Barnes Blake (2023)

The Metropolitan Golf Association is pleased to announce Barnes Blake of Westfield N.J., as the recipient of the 2023 MGA Junior Player of the Year Award, Presented by Callaway.

Blake etched his name in MGA history in multiple ways in 2023, becoming the second player to win both the Met Junior Championship Sponsored by MetLife and the Carter Cup in the same year as he went on to win the MGA Junior Player of the Year Award Presented by Callaway.

Blake came out firing at Echo Lake Country Club in the Met Junior, shooting a course record 8-under 62 en route to sharing medalist honors. He continued to roll in match play, eventually defeating Liam Pasternak of Morristown, N.J., by a 3-and-2 margin in the final.

After competing in the U.S. Junior Amateur, Blake had another record performance, firing a course-record tying 8-under 64 on Baltusrol Golf Club’s Lower Course en route to setting a new Carter Cup scoring record (11-under) in his victory.

Blake – a member at both Echo Lake and Baltusrol – joined Echo Lake COO and Director of Golf Pat Fillian as the only players to win both the Met Junior and the Carter Cup in the same year.

“Everyone dreams of winning at their home course in front of their home crowd,” says Blake, who’s in his freshman season at Georgetown University. “So, it was just awesome to be out there with all my friends and family out watching and supporting.”

During the season, Blake also made the cut in the New Jersey Amateur, qualified for the Met Amateur, and advanced to the semifinals of the New Jersey Junior.

Blake finished the season with 655 points. Hebron Amateur winner Thomas Finn of Locust Valley, N.Y., finished second with 470 points, while Reed Greyserman of Short Hills, N.J., (394), Pasternak (315), and Dean Muratore of Dix Hills, N.Y. (261) completed the top five.