Trevor Randolph Wins Met Mid, Clinches NJSGA Player Of Year
Trevor Randolph if Arcola can again lay claim to the title as the best amateur golfer in the metropolitan area over age 35.
The 43-year-old from Franklin Lakes repeated as titlist at the 10th annual Metropolitan Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship Thursday, October 6, at Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, Conn., and has laid claim to NJSGA Player of the Year honors.
Enjoying his best season, Randolph rallied to win by one stroke after a horrendous first hole almost derailed his bid to become the first from the Garden State to repeat in this age 35-and-over event.
This year, Randolph has won the Met Mid-Am, NJSGA Mid-Am, the Travis Memorial and the Hochster Memorial and was runner-up at the New York City Am and Bergen Amateur.
"Candidly, I put a lot of pressure on myself," said Randolph, who is forging the best season by a North Jersey working amateur in at least a dozen years. "I wanted the victory for a lot of reasons, and I'm really happy to come away with the win."
Remarkably, New Jersey came away with the top three spots, with Randolph winning with a 1-under-par 69 for a two-day 1-over 141.
The runner-up was Bridgewater's Brian Komline, 42, Randolph's New Jersey teammate at last week's U.S. Men's State Team Championship and the winner of last month's Bergen County Amateur.
Three shots back and in third place was Ridgewood's Dan Macdonald, 35, Randolph's fellow member at Arcola Country Club in Paramus.
Randolph opened Thursday's finale one shot off the lead and four-putted his first hole from 60 feet for a double-bogey. He regained his composure and had four birdies and a bogey.
"After that, I played really, really great golf," said Randolph. "I was striping it down the middle and pin-hunting."
He closed the 18th with what he termed "maybe the best up-and-down I made all year," chipping from thick greenside rough to within 2 feet and sinking the putt to save par.
"Being a two-time MGA champion just validates last year's win," said Randolph.
Randolph has been validating his game over the past few seasons with incredible regularity. This season marked the third time in four years that he won the New Jersey Mid-Amateur and he is this year's Garden State Player of the Year.
Randolph still has an outside chance to become the first from New Jersey in 11 years to win MGA Player of the Year.
He trails New Yorker Stewart Hagestad, 25, who won this year's U.S. Mid-Amateur, for ages 25 and over. Randolph has two more tournaments to catch Hagestad in the standings.
Randolph is a standout golfer while raising three young sons and working as a managing director of fund-linked products for Credit Suisse. After Wednesday's early tee time, he worked from 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
"It's a balancing act and there are sacrifices involved," Randolph said. "I need support from my family and my co-workers and I'm fortunate enough to have that."
--- Greg Mattura, Bergen Record
