Presented by Callaway
The Ike tournament was founded in 1953 by Daily News sportswriter Dana Mozley and nurtured through the years by Mozley and former MGA President George Sands.
Although always immensely popular, the event suffered during the late 1970s and early ‘80s after The Daily News dropped its sponsorship. In 1986, the MGA (with the financial support of MetLife) purchased the rights to the Ike. With the MGA’s involvement, the event regained its stature and quickly became the area’s premier stroke-play amateur event. The Ike today attracts more entries than any other MGA championship for individuals.
Despite a long list of outstanding champions — including Goodwin, Gardner, Turnesa, Burns, Zahringer and Thomas — the Ike always will be synonymous with the name Courville. The late Jerry Courville Sr. dominated the event in the 1960s, winning a record six titles between 1961 and 1970 while son Jerry Jr. grabbed the baton with back-to-back victories in 1990 and ‘91. The duo also combined to win three Ike Team Championships for Shorehaven Golf Club.
