Dean Greyserman stormed his way to the 2025 MET Amateur title – and never looked back. Representing Hamilton Farm, the rising Stanford senior defeated a loaded field of the Metropolitan area’s best, capping off his run with a 3 & 1 victory over Matt Lowe in the 36-hole final at Old Oaks. Greyserman trailed for just two holes all day, taking control early and delivering in the biggest moments – highlighted by a momentum-shifting birdie on 10, a piped drive on 14, and a gutsy wedge from a divot on 17 to close it out. With his brother Reed (the 2025 Ike champion) on the bag, the Greyserman duo proved nearly unstoppable, blending course knowledge with calm, surgical execution.
This wasn’t just a win – it was a statement. Along the way, Dean outplayed some of the most respected names in the MET region, cementing his place among the area’s elite amateurs. The title followed his appearance at the 125th U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club, capping off a summer where his game and confidence hit new heights. After Reed’s win at the Ike earlier this summer, Dean’s Met Am title continued a dominant stretch for the Greyserman brothers. Heading into his senior year at Stanford, Dean’s game is sharp, his résumé is growing, and his ceiling is only getting higher.
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You guys just like keep coming around. I just keep hearing about you guys. And I might need to tell Ryan to cut that up a little bit and just put it in my audio for my phone. First of all, I love the game. I had a passion to play the game, not only football, but I love the game of golf and and and what it lends to a person and the friendships you develop on the golf course. It’s been a pleasure being on the drop. I wish you guys all the best down the road. Someone like you, you have that golf itch like a lot of us do. I keep track of you and you are moving. You are on the move. So, listen. I’m a big New Jersey golf guy. Very kind, Mike. And you, too, Ryan. It’s a pleasure to be one. Just a couple of Jersey boys here talking about something we love. All the best. I really enjoyed it. This is the Drop Podcast where we talk golfing in the Garden State. I’m Mike Porro and this is Ryan Koulot. What’s up, Drop Pod people? Welcome back to Interview Thursday. We are very excited about today’s guest, Dean Graaserman. Uh the winner of the 2025 Metam uh he finished Mike was it runner up in the state open this year or third place something like that opening round of 63. Uh who you had picked him so you were 64 64 64 something like that. So you were you were all over him. Um we’re excited to have him on. He’s had a great summer. um you know going to be going into his senior year at Stanford and and you know has has big things coming his way. But we’re very excited to have Dean on for this show. Yeah. Listen, it completes the trilogy. You know, we had Reed, we had Max, and now we got Dean and and anytime that you can talk to another stud in our area right here from New Jersey, it’s a perfect opportunity for us to get him on to tell his story. And you know what? Even better, he win wins them at him. So, icing on the cake for guys like you and I. Yeah, it is. So, without further ado, here’s our interview with Dean. Enjoy. 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All right. So, today’s guest on the Drop Podcast is the final member of the Grazerman family, the winner of the 2025 Met Amateur. Today’s guest is Dean Graaserman. Dean, thank you so much for coming on today’s show. Thank you guys. Yeah, I’m excited to be here. Dean, it’s it’s only fitting that, you know, we we have you on finally. It’s uh it’s we’ve had everybody else but you, so it’s it’s good to have you on. welcome to the show. Yeah. Yeah. Great to be here. So, so Dean, listen, before we dive into, you know, your recent win and your recent successes. Let’s give a little bit of a background about you. You know, we’ve heard from your brother Max. We’ve heard from your brother Reed about how they got into the game and and I know everybody’s story is different and I’m kind of curious to see and hear from you specifically as well. like how did you decide that I’m going to go into this game and I’m going to kind of go all in on it? