Barnes Blake is a golfer from Westfield, New Jersey, who competes for Georgetown University. His public record includes major junior victories, a collegiate individual title, and appearances in national amateur championships. His most significant run came in 2026, when he successfully defended the New Jersey Amateur before winning the Met Amateur several weeks later.
That combination placed Blake among a small historical group. The Metropolitan Golf Association identified him as only the third player in 102 years to win both championships in the same season.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Westfield, New Jersey |
| High school | Westfield High School |
| University | Georgetown University |
| Current level | NCAA Division I amateur golfer |
| Major junior victories | Met Junior and Carter Cup |
| Collegiate recognition | PING Division I All-Northeast Region |
| State titles | Two consecutive New Jersey Amateur championships |
| Major regional title | Met Amateur champion |
Junior Victories Established Blake in Metropolitan Golf
Blake’s rise began with two key victories in the summer of 2023. On July 19, he won the 106th Met Junior Championship at Echo Lake Country Club, defeating Liam Pasternak 3 and 2 in the final. It was his first Metropolitan Golf Association tournament title.
Pasternak was not an unfamiliar opponent. Blake described him as a close friend and said the match felt more like a regular Saturday round than a championship final. Afterward, he spoke respectfully about Pasternak’s performance and described joining the previous names on the trophy as an honor.
Less than two weeks later, Blake added the Carter Cup at Baltusrol Golf Club. He opened with a three-under 69 before producing a course-record-tying 64 on the Lower Course. His 11-under total established a Carter Cup scoring record and gave him an eight-shot victory.
Blake said he knew another strong round would be necessary after a competitive morning session. He later credited his putting for the scoring run that separated him from the field.
The two victories made him the second player, at the time, to win the Met Junior and Carter Cup in the same year. They also helped him secure the 2023 MGA Junior Player of the Year Award. One later USGA article referred to him as the 2022 recipient, but the official announcement and the documented season place the award in 2023.
Georgetown Added a New Level to His Competitive Record
Blake joined Georgetown’s men’s golf program after attending Westfield High School. His university record developed through consistent finishes before he claimed his first collegiate individual championship.
That breakthrough came at the Georgetown Intercollegiate in October 2025. An opening 76 left him needing a strong second round, and he responded with a 67—the lowest score recorded by anyone in the field during the tournament. The result was settled through a match-of-cards tiebreaker, which gave Blake the individual title. Georgetown also won the team competition.
His wider 2025–26 campaign included six top-10 finishes. Before winning at the Georgetown Intercollegiate, he placed second at both The Goat and the Hamptons Intercollegiate. During the spring, he finished sixth at the Babygrande Donald Ross Collegiate, sixth at the Wildcat Spring Invitational, and fourth at the Princeton Invitational.
Those results contributed to his selection for the 2026 PING Division I All-Northeast Region team. It was an All-Region honor rather than an All-America selection.
Blake also received College Sports Communicators At-Large Academic All-District recognition in consecutive seasons. He was included on the 2024–25 Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar list as well. Georgetown’s current roster identifies him as a senior for the 2026–27 season.
A Final-Day Comeback Delivered His First New Jersey Amateur
Blake entered the final day of the 2025 New Jersey Amateur at Essex County Country Club three over par following rounds of 71 and 74. He stayed within reach of the leaders, however, and changed the complexion of the competition with closing rounds of 68 and 67.
His four-under total of 280 tied Troy Vannucci and forced a three-hole aggregate playoff. Blake prevailed to capture the 124th New Jersey Amateur and secure a place in the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club.
His comments afterward offered some insight into how he managed the difficult opening rounds. Blake acknowledged that he had not played especially well but believed he had avoided losing the tournament before reaching the final day.
He also described his earlier U.S. Amateur appearance as an important learning experience. Competing against top amateurs allowed him to assess his game at that level, and he said the experience contributed to his development.
Blake Defended the State Title From Start to Finish
The New Jersey Amateur returned in July 2026 with a setting that carried personal significance for Blake. The championship was held at Baltusrol, where he was a member, and he said he had targeted the event after its location was announced.
Unlike his comeback victory a year earlier, Blake controlled the tournament from the opening round. He began with a 66, followed it with a 70 and entered the final 36 holes holding the lead. Scores of 69 and 67 completed four consecutive under-par rounds.
Blake finished at 12 under, seven strokes ahead of Vannucci. The result made him the first player since Michael Stamberger in 2013 and 2014 to win consecutive New Jersey Amateur titles.
His performance also carried separate historical significance. Blake became the 14th golfer since the tournament adopted stroke play in 1971 to lead from start to finish. In this context, wire-to-wire means he retained the lead after each completed round.
The difference between his two championships was notable. In 2025, he needed a final-day recovery and a playoff. In 2026, he established the lead immediately and never surrendered it.
The Met Amateur Completed a Historic 2026 Double
Several weeks after defending the state championship, Blake reached the 36-hole final of the 124th Met Amateur at Deepdale Golf Club. His opponent was Christian Cavaliere, the reigning MGA Player of the Year.
Cavaliere won two early holes to move 2-up, but Blake did not view the deficit as the result of poor play on his own part. He said Cavaliere had earned the advantage with two good putts and that he remained confident he could recover.
Blake turned the match around before the end of the morning session. He won holes six, seven and eight, later extending his lead to three holes after the opening 18. Three consecutive birdies at the beginning of the afternoon round increased the gap.
The match ended on the 31st hole with Blake winning 7 and 5. That notation means he held a seven-hole lead with only five holes remaining; it was not a seven-stroke victory.
His route through match play had included wins over four former MGA Players of the Year: Jonathan Oakes, Matt Lowe, Brad Tilley and Cavaliere.
By adding the Met Amateur to the New Jersey Amateur, Blake became the third player in the previous 102 years to win both in one season. Ryan McCormick achieved the double in 2012, and Joseph McBride did so in 1949. Other golfers completed it before the stated 102-year period, so Blake was not the third player ever.
The victory also made him the 12th golfer in MGA history to win the Met Junior and Met Amateur during a career.
National Competition Extended His Amateur Experience
Blake’s results also brought opportunities beyond state and metropolitan events. In 2025, he partnered with Pasternak in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Plainfield Country Club.
The pair survived a 12-for-two playoff that lasted four holes before advancing to match play. They then defeated stroke-play medalists and top seeds Zach Capps and Brent Whitehead in the Round of 32. Their tournament ended in the Round of 16.
His 2025 New Jersey Amateur title earned him entry to that year’s U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club. After defending the state championship in 2026, he entered the U.S. Amateur field at Merion Golf Club.
These national appearances also included Georgetown competition and major regional events. They provided the higher-level comparison Blake had discussed after his first U.S. Amateur experience.
The Double Marked Blake’s Strongest Verified Championship Run
Blake’s amateur record developed through distinct competitive stages. The 2023 Met Junior and Carter Cup victories established him in regional junior golf. Georgetown later added sustained collegiate results, his first individual university title and PING All-Region recognition.
His New Jersey Amateur championships then demonstrated two different routes to victory: a final-day comeback and playoff in 2025, followed by a wire-to-wire defense in 2026. Winning the Met Amateur soon afterward completed the defining stretch of his documented career.
The result was a rare state–Met double achieved by only three players during the previous 102 years. As Blake entered his senior Georgetown season, that 2026 run remained the clearest measure of his progress from junior champion to accomplished collegiate and regional amateur golfer.