George Zahringer | Deepdale | 20x MGA champion |
Small Crowd
Christian Cavaliere of Hudson National is the lone player in the field owning back-to-back top-10 finishes in the Ike. Cavaliere, who’s coming off competing in the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, finished ninth at Baltusrol and tied for third at The Bridge. Cavaliere also has history at Brooklawn, winning his second of three-consecutive Westchester Amateur titles at the club in 2018.
Winner, Winner
The field includes several players who have already hoisted a trophy this season and look to continue their winning ways in 2023:
| Name | Club | Event |
| Charlie Berridge | Wykagyl | Glen Head Classic |
| Cole Ekert | Fairmount | Mittelmark |
| Darin Goldstein | Deepdale | Hochster, Havemeyer |
| Matt Lowe | Bethpage | MGA Public Links |
| Carter Prince | Huntington Crescent | Long Island Amateur |
| Trevor Randolph | Arcola | New Jersey Senior Open |
| Jack Simon | Rockaway River | NYC Amateur |
56-Year Span
The age range of the Ike field spans from 14 (Zach Berger, Met PGA Junior GC) to 70 (George Zahringer, Deepdale).
Points in Play
The Ike is the season’s first event with a significant point total up for grabs in the MGA Player of the Year race. The winner will receive 285 points. The top five players in the standings as of June 22 are all in the championship: Matt Lowe of Bethpage, Carter Prince of Huntington Crescent, Darin Goldstein of Deepdale, Brad Tilley of Brooklawn, and Christian Cavaliere of Hudson National.
Team Title
The Ike Team Championship is conducted concurrently with the Ike MGA Stroke Play Championship. The title is awarded to the two individuals from the same club with the lowest combined score for 54 holes. Mark Costanza and Pat Wilson won the title for Hamilton Farm in 2022. The Apawamis Club and MGA eClub’s for Connecticut and New Jersey all have four representatives apiece.
Format
• Two days, 54 holes of stroke play.
• Field cut to low 40 players and ties (and anyone within five shots of the lead) following Monday’s opening round.
• Ike Team Championship runs concurrently, with the title going to the two individuals from the same club with the lowest combined score for 54 holes.
• Eligibility open to amateur golfers who are members of an MGA Member Club with a Handicap Index not exceeding 5.0.
Brooklawn
• Founded in 1895
• Originally established with a member-designed course
• In 1929, A.W. Tillinghast created three new holes, revised several others and built 18 new greens
• The Tillinghast greens stand as the layout's trademark
• Club has hosted five USGA championships
Coverage
• Live hole-by-hole scoring for all 54 holes of the championship.
• Social Media: @MGA1897 on Twiter for updates throughout the day, additional content on Facebook and Instagram.
• Scoring, recaps, interviews, and photos on mgagolf.org.