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I definitely played I grew up playing a lot of different sports. Um I really liked tennis growing up. I really liked playing soccer. Um I played basketball, play a little bit of hockey even. Um so yeah, played everything, tried everything. Um but yeah, it was just something about golf that kept pulling me back every time. um you know, a little bit of, you know, watching Max and even just growing up competing with Reed. Um there was just always something about golf that that I love the most. Um and so once I got closer, you know, later in middle school, early high school, I kind of decided that golf was what I wanted to do. And so I kind of stopped playing everything else and and at that point focused solely on golf. Yeah. What was the what was everything else? What else did you play? So, I played uh competitively tennis, soccer, basketball, and played hockey for a couple years. Um yeah, I love tennis, love soccer, so yeah, played a lot. That’s that’s a gamut there. Yeah. Yeah. My mom my mom uh was a tennis player in college. Um, so I kind of got the athletic athletic instincts from her, but um, yeah, played played a ton of tennis. Um, yeah, just settled on golf eventually. I remember I think it was Max that said that that mom was a big tennis player. So, so Dean, like as you’re going through your high school, you know, years and everything, obviously the offers had to be there to end up at a place like Stanford and and you understand, you know, guys like Ryan and I sit here and we think Stanford, you obviously think Tiger Woods, that’s like the first name that pops in everybody’s head. But being a guy like yourself who’s on the east coast, you know, whether it’s New Jersey or whether it’s Florida, what made you to say say, “Hey, listen, I’m gonna go all the way out to the west coast and and to Stanford.” Yeah. Yeah, it definitely was not. Um, in terms of going so far away from home was not the easiest thing in the world, but when you think about everything else that they have to offer there, it definitely was the easiest thing in the world. um you know just the combination of the academics and you know we’re pretty academic family. Um school was always the most important thing um to my parents. Um so I knew that I wanted to find a combination of a good academic school and a and a good team and it kind of felt like that was pretty clear number one number one choice to me. So yeah, lucky it worked out. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, when you look at it that way and you’re looking for combinations, there’s there’s you’re really limiting yourself on schools and, you know, you want to be high academic and have a great golf team. You know, you’re there’s there’s just a few. And it seems like you guys have hit them between, you know, Duke, Princeton, and Stanford. You guys are doing pretty all right there. Yeah. Listen, I think you’ve had a a you know, as we dive into this summer here, I think you’ve had an unbelievable summer, you know, and I know, you know, I I even picked you to win the state open. I was going mean Dean all the way. You know, I was texting you. You were playing well and and I felt like you had a you know, the running joke between you and I was, you know, we’re just going to get you on regardless if you win. It’s just a cherry on top and then you go out and win this, you know, the Metam. like what was some of the things that you learned I would like to think from all these in a sense close calls like playing good rounds going super low but just not getting those wins what were some of the things that you learned heading into the metam yeah I guess you know the main thing is just it’s hard it’s very hard to win golf tournaments um especially in in the Met area um just so many good players whether it’s college kids or or the midams you know I think the mid AM scene in the in the Met area is probably the best in the country. Um just so many good good players and um yeah, just it’s really hard to win golf tournaments. You know, you get into the mix. Um but it’s just the nature of the game is you’re only going to close out a win every so often. You know, even, you know, Scottish Heffler feels like he wins every tournament, but he still only wins, you know, only four or five times a year. um the other 20 other 20 times he hasn’t he doesn’t actually win a tournament. So it’s just very hard to actually win a golf tournament. What’s the difference for someone who plays on your level of winning and coming in second or third place? You know, I think golf’s pretty unique. You looked at some of the other sports you played like basketball, football, like there’s a winner and there’s a loser, right? But in golf, we don’t really have, you know, you’re I guess you could call second place first loser, but that that’s not necessarily the case. So, is it do you get satisfied from finishing in second or is it is there do you feel like you had a loss there? Yeah, I mean I always you’re always um you always feel good about your game when you finish so highly like that whether it’s second or third place. Um so when I have had a couple of those finishes this summer, I I was happy with my game but obviously disappointed with the result um because the goal is to win. Um but yeah, you can’t like you can’t beat yourself up finishing, you know, second, third, third place at um at some of these tournaments. You know, you have to realize that that is a good result and, you know, be happy with the positives and and just try to win the next one, right? These guys are all doing the same kind of things you’re doing and they’re, you know, they’re also really good at