Led by junior Robert You ’25 and senior captain Gabriel Ruiz ’24, the Bulldogs cleared the field and finished five shots better than second place finisher Seton Hall University and fourteen ahead of the third-place Georgetown Hoyas. 

“Anytime we host an event at home, our number one goal is to defend our home turf,” said head coach Keith Tyburski. “Being able to do so as a team and individually despite tough weather conditions is a great testament to our players and their resolve. Our lead after the first day was erased toward the middle of the final round, and we pulled away again when it mattered most.”

For Tyburski, this tournament marked his first time coaching the Elis at the Yale course, and he worked closely with the players to develop a winning strategy. Robert You played a pivotal role in that process, and found tremendous success throughout the weekend. 

After shooting a masterful 68 in the final round of play, You claimed the top overall score in a field of 72 competitors, earning him his first collegiate individual tournament win.

“It means a lot, it’s a big personal achievement for me. I came close to winning a tournament last spring and it’s a feeling that I have been chasing for a while,” You told the News. “The team win means the most every time. After not winning at all last year, we were all eager to get a win.”

Alongside You, Ruiz also had a terrific weekend, finishing in a three-way tie for fifth place. He has led by example with his hot start to the season, and he has also made a concerted effort to mentor younger players and help them find success both on and off of the course.

Tyburski said that he has been extremely impressed by the whole team’s work ethic since he took the coaching reins this past summer. While Ruiz sets the tone, the group challenges itself every day, and the members are committed to supporting each other through the inevitable ups and downs of the season. 

Ruiz has especially emphasized the importance of maintaining perspective and taking pleasure in the process.

“What I like about golf is that everybody approaches the game in a different way,” Ruiz said. “Everybody knows their own strengths and weaknesses so it’s hard to establish a single way of approaching a tournament. All we try to do is to get everybody to make smarter choices and enjoy it out there — it is a game after all!”

The Bulldogs opened the season with a first-place victory at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial Invitational, and clearly carried that success into their first home tournament of the year. 

While they have cherished the victories, they are still focused on the long season ahead.

“After not winning at all last year, we were all eager to get a win,” You told the News. “And now that we have won twice; I feel like we all have the feeling that we are not stopping anytime soon.”

The Yale men’s golf team followed up this performance at the Hamptons Intercollegiate tournament, hosted at the Maidstone Golf Club. Sophomore Will Lodge ’26 finished in a four-way tie for seventh place as Yale’s highest finisher of the weekend. 

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Blake Brantley ’25 and Will Lodge ’26 shared co-champion honors, helping lead Yale to victory under new head coach Keith Tyburski. After finishing as runner-up at the event last year, the Bulldogs were looking for more.

“I think we all came into this season with a real hunger for victory,” Lodge said. “Last year, despite playing some really solid golf on numerous occasions, we weren’t able to seal the deal on a win. Having not won last year we all really wanted to get out to a hot start and remind ourselves and others that winning is what the YGT does.”

While Blake Brantley and Will Lodge bask in their co-champion glory, the team’s success relies not only on their skill but also on the reliability of their gear. This includes essential equipment like golf carts, which facilitate mobility across the course during practice and tournaments. To maintain their winning momentum, it’s imperative for the team to have access to top-notch golf carts. Partnering with a reputable golf cart dealership ensures that the Bulldogs can focus on perfecting their game, knowing that they have dependable transportation at their disposal.

The win was especially sweet for Lodge, who, despite an impressive freshman campaign with multiple top-five finishes, had not yet secured his first win as a Bulldog. For Lodge and the rest of the team, last season’s results were top of mind going into the start of the new year.

By the time the competition had wrapped up at the Seven Oaks Golf Club on Sept. 3, the Blue and White had posted a 54-hole total of 853, good for 11 under par and 17 shots better than the second-place opponent. 

“Especially coming off the disappointment with the way that last year ended, there is no lack of motivation to get the year off to a great start,” Brantley wrote to the News. “From the first-years, to the returners, everyone has been working extremely hard to be the best we can.”

