Dean Muratore put on eye-opening show in winning CHSAA state title
Dean Muratore of St. Anthony's High School poses for a portrait during Newsday's 2023 Boys Golf Season Preview shoot at Newsday Photo Studio in Melville on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Credit: James Escher
Dean Muratore stood on the 15th hole at James Baird Golf Course in Pleasant Valley on June 5 and started to add up the numbers. The St. Anthony’s junior believed he needed to make one or two more birdies to potentially win the CHSAA state title.
Muratore then chipped a foot away from the pin and tapped in for birdie on the par-5 16th hole.
“At that point I knew I had a pretty good score, but I still didn’t know where I was going to end up,” Muratore said. “I played the last two holes even, and when I told everyone my final score, they were shocked.”
Muratore shot a 3-under par 68 to win the tournament by seven strokes and set an 18-hole Friars record.
“The players from Chaminade told me they thought the winning score was going to be a 75. No one could believe it,” Muratore said.
The University of Michigan commit knew of his ability to win the title based on last year's experience, when he finished two shots off the lead.
“Last year in the tournament I knew I had the potential to win . . . coming back this year, I knew what it looked like and knew what I needed to do, which was play my normal game,” Muratore said. “I played smart, and I just tried to manage the course more than play aggressively.”
Muratore earned Player of the Year honors after averaging 1.44 strokes under par per 9 holes during the season, which was the lowest scoring average in the NSCHSAA.
“I was ultimately pretty prepared for the course, but it definitely wasn’t easy. It’s a long course and it rolls and bounces a lot, so I knew I had to give the ball more air so it would sit,” Muratore said. “It also started to get pretty windy and the smoke from the Canadian wildfires made it foggy on the back nine. I think I played the best I could’ve given the conditions.”
Coach Chris Koepplin added, “He’s an incredibly consistent, calm golfer. His course management is truly remarkable.”
Muratore, who has been playing competitive golf since he was 5, couldn’t imagine dedicating himself to another sport.
“I’ve grown to love the game so much," he said. "It’s a game of inches — you can have some putts that go in and some that don't, but it's exciting and fun. You may not have your best round, but you'll always find shots that will draw you back and you'll want to get back out there and play again.”