golf, right? So that’s that’s got to be Mike and I have talked with with uh you know you your brothers we we’ve talked with other people about like the mental side of golf that’s got to be added into that mental side is to like you’re playing really good golf you know finishing uh at Hamilton finishing second to Mark or third whatever whatever it was like you’re playing great golf um I think you had a 60 was it a 64 63 out there one of those like first round yeah 63 that is lightning golf right there. So, like you are playing great golf and then add that to the mental side of like not only is it draining out there for four or five hours, but you know that’s that’s got to be like, hey, I’m in a good spot. Good things are going to happen eventually. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Well, and let’s kind of start talking about the good things that happened because, you know, I you know, I can honestly say I know nothing about Old Oaks. I I read about it. I heard about it. Obviously, it’s a great golf course, but before we get into your whole tournament there at the Madame, like what was your knowledge of Old Oaks or your game heading into that tournament? Yeah, I had I had played um US Open sectionals there. I think it was uh 2022. Um so, it was there and and a century. Um yeah, so I’d had experience on that course before. um very hard course, you know, it’s um pretty tight, you know, standard northeast golf, very thick, rough, um slopey greens. So, yeah, I knew I knew it was going to be a challenge coming in, but I was confident in my game from from those previous tournaments. So, I definitely felt very good going into that tournament. And then obviously in like the, you know, in case the audience doesn’t know, it’s it’s it’s a little different in terms of how the Met AM is around than the New Jersey AM, but you know, it’s it’s two rounds of of stroke play. And and I think a lot of what we’ve heard from guests is the idea is let’s just get in. The seeds are irrelevant. It doesn’t really matter. Is that the thought process for someone like you or is it like, hey, listen, I’m going to go as low as I can, you know, like what what are you thinking about in those first two rounds? Um just yeah just just what I always think about is just take it shot by shot and hole by hole. You know, it’s you never want to think about two rounds ahead when you haven’t even started the tournament yet. Um but yeah, definitely was maybe a little bit more conservative just because I do know in the back of my head that I don’t have to go crazy low um to make match play. Just needed to play as long as I played decent, I knew I’d be fine. And then you get into match play which, you know, it’s a top 16 guys and it’s straight up, you know, monoemano. It’s it’s not, you know, total score. It’s like, can we beat, you know, the person headtohead all the way through, which is a little different than, you know, the New Jersey AM is done where it’s all stroke play. Are you do you enjoy the match play idea more so than the stroke play or is it just something else that you guys just, you know, are accustomed to doing? Um, yeah, I love it. You know, it’s definitely a lot more competitive. Um, because in stroke play, you know, you’re playing against so many different guys, not not just a guy in in your group. Um, but match play, it’s just it’s one-on-one, you know. Um, the juices, you know, get flowing a lot more, especially if you got a close match coming down the stretch. Um, which I had a couple of, and so it’s definitely you feel the pressure a lot more, you feel the competitiveness. So yeah, I I really enjoy it. And let’s kind of talk about these matches because, you know, being the golf nerd that I am, like you kind of went through name after name after name and all the way through really, you know, because it was a loaded field to begin with and then the top 16 was, you know, I felt like upper echelon in terms of name recognition. So, you know, you get the four seed, you’re playing a former guest of the show, Chris Dean, you know, and I think that match, you know, when I looked at the score, like you pretty much handled things. It was a little maybe rockier or back and forth early on, but I think by the time it ended four and three, you got to feel pretty good after that first round. No. Yeah. Yeah. I played solid. Yeah. Obviously Chris is a very good player. Um, so I knew that I needed to play very well. Um, yeah. Thankfully, I was, you know, I felt solid with my game and made a couple putts and was able to get a big enough lead that it was um not too stressful by the end. Yeah, because I think the stressful part and and at least for someone like us that’s rooting for you is that second match against Jack because I can’t lie, I’m I’m following along and when I’m refreshing the thing and I see you’re two up with two to go, I’m like, “All right, this damn thing’s in the bag.” You know, and and I, you know, do the normal thing. I hit the refresh button. I see what the MGA puts out there and Jack wins 17 and I’m like, “No way. This is not really happening.” And then you go to 18 and Jack wins again on 18. I’m like, “No, no, come on, dude.” Talk to me about what that was like in those final, you know, I’d say 17, 18 and leading into that extra hole. