ROCHESTER, N.Y. (FLX) — Sparks were flying Thursday evening as FLX Tour officials gathered for the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup draft.
The 2024 Commissioner’s Cup, a new event on the FLX calendar for this year, is single-day Ryder Cup style tournament that will be held Saturday, May 11 at the world famouse Genesee Valley Golf Course. Competition will be two-man best ball match play rules and scoring. More details to follow in regards to breakfast balls and other notices, according to officials.
FLX Tour Co-Commissioners Shane and Matt Driffill met Thursday at FLX headquarters, joined by the Tour’s Head of Content & Rules Czar, Joey Mortillaro, as well as the Tour’s Head of Vibes, Brandon Moynihan. Pre-draft deliberations included a feast, courtesty of Amico’s Pizza, perhaps the Rochester area’s most underrated pie.
The live streamed draft kicked off on the Tour’s Instragram page at 7 p.m. (you can watch the whole video here, if you’re into that kind of thing). A coin toss fiasco for the first pick ensued when after landing on the draft table, it bounced to the ground and fell through a furnace grate.
Thinking quickly, Mortillaro grabbed a tin of Copenhagen long cut, and used that to toss in the air and determine the draft order. Shane, as the visiting captain for this year’s draft and event, selected tails on the dipper tin while it was in the air and he became full of despair when it landed heads side up.
Despite short-lived, and rather weak protests from the younger co-commissioner, the event went on as Matt held the first pick. After a short time of thought, Matt reached for the phone to call Chris Miers, the reigning Danny Ott Young Man of the Year award winner, making him the first-ever pick in an FLX Draft. History folks.
From there the draft took some wild and unexpected twists and turns, including a moment where Shane panicked after considering Evan Santiago’s availability might be in question after recently becoming a father. There was a lot of drama folks, but you can watch the video if you’re interested. When the dust settled, the teams were as follows:
| Draft Round | Team Matt | Team Shane |
| 1 | Chris Miers | Tom Deiure |
| 2 | Sean Sawyer | Joey Mortillaro |
| 3 | Tim Dorsheimer | Chad Christ* |
| 4 | Danny Driffill | Ryan Pancione |
| 5 | Ben Annal* | Evan Santiago |
| 6 | Brandon Moynihan | Alex M. Dooley |
| 7 | Todd Horne | Patrick Moynihan |
| 8 | Ryan Netzchke* | Boston Slootmahker |
| 9 | Brier Koroly | Mike Mortillaro |
| Alt 1 | Dan Riesenburger | Dan Driffill Sr. |
| Alt 2 | Steve Nally | Brian Chapman* |
Just like the Ryder Cup, the night before the Commissioner’s Cup, the captains will meet to determine the groupings, with a snake draft style selection of pros from their teams.
Shortly after the draft concluded, rumors of discontent from veterans were spreading through the ranks. Leaks from anonymous sources suggest leadership faces an uphill challenge in making amends to those who feel scorned.
“We always knew not everyone was going to be picked for this event, and the reality is that some feelings were going to be hurt, but we’re all grown men and professional golfers so I hope we can handle this with nobility and grace and not ruin lifelong friendships,” Matt Driffill said.
“Let’s talk about loyalty,” Shane added.
“I don’t feel bad one bit for any youngester who wasn’t picked,” Mortillaro quipped.
“Alright then fuck ’em,” Bmoyns announced.
And with the draft in the past, the FLX Tour’s 2024 season is officially in full swing, evidenced by Saturday’s 16-man mini tournament at LakeShore Country Club, where 4 teams of 4 will compete for individual best score, and team best ball as well.
According to sources, some alternates for the Commissioner’s Cup may have a chance to prove themselves worthy on Saturday to be elevated off the bench, but only time will tell.
2024 Tournament Announcements:
Commissioner’s Cup: Saturday May 11, 2024 at Genesee Valley Golf Course
The Grand Open: Saturday, June 1, 2024 at Durand Eastman Golf Course
The Churchville Classic: TBD
Ott Shot Challenge: TBD
Genesee Invitational: TBD
FLX Cup: TBD
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