Danny Balin posted seven stellar birdies and no bogeys in the final round to win the Metropolitan PGA Professional Championship played this week at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich and the Golf Club of Purchase. After hanging back at even par for the first two rounds of the 54-hole event, the Westchester Country Club pro fired his afterburners to shoot a 65 and win by a single stroke over Rob Gick of Sands Point GC.
Balin kicked off his 2017 season with a win at the Westchester Open this spring.
The tournament is one of the most important in the Met PGA schedule since it serves as a qualifier for the 2018 PGA Professional Championships, which in turn chooses the club pros who play in the PGA Championship, slated for Bellerive CC in St. Louis.
Westchester pros took nine of the fourteen qualifying spots allotted to the Met PGA this year (including two players who are exempt). In addition to Balin, James Ondo of Apawamis tied for third with Adam Rainaud of Winged Foot (one of the exempt players) and Kyle Baehler, Willow Ridge. Ondo captured his first Met Section win at the Polo Head Professional Championship played at Willow Ridge CC in May.
Rob Labritz, GlenArbor, and David Young, Sleepy Hollow, were T6 with Matt Dobyns of Fresh Meadow CC (the other exempt player). Greg Bisconti and one of this assistant pros at Saint Andrews, Tyler Jaramillo, finished T9 and T13 respectively, while Century CC’s Frank Bensel rounded up the Westchester rout at T13.