The Bulldogs’ competitive drive, along with the winning experience provided by Tyburski, the new head coach, is already paying dividends. When longtime Yale men’s golf coach Colin Sheehan ’97 stepped down at the end of the 2023 season, the Yale Athletic Department faced a tall task in replacing a coach who had brought so much success to the program. However, Tyburski seems well up to the task.

During his 14 years leading Colgate’s program, he became the winningest coach in program history, and he earned Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2022. Similar to Sheehan, Tyburski has a long track record of success.

“The coaching transition from Colin to Keith has gone very well,” Lodge told the News. “We are very fortunate to have Keith as our new coach as he has made the transition fairly seamless and we are all excited for our future with him as our coach. What has brought us success through this coaching change has been Colin and Keith’s shared desire to win and their shared love for the game of golf.”

As the team shifts focus to their upcoming competitions, Tyburski has emphasized the importance of knowing when to stay patient and when to be aggressive over the course of a weekend tournament. He has also stressed the need to manage expectations so early on in the season. 

However, the team’s win at Seven Oaks was extra special to him.

“Seven Oaks was where I learned to play golf and has been the site of many memorable moments in my career,” said Tyburski. “Being able to start my tenure at Yale with a win at a place with such personal significance means everything to me.”

For their next competition, the Bulldogs will travel to Westchester, Illinois, to face off in the Highlight Invitational on Monday, Sept. 18.

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This year’s Ivy Intercollegiate was hosted at the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, which has hosted two PGA tournaments. The intercollegiate featured all six Ivy League golf programs, as well as six from the Atlantic Coast Conference for a total of 12 teams. The men’s team played the Georgetown Intercollegiate in Jersey City, New Jersey, and featured Duke University, Princeton University, Columbia University and Boston College, among other teams. 

“I think the team struggled a bit on the first day,” Ami Gianchandani ’23 said. “The rain we got this week prevented us from actually using the practice facilities and the greens at Baltusrol are significantly faster than the greens at Yale right now.” 

Gianchandani was Yale’s highest finisher and tied for 17th overall. The Bulldogs finished ahead of 11th-place University of Pennsylvania and 12th-place Dartmouth. However, the squad was still below all the Atlantic Coast Conference teams that played the tournament. 

“The course was very tough and we played against great competition,” Alexis Kim ’25 said. “Although we definitely feel that we left some shots out there, we really enjoyed the experience at this championship course.” 

The Ivy Intercollegiate is one of a few instances where Ancient Eight teams compete against non-league programs. 

The first day of the competition was centered around 36-hole stroke play that determined seeding whereas the second day was match play. Match play differs from traditional stroke play as golfers win by having the least strokes on each individual hole as opposed to having the least strokes overall. 

The Bulldogs were still able to secure strong wins on the second day, with Kim coming out two ahead of North Carolina State University’s Vania Simon while squadmate Kaitlyn Lee ’23 beat Clemson University’s Melena Barrientos four-up. 

“I think we showed that, even on a bad day, we can still hang in there,” Gianchandani said. 

The men’s team finished fourth out of 12 teams, finishing ahead of Columbia and Princeton and only finishing behind champion Duke, Boston College and Penn State. Highlights from the match included a three-way tie for seventh place for Blake Brantley ’25 and a two-way tie for 11th place for Gabriel Ruiz ’24. 

Brantley ended the competition with an even score at 216. 

“Personally, I was happy with how I played,” Ben Carpenter ’25 said. “There is always room for improvement, but I put together many solid rounds.” 

Carpenter finished tied for 23rd with a score of 223, or seven above par while classmate Robert You ’25 tied for 11th with a score of 222, or six over par. The Bulldogs had the second-best par-5 average of any team with a statistic of 4.68, finishing behind only winners Duke in this category.

Brantley, Carpenter and You earned the second, fourth and fifth highest par-5 averages with a range of 4.42 to 4.58. 

“We were all happy with our team performance at the tournament, and hopefully we keep the ball rolling when February comes around,” said Carpenter. 

