By Tim Hartin
Prior to the Met Open, David Pastore’s name was already scattered throughout the MGA record books, having won five MGA titles and having been MGA Player of the Year in 2014. But, with his victory in the 110th Met Open Championship Presented by Callaway, Pastore joined an elite crowd, becoming just the fourth player to win the MGA’s trio of Majors – the Ike, Met Amateur, and Met Open – in their career.
Pastore, 33, placed his name alongside Jerry Courville, Sr., George Zahringer III, and Johnson Wagner as winners of the MGA slam. Taking it one step further, Pastore is the first-ever player to have won those three titles, plus the Met Junior.
Pastore’s close calls came at Bethpage Black and Hudson National, with Pastore saying that the Bethpage result sticks in his mind the most of any professional event.
But, as golf has often shown, winning the big one after coming up short often makes the breakthrough much more meaningful.
“This tournament means so much to me,” said Pastore, who thanked a variety of supporters including those at The Golf Performance Center and Fairview Country Club. “I almost let go of the idea that I would ever win this tournament because it means so much, and it is hard to win a tournament when you want it so badly … I won my first Met Junior when I was 14. I grew up on these golf courses and playing against this competition. To add my name to this trophy, I don’t think it has fully sunk in. I’m thrilled to be on it.”
For Pastore, the victory also comes on the heels of a spring where he faced back pain and played mostly in regional or state open championships. As the summer winds down, his eyes are back on Q-School and continuing to pursue playing golf at the highest level. While those goals are certainly on the horizon, there’s no doubt he’s taking time to soak in the meaningful Met Open win.