Darkhorse Dooley wins FLX Cup, Petote earns Young Man of the Year

BROCKPORT, N.Y. (FLX) — A dramatic conclusion to a sizzling season; the fifth annual FLX Cup on Saturday, September 12 at Deerfield Golf Course was everything fans were hoping it would be.

The weather was beautiful. The vibes were high. The balls were flying.

And when the final scores were posted, Alex “Dooley” Mikalajo had his first major championship.

Dooley fired a net 66 to capture the 2026 FLX Cup, the first major title of his FLX Tour career and the latest chapter in what has been a decorated run on the tour.

Mike Petote finished runner-up with a net 67, while Ryan Netchke rounded out the podium with a 68. Jimmy Franz finished fourth at 69, with Chris Miers and Brandon Moynihan tied for fifth at 72.

Petote takes Young Man of the Year

While Dooley was busy claiming the biggest trophy of his career, Mike Petote was putting the finishing touches on a season-long championship of his own.

Petote’s runner-up finish earned him 39 Young Man of the Year points, giving him 125 points for the 2026 season and the Danny Ott Young Man of the Year title.

He finished nine points ahead of Matt Driffill, who finished second with 116 points. Lou Englert placed third with 113, followed by Chris Miers (104) and Brandon Moynihan (103).

The Young Man of the Year race remained competitive throughout the season, with Petote ultimately emerging at the top of a leaderboard that included 53 players who earned points during the 2026 campaign.

A wild finish to the season

The FLX Cup featured 44 players who signed up for the season finale, with 42 ultimately making it to Deerfield, and only 40 finished.

From there, things got a little weird.

Several players withdrew before completing their rounds, and the tournament even included a potential rules situation that may require a ruling from the FLX Tour’s Rules Czar. The final word on that one is still TBD.

In other words: it wouldn’t be an FLX Tour championship without a little drama.

Despite the chaos, 40 players ultimately posted a score, led by Dooley’s 66. Mike Petote followed at 67, with Netchke at 68 and Franz at 69.

2026 FLX Cup results

1Alex Mikalajo6640
2Mike Petote6739
3Ryan Netchke6838
4Jimmy Franz6937
T5Chris Miers7236
T5Brandon Moynihan7236
T7John Laganello7334
T7Chad Christ7334
T9Tim Dorsheimer7432
T9Eric Spanbauer7432
T11Matt Driffill7530
T11Boston Siwiec7530
T11Kenny Rogers7530
T11Ben Annal7530
T11Steve Delvecchio7530
T16Danny Driffill7625
T16Brendan Millward7625
T18Chuck Pace7723
T18Josh Kowalski7723
T18Mike DiMuro7723
T18Dan Graves7723
T22Scott Stedman7819
T22Eren Ersoy7819
T22Zach Stedman7819
T25Shane Driffill8016
T25Mike Mortillaro8016
T27Joseph Mortillaro8114
T27Patrick Moynihan8114
T27Nathan Wirth8114
T27Jasson Jobson8114
T31Sean Sawyer8210
T31Kevin Moynihan8210
T31Jonathon Thorpe8210
T34Ryan Wirth837
T34Dan Reisenberger837
T34Dan Driffill Sr.837
37Mike Converse874
38Dylan Toteno883
39Brier Koroly922
40Shane Partiss961
T41Jarred ShraderWD0
T41Brandon BurrisWD0
T41Josh VallettaWD0
T41Lou EnglertWD0

See the complete FLX Cup results and final Young Man of the Year standings below.

Five years in the making

As the FLX Tour heads into the offseason, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate just how far the league has come.

Five years ago, the FLX Tour started with two foursomes.

Today, more than 60 different players have teed it up with the tour.

What started as a few friends getting together for some golf has become a tradition — complete with major championships, season-long races, questionable decisions, heated debates, questionable rules interpretations and, somehow, a legitimate Young Man of the Year award.

But the trophies and standings are only part of it. The best part of the FLX Tour has always been the people. Great golfers. Better friends.

The 2026 season is officially in the books, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the clubs are going back in the garage just yet.

An alternate-shot event? The Cool Down? A return of the Flexies Awards?

We’ll figure it out.

Final 2026 Young Man of the Year Rankings

RankTour ProYMOTY Points
1Mike Petote125
2Matt Driffill116
3Lou Englert113
4Chris Miers104
5Brandon Moynihan103
T6Danny Driffill102
T6Eric Spanbauer102
8Brendan Milward96
9Chad Christ94
10Steve Delvecchio93
T11Tim Dorsheimer92
T11Dan Graves92
T11John Laganello92
T14Shane Driffill91
T14Ben Annal91
T14Alex “Dooley” Mikalajo91
17Ryan Netchke89
18Chuck Pace86
19Joey Mortillaro85
20Michael DiMuro84
21Sean Sawyer79
22Tom Dieure77
23Zach Stedman75
24Dan Driffill Sr.62
T25Nick Kozak61
T25Josh Kowalski61
T27Jarred Schrader58
T27Mike Mortillaro58
29Kenny Rogers57
30Ryan Wirth54
31Patrick Moynihan53
T32Scott Stedman51
T32James Franz51
34Brier Koroly50
35Kyle Pierce49
36Nathan Wirth47
37Evan Santiago43
38Dan Reisenberger42
39Chris Trento41
40Josh Valletta40
41Jonathon Thorpe35
42Brandon Burris34
43Boston Siwiec30
44Sam Dattilo24
45Dylan Toteno21
46Eren Ersoy19
47Todd Horne17
48Shane Partiss16
49Mykola Prokonpenko15
50Jasson Jobs14
51Nick Hawes12
52Kevin Moynihan10
53Mike Converse3

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