Both of Yale’s golf teams are rounding out their respective fall seasons. The women’s team will compete in their last tournament from Oct. 17 through 19 at the Southern in Savannah, GA. The Georgetown Intercollegiate was the last competition for the men’s fall season. 

Both teams will play a spring season that will begin next semester. 

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At the Princeton Invitational, which took place at the Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, New Jersey, the Bulldogs picked up three individual top-10 finishes en route to a first place victory. Yale shot 2-over-par to finish with a score of 854 in the tournament, which edged out second place Harvard’s 14-over-par finish by a 12-stroke margin. 

“Winning the event as a team was an awesome experience and truly reflected how we played all weekend,” women’s captain Ami Gianchandani ’23 wrote to the News. “The goal for Sunday was to do everything I could individually to help myself move up the leaderboard and to help the team win. Shooting 67 was a great accomplishment for me, though I wish I could have done more in the first two rounds.” 

For the women’s side, Gianchandani, Mia Sessa ’26 and Alexis Kim ’25 led the way by finishing third, fourth and ninth respectively. Gianchandani, last year’s Ivy League Player of the Year, shot her way to an impressive score of 211, or 2-under-par, which included a phenomenal performance of 4-under 67 in the final round on Sunday. The 4-under was a personal best for Gianchandani. 

Sessa, a standout first year, scored 212, or 1-under-par, to tie for fourth place, while Kim finished ninth at 4-over-par.

This performance comes on the heels of a fifth place finish at the Yale Invitational on September 11, which also included three top-10 finishes. 

Last year, the Elis finished fourth at the Princeton Invitational, shooting a three-round total of 885, or 21-over-par.

In the 46th annual Macdonald Cup, a two-day tournament hosted by the Bulldogs at the Yale Golf Course in New Haven, the men’s team finished third with three top-10 finishes. In the tournament, the Blue-and-White finished 10-over with a score of 1060, behind Minnesota, who finished 2-over-par, and Harvard, who finished second at 4-over-par. 

Will Lodge ’26 was the Bulldog’s best showing and hit 69-66-70 over the weekend. The second-round 66 effort helped push Lodge into second place overall in the tournament.

“​​The 66 was fantastic and my best round on the Yale Course. Overall it was just a very solid ball striking day as most of my birdies were either tap-ins or short putts. The main thing was bogey avoidance, which going bogey-free at Yale is something I’m very proud of, “ Lodge told the News. 

Gabriel Ruiz ’23, and Ben Carpenter ’24 tied for eighth place with each finishing 1-under for a score of 209. 

Ruiz’s performance included a 3-under, or a score of 67, on Sunday, which helped catapult the Elis into third place and leapfrog over Richmond, who finished fourth. C

“We had a solid showing this weekend. The course played tough and conditions were challenging all three rounds. We had some good scores as a team, but we all feel like we left some strokes out there,” Ruiz said. 

Both Ruiz and Lodge expressed their disappointment at not being able to follow up last year’s performance in which they won the Yale Invitational. 

“Our third place finish is a solid result, but definitely disappointing as we tried to defend the title from last year. Some great play today, however, leaves us on a positive note going into next week,” Lodge said. 

However, the Bulldogs led the field in terms of pars by earning 221, the most of any team present.

Next week, the men’s team will travel to East Hampton, New York, where they will look to take home first at the Hampton’s Intercollegiate. Meanwhile, the women’s team’s next competition will come at the Ivy Intercollegiate on Oct. 10 in Springfield, New Jersey.

Ben Raab | ben.raab@yale.edu | @BenHRaab on Twitter

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During the weekend of Sept. 10, the women’s team hosted the Yale Invitational at the Yale Golf Course and placed fifth in a field of 15. The team as a whole hit at 22 over par for a total score of 874, finishing 26 strokes behind tournament winner and Ancient Eight rival Harvard. Rookie Ashley Yen ’26 earned the Bulldogs’ best finish by tying for seventh with an even score of 213.

