The DROP Goes Live

This week: The DROP went live, and the inaugural Tee2Green event sold out, the Race for the Crown Sweet 16 is set after another week of upsets and one-vote finishes, and Chris Gaffney pulled back the curtain on the MGA's 2026 championship schedule. Gary Woodland won his first title since brain surgery in one of the most emotional finishes of the year, Gotterup's T6 in Houston is a clean tune-up for Augusta, and John Pak's record-setting 61 on the Korn Ferry Tour wasn't quite enough.

— The DROP Podcast

#GolfingInTheGardenState

The Round of 32 had everything, a seven-seed that outpolled a one-seed, a course that broke the vote record, and a third consecutive matchup decided by a single vote.

The stunner: Knob Hill took down Hominy Hill 435-371. A seven-seed getting more votes than the one-seed in the same region. Chris had Hominy Hill going deep. Knob Hill went on a late run, at one point, it was a 50-0 stretch of votes that flipped the lead by 15 and never looked back. The East has a new Cinderella, and Mike's bracket is in trouble.

The record: Neshanic Valley pulled 531 votes. the most of any course in the Round of 32, and the course never shared the story on social media. Ballamor wasn't far behind at 478, the most for a two-seed. The South region had four dominant wins with no margin under 40 votes.

One vote. Again. Wild Turkey beat Crystal Springs by a single vote. That's three consecutive rounds with a one-vote margin, Ramblewood over Bowling Green in qualifying, Great Gorge over Black Bear in Round 1, and now this. Your vote matters isn't a slogan. It's a documented pattern.

Sweet 16 matchups to watch:

Bracket challenge: Burke Spencer is the current leader with 560 points followed by Gregg Johnson, Director of Golf at Shore Gate in second .

The idea started as a question: can we actually hold an event? Will people show up? The answer came back 32 golfers strong. The DROP's inaugural Tee2Green event — a two-man scramble at Liberty National on simulator — sold out and ended with a finish that'll look incredible on video.

Carter Bombersbach and Chris Hart won at 11-under net. The decisive moment: Carter's approach on 18 landed hole-high, hopped forward, and spun back to 20 inches for the gimme birdie. The runner-up team was one shot back after a net eagle on the same hole. Both teams' bays were surrounded by spectators who abandoned their own games to watch.

The field included males, females, a husband-wife team, a husband-daughter team, high handicappers, low handicappers, and Corey Brigham, the DROP's first-ever guest back in Episode 3. Mike: "Success varies for everybody, but the idea that we can say it was a full event... validated the community we're trying to build."

When's the next one? Stay tuned.

How many events does the MGA run each year across the area?

A) 20
B) 40
C) 60
D) 80+

(Answer at the bottom)

Chris Gaffney oversees 80+ events a year as MGA Director of Championships. He joined the show this week to break down the 2026 schedule, with NJ at the center of it.

Met Open at Essex County CC (August 18-20): The amphitheater finish is made for this. The back patio overlooks the 10th tee, 12th green, and 18th green. Callaway partners on the production. Gaffney: "You can come play a US Open venue in US Open conditions." Pros like Ryan McCormick return because the purse and conditioning match the best regional events in the country. The DROP did a full episode on Essex County last July, it was Mike's favorite course of the season.

Ike Championship at Sleepy Hollow (June 29-30): The Gil Hanse restoration has elevated this place. Format: 18 holes of stroke play, then the "gladiator cut" to the low 40, then 36 holes in one day. Cam Young won back-to-back Ikes here — including a shot to two feet on the 12th-hole playoff at Essex County in 2016. Reed Greyserman defends.

Carter Cup at Baltusrol: A memorial event for Michael Carter — 36 holes across both the upper and lower courses, capped by a formal dinner with jacket and tie. "The event's just a lot bigger than the 36 holes of golf."

Met Junior at North Jersey CC: Walter Travis course, perfect for match play. Past Met Junior fields included James Nicholas, Christian Cavaliere, and Ethan Ng — all before they went pro. "When you look back five, ten years later at some of the brackets, it's unbelievable."

Met Mid-Am at Hudson National: Where Gotterup won — "never looked back, won college player of the year, went to Oklahoma." Returning for the first time since the inaugural event.

The $160 dream: Most MGA championships require a 5.0 handicap index (8.0 for Public Links). Entry is $160. You play a qualifying round at a great course, and if you advance, you're inside the ropes at places most golfers only see on TV. Register at mgagolf.org.

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Chris got something off his chest this week. As a personal friend of Matt Fitzpatrick, he watched the Players Championship finish closely, and when Fitzpatrick walked to the 18th tee to boos from the crowd, it crossed a line.

He referenced Brian Harman getting heckled at the British Open and drew a comparison to tennis, you never hear booing at Wimbledon. Augusta is the exception where it never happens. USA chants when Cameron Young rolls in a putt? Fine. Booing a player walking to the tee in a non-team event? Not fine.”

Mike agreed: welcome everyone to golf, but new fans need education on basic decorum. Both want to hear from anyone who disagrees.

The MGA runs 80+ championships a year. Entry is $160. A 5.0 handicap gets you in the door. Some of these qualifying rounds are at courses you'd never otherwise see.

Here's the question: have you ever played in an MGA, NJSGA, or USGA qualifier? If so, what was it like, and which course did you play? If not, what's holding you back? DM us, we want to hear from the competitive golfers in the community.

Hit “reply” with your answer.

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TRIVIA ANSWER: D) 80+. The MGA runs over 80 championships and events each year across the Met area, from mid-April through the end of October. They can have up to four events running on the same day at peak season. Chris Gaffney and his team rely on a deep volunteer network to make it all happen.