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, um, Jack played great, especially down the stretch. Um, 17 at Old Oaks is probably the hardest hole on the course. Um, and I made a very solid uh, routine par and he peed me with a birdie. Um, which is very impressive. And then coming up 18, he also, you know, he made a hit a great wet shot and made another putt. Um, so I wasn’t too disappointed. I didn’t, you know, I par 17 and 18. Um, if he had told me that before those holes, you I would have taken that and been pretty sure I’d win the match. Um, so it’s just kind of credit to him to step up and make those birdies. Um and yeah, I really really had to focus hard um going into that playoff hole. Um hit two good shots onto the green and you know, unfortunately for Jack, he kind of caught a flyer and hit his approach out of bounds. Um it was over after that. Yeah, that that detail I did not know. Um yeah, that made it that probably nice sigh of relief there when you when you find that out, you know. No doubt. That was super It was super windy um later in the day and he Yeah, he kind of misjudged the wind a little bit and there there’s Obie that comes in really quick after after that green and yes has sailed a little bit. So, so you get through Jack in extra holes and now, you know, when you look at the final four of who was left in the Medam, it’s, you know, you verse Christian, you know, Matt Low, reigning, you know, MGA player of the year, playing Reed down below. And I can’t lie, for us New Jersey guys, it’s like, man, this is going to be mono immano, brother verse brother, you know, big brother, little brother, like the whole nine. And the story lines are are crazy. But before you even can get to that point, you’re going through one of the best players in the Met area in Christian Cavaleri. Dude’s an absolute stick, you know, stud. What are your thoughts heading into the Final Four? Because I feel like this was the theme for a lot of your summer where you were playing so damn well. You were so close so many times. I can’t lie, as a human, does doubt start to creep in a little bit like, can I get over the hump? What I got to do? Do you feel like you’re pressing a little bit at that point? No. No. Not really. Um Um yeah, I mean I had played well earlier in the summer, but it wasn’t like I was having like a crushing defeat, you know, just was like a couple shots short. Um it was more I was more very excited, you know, to have the chance to to win the tournament and play a match against someone like Christian um is not a chance that you get very often at all. So, I was I was just very very um excited to be able to play. He He’s an absolute stud and going into that match or or I should say about, you know, midway through that match, you’re down two uh at the turn and then catch fire on the back there. Is there something that you is there something that you did like something that you reset? Did you have a hot dog? Like what’s the what changes there that And not that you’re playing bad golf, you know, going in. you know, it I you shot 36. I’m looking at the score. I assume that’s even par. You know, it’s kind of Yeah. You know, a a fine front. You know, he was he was just playing better. What was it at the turn that really turned it for you? No pun intended. Yeah. Um I just, you know, I’m honestly not much, you know, like I was saying earlier, it’s just trying to stick to the process and just hope that the good golf will will find its way. Um and yeah, just thankfully was um able to make a putt on 10 and I missed a couple of putts earlier in the match. Um I think I made about a 12-footer for birdie on 10 and that was huge. Um 11’s a driveable par four. I hit it up by the green made up and down birdie that one and then I think we were tied after that. Mhm. Um which was huge. you know, I didn’t want to be, you know, two or three down going into the last five or six holes, you know, against a guy like Christian. He’ll probably close you out um in that scenario. Um so, yeah, was able to get it back to an even match going into 12 and made another birdie on 13 um which is huge. And I think I made one more birdie on 16 about a 25-footer to to win the match. And I was super pumped about that. Yeah. I mean, that’s that’s how that’s a heater. That’s what that is. Yeah. And and to your point, I think we go back, you’ll circle back to the mental side of it. You said you missed some putts that you felt like you you rolled good and they just they just missed in on the front and then they fell on the back. So, it’s it’s just like you said, trusting the process, knowing that you’re you’re rolling the ball