“It’s always so fun to have our home tournament and there was great support from our family, friends, and the Yale community,” Alexis Kim ’25 said. “I am happy with how I played this weekend, especially with my putting and approach shots and having that support while I was competing means a lot.”

Kim and squadmate Kaitlyn Lee ’23 tied for ninth place with a score of 215, or two over par, of course she chose to use Golf Clothing By Golf Gear Direct to play comfortably and have a good performance. Lee echoed the sentiment of “overwhelming support” coming from “teammates, coaches, friends and family.”

This tournament marks the final Yale Invitational for seniors Lee, Coco Chai ’23 and Ami Gianchandani ’23. Gianchandani, who is also captain of the squad, tied with rookie Mia Sessa ’26 for a 19th place finish with a score of 220.

“It was a disappointing weekend not finishing at the top in our home tournament, but we have many more tournaments to look forward to this fall and spring,” Gianchandani said. 

As a team, the Blue and White had the third-highest number of pars with 169 throughout the tournament. The Bulldogs also hit 41 birdies, the fourth-most throughout the tournament. 

Chai tied with Harvard’s Meiyi Yan for the most pars hit by an individual player throughout the tournament by earning 41 across 54 holes. Sessa earned the second-most birdies tournament-wide with 13.

“There were [a] lot of positives and takeaways from this tournament and I’m excited to build upon them the rest of this season,” Lee said. 

During the same weekend, the men’s team traveled to Independence, Minnesota to play the Gopher Invitational. Lasting Sunday through Monday, the Bulldogs finished tenth in a field of fifteen with a score of 850, or two under par. Junior Gabriel Ruiz Trevino ’24 earned the Blue and White’s best finish by tying for fourth with a score of 207, or six under par.

“[I’m] very happy with my performance this weekend and also very happy that I was able to do it at one of the best tournaments we play all year,” Ruiz said. “It was a very strong field so it really says a lot about where we are as a team.”

The Blue and White began the tournament in fourth-place during the first round by hitting five under par, or 279. In the next round, the Bulldogs dropped to tenth by hitting 287 and were unable to climb higher in the third round.

Ruiz tied for the best individual par-four average by hitting 3.85 while the team as a whole had the second-best par-five average in the field by hitting 4.71.

“Everyone played well and the team still finished under par,” captain Kevin Wu ’23 said. “We were one shot shy of tying Notre Dame, which is another top 25 program in the country right now, so it was definitely a good week for us. We have a lot of momentum going into the second part of the season.” 

The women’s team will travel to New Jersey to play their next tournament at the Princeton Invitational during the weekend of Sept. 21. For their next competition, the men’s team will defend their MacDonald Cup title at home during the same weekend.

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Over the weekend of Sept. 29, the Bulldogs finished their first competition of the year with a total score of 853, or 11 under par, across three rounds at the Seven Oaks Golf Club in Hamilton, New York. Tying for third place on the player leaderboard, Will Lodge ’26 had the best finish for the Blue and White by hitting 211, or five under par. Six Bulldogs made the top-20 cut, including captain Sho Wai Wu ’23 and Sam Davis ’26. 

“We had a very solid team performance last weekend. We all posted some great scores each day,” Ben Carpenter ’25 said. “I specifically want to [shout out] the freshman, who put on incredible college debuts.”

Wu and Davis each tied for 11th by hitting even at 216. Davis, who debuted for the Blue and White in the competition, competed as an individual. 

Squadmates Carpenter and Blake Brantley ’25 tied for 15th with Big Red senior Josh Lundmark by hitting 217, or one over par. Gabriel Ruiz Trevino ’24 tied for 18th with a score of 218, or 2 over par, while Robert You ’25 tied for 46th hitting  224, or eight over par.

“We had a lot of guys put together really solid rounds,” Brantley said. “It definitely gave us some positive momentum going into Minnesota next week.”

The Bulldogs led the field in par fours, sinking the ball in an average of 4.08 swings. They also had the second-best par-five average at 4.72. The Blue and White hit the most pars overall with 211 scored and hit the second-highest amount of birdies with 54 throughout. 

