ANDRE METZGER SHOOTS 5-UNDER 65 IN FINAL ROUND, FINISHES AT 15-UNDER TO WIN 2023 DFO
FIRED THREE ROUNDS OF 65 WHILE CARDING 17 BIRDIES AND ONLY 2 BOGEYS OVER THE 54-HOLE TOURNAMENT
Release Date:
June 8, 2023
Media Contact:
Ryan Woodcock
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Andre Metzger (Scottsdale, Ariz.) was steady all week at Talking Stick Resort, carding
back-to-back-to-back 5-under 65’s to claim victory in the 2023 Desert Financial Open Presented by United Rentals. He held off a strong leaderboard to win by one shot over Nicolo Galletti (Phoenix, Ariz.), who finished second at 14-under thanks to a blistering 7-under 63 (low round of the day).
Metzger started the final round at 10-under and had a one-shot lead over 2022 champ Chris Korte (Littleton, Colo.), with three players only two shots back and two more just three off the pace going into the final day.
Metzger was hot early, making birdie on four of the first five holes to quickly jump up to 14-under for the tournament, a number he stayed at after four consecutive pars to close out the front nine with a 4-under 31.
“I knew the most important thing for our group was to get off to a fast start and create some space between our group and the field,” Metzger said. “It didn’t matter who did it in the group, but it had to happen with so many close to the lead.”
Korte stayed within striking distance of Metzger, carding a 3-under 32 on the front to turn at 12-under par, while Galletti jumped into the mix with a sizzling 5-under 30 to join Korte at 12-under going into the final nine.
“I didn’t know where everyone was at when we made the turn,” Metzger said. “Fortunately, Korte caught fire through the middle stretch, that kept our group pushing forward and keeping distance from the rest of the field.”
At this point the 2023 title was a three-man race with Metzger on top at 14-under, followed closely by Galletti and Korte at 12-under. Playing in the second-to-last group, Galletti managed just two birdies on the back, with his last birdie on the par-5 17th to take the clubhouse lead at 14-under par thanks to his 7-under 63.
Playing in the final group with Metzger, Korte couldn’t get much going on the back nine either, carding two birdies and two bogeys on the first five holes, then made par on the final four holes to finish at 12-under par.
Metzger couldn’t match his hot front nine – he traded a birdie and a bogey on holes 10 and 11, then made five consecutive pars on holes 12-16 remain tied for the lead at 14-under with two holes to play.
He then made his move, carding a birdie on the 534-yard par-5 17th, then secured his first Desert Financial Open win with his par on 18 to earn the $20,000 first place check.
“I had no clue the birdie on 17 was so important. I forgot I made bogey on 11 and I thought I was at 16-under, honestly something I learned later when signing my scorecard,” Metzger said. “I found out where everyone was at score wise after I hit my approach shot on 18 from 186 yards, a 9 iron to 12 feet. That was arguably the best iron shot I hit all week. I thought I just needed to three putt, so I rolled it to an inch and called it a day.”
Galletti’s solo second earned him $11,200, while Korte had a nice follow up to his 2022 victory with his solo third that paid out $7,725.
Rounding out the Top-10 include Dylan Healey (Mesa, Ariz.), Grant Booth (Las Vegas, Nev.), Matt Marshall (Darby, Mont.) and Griffin Wood (Phoenix, Ariz.) finishing T-4 at 11-under par; Josh Anderson (Goodyear, Ariz.) and Ryan Linton (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) T-8 at 10-unde par; while Jared du Toit (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Ryan Gronlund (West Linn, Ore.), and George Markham (Phoenix, Ariz.) all finished T-10 at 9-under par.
Metzger was solid all week, carding 17 birdies and only 2 bogeys over 54-holes for his matching 65s on all three days. His best finish prior to his 2023 championship was a T-10 outing back in 2020. This was his 38thprofessional Mini Tour win.
“This win is special, to come out on top against such a competitive field, this is definitely one of my biggest wins,” Metzger said.
“What a great week of golf to showcase such a competitive field, so glad to see Andre claim the title,” said Ryan Pray, Desert Financial Open Tournament Director. “Huge thanks to the golfers who come back year after year, making this field extremely competitive. Also, thanks to our gracious hosts, Talking Stick Golf Club, and thanks to Desert Financial and United Rentals for their continued support. With the help of so many people, we are excited to present a check of $10,000 to the Desert Financial Foundation, our largest donation in the history of this tournament.”
In seven years the Desert Financial Credit Union Open Presented by United Rentals is making a name for itself as one of the premier professional golf tournaments in the State of Arizona. The event features a 54-hole tournament with a field of 156 players, with a cut to the low 50 players and ties after 36 holes. The tournament has a guaranteed purse of $125,000 – with $20,000 going to the winner.
The Desert Financial Credit Union Open Presented by United Rentals was created to provide a first-class competitive golf tournament for touring professionals, while also raising money to support Arizona Charities. For more information visit the tournament website at www.DesertFinancialOpen.com.
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ABOUT DESERT FINANCIAL CREDIT UNION
Desert Financial Credit Union, celebrating more than 80 years in Arizona, is the state’s largest local credit union with $8.5 billion in assets, 400,000+ members and 46 branches. Membership eligibility is open across Arizona with contactless solutions via eBranch, making it easy to call, click or come in. As a not-for-profit cooperative, Desert Financial takes pride in sharing success. In 2020, members received $14 million in dividends via the Member Giveback Bonus, and Desert Financial gave more than $5 million in COVID-19 relief plus donations, scholarships and Random Acts of Kindness to our members, community and team. Learn more about the credit union difference at Desert Financial Credit Union and find news and information @desertfinancial on Twitter.
Desert Financial Foundation sponsors Phoenix Children’s Hospital 1 Darn Cool School Program, which allows patients to experience a traditional classroom setting while in treatment. The accredited teaching staff works with more than 10,000 patients each year in the hospital classroom to help keep children academically on track and alleviate any anxiety about falling behind. 1 Darn Cool School provides year-round individual instruction for all students grades K-12 and even offers various art classes on Fridays known as “Fine Arts Fridays”.
Should patients not be able to leave their beds, teachers are able to visit patient rooms to provide academic assistance. Additionally, the teachers facilitate each patient's transition back to their regular learning environment once they are ready to leave the hospital. Phoenix Children’s Hospital has the distinction of being one of only a handful of hospitals in the country that provides schooling for patients.