good. I’m hitting the ball well. I’m hitting spots. I know what I’m doing. Like, let’s just let’s you know, they’ll eventually drop. Yeah. Yeah. I felt good too because um Christian had missed a couple of pretty short putts too. Um which could have made could have kind of ballooned his lead a bit. So I almost felt fortunate to be only two down after nine and kind of felt like okay, you know, he kind of is letting me in this match still. So why don’t we why don’t we push him a little bit and try to make a run? Take advantage of it. Yeah. Yeah. I mean take a run. You did. and you went six six seven holes on the back nine to close the damn thing out. Yeah. You know, and then you you know, you obviously get past Christian and you get to the finals where, you know, it would have been brother versus brother, but unfortunately, you know, Matt did beat Reed, but I mean, for for Matt’s aesthetics, right, he kind of does not look like the a competitive golfer. I’ve joked around with him through Instagram like you look like you’re just the average Joe, but the dude can flat out golf his golf ball. You know, 36 holes, anything can happen. It’s a long day out there. Heading into the finals, you got, you know, Reed decides to jump on the bag. Talk a little bit about that aspect of things. Yeah, it was cool. Um, obviously would have wished to have played Reed in the final. Um, but we both kind of knew that if one of us lost, we were definitely going to caddy um for the other on Sunday. Um, yeah, it was super cool that he wanted to to do that and help me out a little bit. Um, cuz I definitely needed all the help I could get. Um, yeah, it was super exciting day. You know, Reed is um I mean, obviously very very good golfer um but a very good, you know, he’s a very good thought process of how to play golf, too. Um, and it was very helpful, you know, um, just helped me with reads, with lines, yardages. It was just, uh, obviously had a pretty seamless connection and and I think it helped helped me out a ton, which is which is super helpful. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, you go through the first 18 holes there against Matt and and you’re two up and, you know, I I got to think anything of being in the up category would have been a huge plus heading into, you know, the final 18. How how’d you play after the first round? You know, I know the score indicates 68, you know, but I also know it’s match plan. Sometimes things are given and whatnot, but like how do you felt like you played? Did you you feel like you kind of let some go? Maybe you got fortunate in the way you did in the Christian match. How’d you feel? Yeah, I played I played decent. Um, wasn’t my best stuff at all. Um, so I guess decent for a 68. Yeah, that’s one that’s one way to look at it. Yeah. All right. My bad. No worries. All good. All good. 68. Not Yeah. Didn’t play too bad. Um, you want me to pick up or do you want to ask that again or? Yeah, I can ask I’ll ask you again. I’ll ask you again. So So Dean, after the first 18, you know, I know you’re two up and and you probably would have taken the word up in any number in front of it heading into the the final 18 and you shoot a 68, but I also know in match play it’s a little different because some things are conceded, some things aren’t. You know, how did you how did you actually play and how did you feel heading into that final 18? Yeah. Yeah. I played okay in the morning. Um Matt and I were both kind of grinding a little bit. Um you know, I knew that the way that he played the day before against Reed that he would to beat Reed like that, he was lighting it up. So I knew that, you know, he was he was on a heater and I needed to play to play great. So I just kind of came out with a little bit of urgency and was able to make a couple putts that I needed to in the mornings. um got a big birdie on 18 which matched his birdie. So that was kind of a good bit of momentum to to go into the afternoon. And obviously having a having any type of lead like you said is is huge in a in a 361 match to take into the second round. Now Dean, I’m only looking at the the golf genius. You guys both birdied 18. That’s a par five. Yes, par five. What’s 17? Is that that is that a par 17’s a long Yeah, it’s like a 470 par4. Um very tight T- shot. Probably probably the hardest hole out there because when you’re looking at it when both of you have fives or both of you have threes or you just assume that that’s a par five or a par three. So I assume that you guys parred all the way in and not and not had birdies there. So that’s interesting. Yeah. So, like then you get to the afternoon and you get to that final 18 and it’s, you know, I I felt like through the front nine you had control of a lot of things. You got as high as to to four up, you know, you you’d make the turn though and and you’re three up. Obviously, you know, any type of increase on the two up after the front first 18 has to make you feel like, all right, I’m