The Metropolitan Open is the third oldest Open championship in this country, following the U.S. and Western Opens. It was staged for the first time in 1905, thanks to the generosity of the Fox Hills Golf Club on Staten Island, which played the dual role of host and sponsor. A similar situation prevailed the following year, when Hollywood Golf Club wore both hats. After a year hiatus, the MGA raised its dues in 1908 to finance the event itself.
Until World War II, the Met Open was considered one of the “major tournaments” on the professional circuit, in part because it offered one of the richest purses. During its glory years, the Met Open attracted virtually every top player and its winner was almost guaranteed a spot on the Ryder Cup team. The first winner, Alex Smith, also proved to be the most frequent, with four victories between 1905 and 1913. His brother, Macdonald Smith, added three more (in 1914, ‘26 and ‘31), with his victory at Scarsdale in 1914 establishing a new world’s record (278) for a 72-hole event.
Despite its strong fields and national prominence, the Met Open was a financial burden, causing the MGA to discontinue the event in 1941. The association suspended all formal “open” competitions until 1949, holding only various pro-am tournaments. The lack of success and support for these events led the MGA Executive and Tournament Committees to jointly recommend that the Met Open be reinstated and contested concurrently as a three-day tournament that included a one-day pro-am. The trophy, still awarded today, was donated by former MGA president Walker L. Trammell.
The Met Open quickly re-established itself as the Met Area’s premier event. Jackie Burke Jr. won the first reinstated Open in 1949 at Metropolis by six shots over Gene Sarazen. The purse and entries have increased steadily, reaching $100,000 in 1997 and attracting nearly 800 of the area’s top pros and amateurs. In 2022, the purse increased from $150,000 to $200,000, making the winner’s share—previously $27,500—now $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.
Since 1969, a club team pro-am has preceded the Met Open and has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for the Caddie Scholarship Funds of the Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester Golf Associations.
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Site | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Peter Ballo* | Ethan Ng | Wee Burn | Scores | Recap |
| 2023 | Dylan Newman | Mark Costanza (a) | Arcola | Scores | Recap |
| 2022 | Ryan Siegler | Max Greyserman, David Pastore, Tom Lovelady, Michael Graboyes | Bethpage - Black | Scores | Recap |
| 2021 | Andrew Svoboda | Tom Lovelady | Hudson National | Scores | Recap |
| 2020 | Luke Sample (a) | Ben Polland, Paul Pastore | Mountain Ridge | Scores | Recap |
| 2019 | Matt Dobyns | Michael Graboyes | Piping Rock | Scores | Recap |
| 2018 | Andrew Svoboda | Jack Wall (a) | Wykagyl | Scores | Recap |
| 2017 | Josh Rackley | Danny Balin, Matthew Dobyns, David Schuster | Hollywood | Scores | Recap |
| 2016 | Mark Brown | Cameron Young (a) | Glen Oaks | Scores | Recap |
