Brent Ito captured the 111th Met Open at Essex County Country Club with rounds of 66, 65 and 70, finishing 12-under and winning by three shots. Ito takes Mike through the decisions behind the victory, from hitting roughly 85 percent of his fairways and giving himself opportunities to attack pins from the short grass to switching from an armlock putting setup back to a conventional blade for better speed and touch. He also explains why a self-described habitual leaderboard watcher deliberately stopped looking during the final round, how he handled the closing stretch once he learned he had a five-shot lead and what made Essex County such a demanding championship test.

The conversation also traces Ito’s path from growing up in Ardsley and defeating Chris Gotterup for an MGA junior title to five seasons at Michigan and the realities of pursuing professional golf around the world. Ito explains why he chose The MET Open over competing in Indonesia, what he has learned playing internationally on the Asian Development Tour and why becoming a MET Open champion provided important validation as he prepares for Q-School and the next stage of his professional career.

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