not going to say it’s in the bag, but I’m in very, very good position. Percentages are in my favor heading into that back nine. Yeah, definitely felt very comfortable um having that three or four up lead bleed, but obviously as turned out um Matt made a little bit of a run and and definitely made me have to have to think about things a little bit more. Yeah. And I think specifically after 13 when Matt makes bird on 13 and the lead goes to oneup, I can’t lie again, pal. I’m sitting there with the refresh button saying, “No, come on, dude.” like like I’m not even I have nothing to do with you that your game the win nothing but I’m rooting like hell for you and I’m sweating bullets. But as you get to that 14th T, you know I you sound very matured. Reed was the same way. You you you guys are just raised a certain way and I’m not that even keel. I ride the emotions like nobody else. But you get to you get to 14. Talk to me about what you’re thinking about heading on 14’s tea. Yeah. Yeah. He Matt had made a bomb on 13 like probably 40 50 footer. Um which I knew was you know probably was going to come at some point. You know he hadn’t made much earlier throughout the day. And then yeah stepping on to 14. It’s kind of a shorter 370ish par4. Um but it’s kind of one of those holes where you could lay short of a of the fairway bunker or you could be more aggressive. Um, and Matt went and and laid up short of it and I had been hitting driver all week and, you know, I went with driver again and probably made my best swing of the day on on that one. Um, and bombed it, you know, hit it up there, you know, 30 40 yards short of the green and set myself up for for a pretty easy birdie, which was probably one of the biggest moments of the match. Yeah. I mean I would say because then you go on and you win 15 as well and you kind of you know now have a really nice cushion coming in you lose 16 you know are in the back of your mind is the Jack Chunk creeping in at all like man I got to figure out a way on 17 18 or or are you still composed like all right I I’m I’m all right. No. Yeah, I felt fine, you know. Um, definitely still had obviously had a two uploop to two to go, which I definitely would have taken there. So, I felt good and I knew I just needed basically two more good swings and I would and I’d be the winner. How does your mindset change when you’re like that? You’re two up, two to play. Are you are you just trying to match what he’s doing or are you trying to like are you thinking about what he’s doing or it’s just you in the golf course and it’s like hit a fairway, hit a green, I’m going to make a par here and that that’s what I’m trying to do or or are you looking at him and what’s the Yeah. How’s that mindset? Yeah. No, I’m just focusing on myself. You know, obviously what he does is very important to what I do. So, you know, if we were in the fairway and he hit it to a foot, I’m obviously going to be more aggressive. But just generally speaking, I’m just focusing on myself and on my game. And specifically on that hole, it’s, you know, a very tough hole. So, I just really really wanted to hit step up and hit that fairway. Um, and yeah, I put another really good swing on it and was able to hit it in the fairway. Actually, actually ended up in a in a divot. I don’t know if you guys knew that. I know. 17. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I went right into Sandy Divot. Um Matt was hitting first and hit it on the green and me and Reed were kind of grinding over it a little bit figuring out what club to hit cuz it was I mean it wasn’t it wasn’t the worst line in the world, but it was it was in in the sand part of the divot. So I had to get basically as steep as I possibly could on it. Um, and like kind of, you know, got it went dug it out of there and actually went up to like 10 or 12 feet. That’s what great players do. They they hit great shots. Yeah. I I I can’t lie. I can’t lie. I mean, my emotions on 17, if I’m two up with two to go, if I’m I’m going back to all the all the nightmares, and then after I hit the drive I want to hit, I’m in the fairway. I’m mother effing every single person in the world. The fact that you can stay calm in a moment like that, in a tournament like that, is beyond me that I need to like go to the school of grazerman with emotions because I feel like my life would be way better. I don’t know. We’re not we’re not taking any applications right now. But listen, if things open, buddy. Listen, you got my number. I’m ready for any type of any type of work that can be done. But, you know, you you win the thing. You know, you end up making birdie. win the tournament. Reads on the bag right there at the end. Talk about what winning the Met Am means to somebody like you. Yeah, it meant it meant a lot to me. Um, just to be part of that history, obviously looking at that trophy, I was looking at the names um while we’re on the first TE of the second of the second 18 and you just