| 2015 | Ben Polland* | Tyler Hall | Winged Foot (East) | Scores | Recap |
| 2014 | Grant Sturgeon | Timothy Puetz, Frank Bensel | Trump - Bedminster (Old) | Scores | Recap |
| 2013 | Mark Brown* | Cameron Wilson (a) | Old Westbury | Scores | Recap |
| 2012 | Danny Balin | Robert Gage, Morgan Hoffmann, Mike Ballo Jr., Ryan McCormick (a) | Plainfield | Scores | Recap |
| 2011 | Tyler Hall | Robert Gage | Sleepy Hollow | Scores | Recap |
| 2010 | Bob Rittberger* | Danny Balin | Bethpage (Black) | Scores |
| 2009 | Andrew Giuliani | Jerry Courville Jr. | Ridgewood (N.J.) | Scores | Recap |
| 2008 | Mark Mielke | Heath Wassem | Fairfield | Scores |
| 2007 | Frank Bensel | Rick Hartmann, Andrew Svoboda, James Herman, Bob Rittberger | Meadow Brook | Scores | Recap |
| 2006 | John Guyton* | Rick Hartmann | Canoe Brook | Scores | Recap |
| 2005 | John Stoltz (a)* | Craig Thomas | Old Westbury | Scores |
| 2004 | Rick Hartmann | Brian Lamberti | Hudson National | Scores |
| 2003 | Andrew Svoboda (a) | Richard Massey | Metedeconk National | Scores |
| 2002 | Johnson Wagner | Rob Labritz | Winged Foot (West) | |
| 2001 | Johnson Wagner (a) | Rick Hartmann | Bethpage (Black) | |
| 2000 | Michael Gilmore | Jerry Courville Jr. (a) | Mountain Ridge | |
| 1999 | Mark Brown | Charlie Bolling, Matt Cannon | Tuxedo | |
| 1998 | Rick Hartmann | Darrel Kestner | The Creek | |
| 1997 | Mike Burke Jr. | Rick Hartmann | Plainfield | |
| 1996 | Bruce Zabriski | Charlie Bolling, Mike Burke Jr., Chris Dachisen, George Zahringer (a) | Stanwich | |
| 1995 | Darrell Kestner* | Bruce Zabriski | Atlantic | |
| 1994 | Charlie Cowell | Rick Hartmann, Bill King | Ridgewood | |
| 1993 | Bruce Zabriski | Larry Rentz | Quaker Ridge | |
| 1992 | Mark Mielke | Rick Vershure | Nassau | |
| 1991 | Mike Diffley | Jim Albus, Mel Baum | Hollywood | |
| 1990 | Larry Rentz | Mel Baum, Tom McGinnis, Rick Hughes, Bruce Zabriski | Westchester | |
| 1989 | Bobby Heins* | George Zahringer (a) | Bethpage (Black) | |
| 1988 | Bobby Heins | Tom Joyce | Baltusrol | |
| 1987 | Jim McGovern (a) | David Glenz | Winged Foot | |
| 1986 | David Glenz | Tom Joyce | Nassau | |
| 1985 | George Zahringer (a) | Bruce Douglass | Mountain Ridge | |
| 1984 | Jim Albus | Rick Meskell | Old Oaks | |
| 1983 | Darrell Kestner | Jeff Foxx, Don Reese | Old Westbury | |
| 1982 | Darrell Kestner | Jim Albus | Montclair | |
| 1981 | Kelley Moser | David Glenz | Knollwood | |
| 1980 | George Bullock* | Dick Siderowf (a) | Woodmere | |
| 1979 | Bill Britton* | George Bullock | Plainfield | |
| 1978 | David Glenz* | Nick Manolios | Quaker Ridge | |
| 1977 | Martin Bohen | Austin Straub | Meadow Brook | |
| 1976 | Martin Bohen* | Lloyd Monroe, Jimmy Wright | Upper Montclair | |
| 1975 | Carlton White | Carl Lohren | Metropolis | |
| 1974 | Bob Bruno | Dave Smith | Middle Bay | |
| 1973 | Peter Davison | Tom Joyce | Hackensack | |
| 1972 | Don Massengale | Ron Letellier | Stanwich | |
| 1971 | Ron Letellier | Jimmy Wright | Fresh Meadow | |
| 1970 | James Albus* | Jimmy Wright | Ridgewood | |
| 1969 | Jimmy Wright | Mike Fetchick | Fenway | |