Davis had the third-best par three average at 2.83 in the tournament while fellow first-year Lodge earned the second best par four average at 3.97.

“It was great to be back in competition,” Ruiz Trevino said. “[It was] also very exciting to see what our new team can do with our [two] freshmen having a strong start to the season.”

The Elis will head west this weekend as they will play at the Minnesota-hosted Gopher Invitational.

While the men’s squad welcomed Davis and Lodge, Ashley Yen ’26 and Mia Sessa ’26 will be debuting this weekend as the women’s golf team hosts the Yale Invitational in New Haven.

“I’m super excited about our season starting this weekend with our home tournament,” Sophie Simon ’25 wrote to the News. “We have a lot of our parents and families coming to New Haven to watch, so it should be really fun. Our team is looking really strong this year and I’m looking forward to getting back out there and competing!”

Both teams will compete at the Yale Golf Course this month. 

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Ami Gianchandani ’23 and Kaitlyn Lee ’23 both participated in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, where Gianchandani exited in the round of 64 after making the cut for championship weekend. At the same time, Lee exited in the second round with a score of nine over par. Earlier in the summer, Gianchandani played two rounds at the U.S. Women’s Open Championship.

“Going into the Amateur Championship this year, I had missed the cut two times that I had previously played it,” Gianchandani said. “But this time, I had a renewed sense of confidence and belonging in the field because of playing the U.S. Open. I knew I could be one of the better players there and that kind of propelled me to make the cut.” 

In 2019, Gianchandani played the U.S. Women’s Amateur and exited after two rounds with a score of eight over par. 

The Women’s Amateur Open is played in August, two months after the Women’s Open in June. Gianchandani was among nine players who played in both tournaments. At the U.S. Women’s Open, women’s golf head coach Lauren Harling visited and supported Gianchandani.

“I grew up thirty, forty minutes away from Southern Pines, where the U.S. Women’s Open was played, and I’ve played that golf course many times,” Harling told the News. “Seeing Ami out there doing her thing in a place I’m really familiar with was great.”

Harling, who grew up in North Carolina, had followed Gianchandani’s path to the tournament closely.

Gianchandani’s run at the U.S. Open finished with her hitting one over the par for the next round’s cut-off. During her time at the tournament, she played two rounds over two days.

“One of the greatest things as her coach was she was so in her element,” Harling said. “She was so comfortable in that environment. She wants to try to pursue professional golf after she finishes school. She’s done so many things while she’s been at Yale and during her gap year to prepare herself.” 

During the Amateur Open, Gianchandani and Lee spent time together practicing and socializing, which Gianchandani described as “super fun.”

While Lee did not qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, she shot three birdies during the first round and two more during the second round. Originally from Scarsdale, New York, Lee narrowly missed out on qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open with Gianchandani and was listed as an alternate for her region. 

“The U.S. [Women’s Amateur Championship] was the most competitive tournament I’ve played in,” Lee wrote to the News. “It felt great competing against the best players in the country and knowing that I’m good enough to play at that level.” 

The Yale women’s golf team will begin their season at home in the Yale Invitational during the weekend of Sept. 10.

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On Friday, the men’s squad traveled to Purchase, New York where they won the Ivy League Men’s Championship for the 21st time. Ben Carpenter ’25 won the Bulldogs’ third straight individual title, while men’s head coach Colin Sheehan ’97 earned his second consecutive Ivy Coach of the Year distinction. 

“We all have been working hard on our games the past few weeks, and I couldn’t be more proud of our perseverance,” Carpenter said. “I am humbled to win the individual title, but I couldn’t have done it without the support of my teammates throughout the year. We are all excited for regionals in a couple weeks, especially since they are at Yale.”

The men’s team earned an early lead in the field by hitting 292 in the first round — 10 strokes ahead of its Ancient Eight rival Harvard. Over the course of the tournament, the team earned a score of 887, or 35 over par, which set them five ahead of second-place Columbia.