see the guys that are on that trophy. um you know like Stu Haggistad um George Xer got her up George Xanager was out there watching the match. I think he’s won met him five or six times he told me which is which is crazy. Jesus. Um but yeah, you just see those names on there and you really really want to be a part of that list. So it just definitely meant a lot to to win that and share that with with Reed on that 17th green was really cool. Yeah, really cool. I think it’s an understatement to have I always Mike and I talk about this on the pod quite a bit. Like he goes on a a trip with his father and his brother and it just I my my family doesn’t golf so seeing when families do stuff I think to me at least it hits differently. So you and your brother on there I’m I’m sure you have a big hug and and a congratulations. I think really cool is an understatement for what that moment must have been like. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. You know, definitely felt the emotions, you know, flowing a little bit and well, there’s a lot of people out there watching and yeah, you know, it was definitely one of the highlights of of my golfing career so far. Yeah. So now like as you’re entering you got one year left I’m assuming at Stanford you know and and winning a tournament like that like what kind of goals do you have for yourself you know moving forward at Stanford and and then maybe on beyond that? Yeah, you obviously getting closer to graduation. Um, definitely um, you know, getting closer every day and yeah, I just want to go back and have obviously as good of a senior year as I can. Um, definitely feel very good with my game and how I’ve played this summer. Um, which is great because the last couple years have kind of been a little bit of a of a struggle at school. Um, so just to come home and and play very solid for for a whole summer stretch is something that um I’ll be able to take with me into the fall and and and try to build on that and, you know, go out and, you know, try to win some events this year. A successful senior year looks like what for Dean Graman? I don’t know. It’s hard to it’s hard to to think about it in terms of of results, but I just know the way that I feel with my game. if I if I keep playing like this and and keep doing what the things I’m doing, you know, I’d love to I’d love to go out and get a win or two and and that’ll be something I’ll be very proud of. So, Dean, I I know this comes up randomly throughout the podcast at times, but you know, you and I play golf together. Mike, Mike, Mike, don’t you Eminem me. Don’t Don’t you don’t you I didn’t know if you were going to bring it up. I didn’t know you were going to bring it up. Dean, let’s Mike, I’ll take it from here. Dean, let’s let’s go in a time. I want you I want you to go back couple years. The year is 2022. Yeah. Co’s CO’s, you know, not not that far in the in the distance. Uh, you know, as we’ve kind of gone, you’re playing in the New Jersey State Open at the Rigid Backbrook. Mhm. and you hit it and you’re paired up with a young uh you know slight fellow we’ll call him who you continually hit it 80 yards past. Tell us about this state open round that you played with Mike. Um yeah I do I do remember that. Yeah I do. Um I can’t say I remember any of your shots but they’re unmemorable. That’s why that Um, no, I do remember that. Um, the Ridge, by the way, is a very a great golf course. Um, you know, that was a good tournament. I think I played, if I remember, I played pretty solid the first day. Um, and kind of fell a little bit after that, but I do remember some of those some of those walks we had. It felt like when I got to my ball, I I turned around, I had no idea where you were. But, um, listen, I it’s it’s not it’s not even a joke. It’s like dead serious when I say the running joke between the member at Maniscorn River Caddy for me and you know his name is Brian Shaughnessy and we’re out there and I forget what par five we were on but it was always like do you remember how far Dean Graasman hit it past you and and we gunned it because that one hole I said to Brian I said Brian I can’t hit that any better that is as good as I can hit it and then we gunned your golf ball and it had to be 75 to 80 yards in front of me and I He said, “Brian, like I can shoot 75 and feel like I’m like the best golfer in the world. This dude is mashing the ball 80 yards by me, shooting 65. Like, I can’t compete with guys like this.” I was a little I was a little sore that day, too. So, I didn’t I didn’t really have my full my full gas tank. He was yellow light. He wasn’t even green light. I I appreciate that, you know, but that that is always something that randomly comes up on once in a while when I try to reminisce that I think I can golf my golf ball and then I talk about things like that and I come back to reality a little bit. But listen, I I you know, I I I do have one f I’m going to ask this question because I think you’ve