Top Talent Returns to Wykagyl for the 58th Ike Golf Championship

In the Metropolitan Golf Association’s first major event of the season, the 58th Ike Championship, will be held at Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle on June 24th and 25th.

The field of 109 competitors is, according to an MGA release, one of the strongest in recent memory and boasts players like defending champ Cameron Wilson of Shorehaven, Mike Miller of Knollwood, Max Buckley of Westchester, Joe Saladino of Huntington and Ryan McCormick of Suburban.

The first round of the 54-hole, stroke play championship will be held on Monday, June 24th, after which a cut will be made to the low 40 and ties, who will return for the 36-hole final day on Tuesday, June 25th.

For the seventh time Wykagyl will be the site of the two-day event where top amateur players will challenge the fast, undulating par-72 (6,657 yards) course in this classic 54-hole event.

The field will be cut after 18 holes on Monday, according to an MGA release, and the final 40 competitors (plus ties) that advance will compete over 36 holes on Tuesday for the elite title. For the championship, the MGA will reverse the club’s routing so that players will conclude on what is normally the par-5 ninth hole.

The level of talent included in this year’s Ike event could make it the most competitive and memorable in recent history, according to the MGA release. The list of players is highlighted by 4-time MGA champion Cameron Wilson of Shorehaven. Golfers will not only compete for the individual title, but also for the Ike Team Championship, which is awarded to the two players from the same club that shoot the lowest combined score. It was captured the last two years by Shorehaven’s Wilson and now-pro Tommy McDonagh.

The Ike was first played in 1953 and was originally sponsored by the New York Daily News. The MGA purchased the rights in 1986 and it now annually garners the most entries of any individual championship the Association conducts. 

A familiar MGA championship venue, Wykagyl, according to the MGA release, has hosted a total of seven Ikes, two Met Amateurs, and two Met Opens. A classic design, the course’s five par threes are its strongest defense. But the five par fives should provide scoring opportunities and great late day dramatics, as three of them can be found on the back side.