| 1968 | Jerry Pittman | Jimmy Wright | Inwood | |
| 1967 | Jerry Courville Sr. (a) | Billy Farrell, Ron Letellier, Stan Mosel, Rick Rhoads, Terry Wilcox | Winged Foot | |
| 1966 | Tom Nieporte | Stan Mosel | Mountain Ridge | |
| 1965 | Jerry Pittman | Jimmy Wright, Wes Ellis | Woodmere | |
| 1964 | Jack Patroni | Al Feminelli, Wes Ellis | Briar Hall | |
| 1963 | Wes Ellis | Doug Ford | Plainfield | |
| 1962 | Miller Barber* | Tom Nieporte | Nassau | |
| 1961 | Wes Ellis | Claude Harmon | Winged Foot | |
| 1960 | Al Mengert | Wes Ellis | Ridgewood | |
| 1959 | Jim Turnesa | Shelley Mayfield | Woodmere | |
| 1958 | Bob Watson | Claude Harmon | Metropolis | |
| 1957 | Wes Ellis | Shelley Mayfield | Plainfield | |
| 1956 | Doug Ford | Mike Turnesa | Inwood | |
| 1955 | Art Doering* | Al Brosch | Fenway | |
| 1954 | Otto Greiner | Jay Herbert | The Knoll | |
| 1953 | Pete Cooper | Pat Cici | Rockville Links | |
| 1952 | Chet Sanok (a) | Jim Turnesa, Dick Mayer | Winged Foot | |
| 1951 | Claude Harmon | Pete Cooper | Forest Hill | |
| 1950 | George Stuhler | Claude Harmon | Garden City CC | |
| 1949 | Jackie Burke Jr. | Gene Sarazen | Metropolis | |
| 1941 – ’48 No Competitions – World War II | ||||
| 1940 | Craig Wood | Ben Hogan | Forest Hill | |
| 1939 | Henry Picard* | Paul Runyan | Metropolis | |
| 1938 | Jimmy Hines | Sam Snead | Fresh Meadow | |
| 1937 | Jimmy Hines | Henry Picard | Forest Hill | |
| 1936 | Byron Nelson | Craig Wood | Quaker Ridge | |
| 1935 | Henry Picard | Sid Brews | Lakeville | |
| 1934 | Paul Runyan | Walter Hagen, Wiffy Cox | Echo Lake | |
| 1933 | Willie MacFarlane | Paul Runyan | Winged Foot | |
| 1932 | Olin Dutra | Walter Kozak | Lido | |
| 1931 | Macdonald Smith | Gene Sarazen | Crestmont | |
| 1930 | Willie MacFarlane* | Johnny Farrell | Fairview | |
| 1929 | Bill Mehlhorn | Wiffy Cox | Lido | |
| 1928 | Tommy Armour | Johnny Farrell | Shackamaxon | |
| 1927 | Johnny Farrell | Bobby Cruickshank | Wykagyl | |
| 1926 | Macdonald Smith* | Gene Sarazen | Salisbury | |
| 1925 | Gene Sarazen | Joe Turnesa | Grassy Sprain | |
| 1924 | Mike Brady | Willie MacFarlane | Engineers | |
| 1923 | Bob MacDonald* | Jim Barnes | Canoe Brook | |
| 1922 | Marty O’Loughlin | Johnny Farrell | Lido | |
| 1921 | Bob MacDonald | Pat O’Hara | Siwanoy | |
| 1920 | Walter Hagen | Jim Barnes | Greenwich | |
| 1919 | Walter Hagen | Emmet French | North Shore | |
| 1917 – ’18 No Competitions – World War I | ||||
| 1916 | Walter Hagen* | Jim Barnes, Charles Hoffner | Garden City GC | |
| 1915 | Gil Nichols* | Bob MacDonald | Fox Hills | |
| 1914 | Macdonald Smith | Willie MacFarlane | Scarsdale | |
| 1913 | Alex Smith | Tom McNamara | Salisbury Links | |
| 1912 | Tom McNamara | Gil Nichols | Apawamis | |
| 1911 | Gil Nichols | Jack Hobens | Englewood | |
| 1910 | Alex Smith | Johnny McDermott | Deal | |
| 1909 | Alex Smith | Gil Nichols | Wykagyl | |
| 1908 | Jack Hobens | Aleck Campbell | Baltusrol | |
| 1907 | No Competition | |||
| 1906 | George Low | Alex Smith | Hollywood | |
| 1905 | Alex Smith* | Willie Anderson | Fox Hills | |
* Won in playoff.