played a lot of golf here in the state of New Jersey, you know, and we’re going to focus specifically here. And if you got an invite to go play one place in New Jersey, but you got to, you know, stop what you’re doing, drop it and just go take on that invitation. But it can’t be Pine Valley. And I’m not going to let you say Hamilton Farm because that’s where, you know, you play out of. What golf course in New Jersey is that for you? That I haven’t played yet. Anyone that maybe you have played or haven’t played, but then you get that invite, you get that text, and you’re like, “All right, yep. I’m going. no matter what I’m going. It’s a good question. Um, yeah, I have not played Pine Valley yet, so I would, even though you said I can’t, I would definitely take on that one. Um, I don’t know to to be honest with you. It might be maybe a rogue answer for you guys, but I really love Arcola. Um, every time I think about some of my favorite courses in the state, um, you know, there’s obviously so so many ones with with so much history. Um, but I love Arc Cola. You know, the greens there are so good, so fast, um, so pure, and it’s just it’s just it’s a championship golf course, and I love playing good tests. Um, so yeah, I’d have to go with Arc Colola. It’s a good test. Yeah, understatement. Understatement. Or, um, I’d say Baltist upper as well. I love that one. I haven’t have not played it since they redone it, so I would love to go check that one out. Well, Dean, let me tell you, I I was fortunate enough to play nine holes a few times on the upper before the construction and before Gil Hans touched it. And then Mike and I went for media day. We got to play the upper and and and see what Gil did. I loved the upper. I was with you. I I thought the upper was great. I didn’t think Gil Hans could make it any better, and he made it 10 times better. It is. Yeah. It’s incredible. Yeah. Yeah. The pictures look amazing. So hopefully hopefully be able to go check it out soon. Yeah, I I think you’ll be I think you’ll be there soon enough. Uh Dean, I think that golfers are kind of quirky by nature. You know, we we we have our our little superstitions or quirks or whatever you want to call them. Is there anything that you do that’s you know, if you don’t do it before a tournament that you’re like, “Oh, I feel off.” You know, you got to We’ve had people say like, “Oh, I don’t tie my shoes till the first tea.” or you know I only have a quarter that’s from 1972 as a ball marker. So it’s you know is there anything like that that you that you do that’s like you know a little bit different. Yeah. Um I would probably say like ball markers kind of my thing. Um I always I like to collect ball markers from different places that I go to. Um and I for some reason I can only use like a light colored ball marker. So, it has to be like white or or just a very light color. If I use something that’s darker or has like red or or black on it, I I like I like start freaking out. So, I have to use not a specific ball marker, but it has to be very light colored or very white. Okay. Are do you have are you color blind at all or any color issues? No, not not that I know. Hey, uh D, this is this has been awesome. Thank you for joining us. Um best of luck this season. Uh and and you know, fall and spring. Hopefully we can get you on maybe in between. You win a couple tournaments this fall. We’ll have you on over the winter and and you know, we’ll be the good luck charm for sure pushing you forward. But uh this has been awesome and thank you for joining us and and like I said, best of luck moving forward. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you guys. Um, it’s been fun to to follow the show for the last last few years and I think it’s awesome what you guys do for golf in New Jersey. You know, there’s not not a lot of states that have as as proud of a of a golfing community as we do. So, it’s it’s cool what you guys do and I’m happy that I’m able to be a part of it. Yeah, man. Hey, I I think we do a Grazerman boys uh day. What do you think, Mike? We get all three of you guys on. I don’t I don’t even know. When’s the last time the three of you probably been together? That’s a great question. Um, I don’t know if we’ve all been together this summer. Maybe the Masters, I think, might have been. You know, we we went to go watch Matts. I think it might have been last night. Listen, that’s a good place to That’s a good place to meet up. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I keep I keep telling him, you know, when’s that invite for next year coming? Um because I I want to go back. Well, there you go. That would be, you know, that could be a once a year thing. You guys go every year. That would be great. It’d be a tradition unlike any other. You took the words right out of my mouth. All right, bud. Thanks again. Take care. Good luck. We’ll talk to you. All right. Thank Thanks, guys.
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