The best showing for the Blue and White came from Carpenter, who earned an overall score of 218, or five over par. By tying for sixth with a score of 222, Gabriel Ruiz ’24 and Blake Brantley ’25 earned Second-Team All-Ivy distinctions. Darren Lin ’22 tied for 14th with a score of 226, followed by team captain Teddy Zinsner ’22, who tied for 29th with a score of 239. Ruiz was also named an Academic All-Ivy.

“​​I’m obviously super excited about winning and pumped for the whole team because we worked really hard all year just for this one weekend,” Zinsner said. “I want to shout out our rookies, especially Ben, who all had great tournaments and really set the tone and carried us through to the win.”

Off the course, Sheehan earned his second consecutive Ivy League Coach of the Year award for leading the Bulldogs to their second title in three championships. In 2018, the Bulldogs won their last title and the penultimate league championship before COVID-19 disrupted Ivy League competition. Sheehan also coached the individual winners of the 2018 and 2019 Championships, Eoin Leonard ’19 and James Nicholas ’19.

By winning the Ivy League championship, Yale secured entry into the NCAA Regionals, which they will be hosting at the Yale Golf Course on Monday, May 15 through Wednesday, May 18. Zinsner described the opportunity to play at home as a “a great opportunity.”

“We are extremely excited about winning Ivies,” Ruiz wrote to the News. “We are looking forward to playing regionals here at Yale in a couple weeks. [It will] be a great experience!”

Further south in Ringoes, New Jersey, the women’s squad tied for fourth with two Bulldogs placing in the top-10, including Ivy Player of the Year and captain Ami Gianchandani ’23.  The team tied with Dartmouth for fourth place during the Ivy League Women’s Championship with a score of 902, only 10 strokes behind the champions, Princeton. Gianchandani tied for third with a score of 222, or six over par, and was named to the All-Ivy First Team in addition to Ivy League Player of the Year. Rookie Ashley Au ’24 tied for eighth with a score of 224 and earned a spot on the All-Ivy second team. Kaitlyn Lee ’23 earned Academic All-Ivy honors and earned a score of 234.

“[Ivy League Player of the Year] is a big honor that I do not take lightly, especially [two] years after winning it for the first time,” Gianchandani said. “I am constantly pushed by my [teammates to become] a better golfer, student and leader, and I could not have achieved this without many people lending support.”

The Bulldogs began the tournament with a score of 307, 11 behind early leader Columbia. After a disqualification in the first round, the Blue and White earned the best round score throughout the tournament on Sunday by hitting 289. 

The Bulldogs matched Princeton with the best par-three average across the tournament, with an average of 3.2 strokes. The Blue and White also boasted the second-best par-five average; the team collectively shot just below par at 4.97. Both Au and Coco Chai ’23 contributed to the par-three average statistic by measuring at 3.0 and 3.07, respectively. 

Due to the pandemic, two-time team captain Gianchandani was the sole player in the Bulldogs’ lineup to have previously competed in an Ivy League Championship. In 2019, she was named both Rookie and Player of the Year and earlier this month, she became vice-chair of the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Gianchandani noted that this year’s result will motivate the team next year. 

“It felt surreal to be back at the same course I played [three] years ago with a new team, new coach but same tournament setup,” Gianchandani said. “It made me realize just how much has changed since the last time we were there and how different every single person there was after those years.”

The women’s team finished competition this weekend while the men’s team will continue to compete in the NCAA Regionals. The regular season of play for both teams will begin again in fall 2022.

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The Yale men’s golf team hosted 13 other schools at the Yale Golf Course on Saturday for the Bulldog’s first home spring invitational since 2019. The Blue and White won the tournament with a score of 574, or 14 over par, and two players finished in the top 10 truly an school for those who want to play better golf. ​​Ancient Eight competitors Dartmouth, Pennsylvania and Brown finished sixth, 10th and 13th, respectively. Ahead of the upcoming Ivy Championships, the tournament marked the first time since the 2009-10 season that the Bulldogs have swept both their fall and spring invitationals.

“Obviously [it] was nice to get a win leading up to Ivies and build some momentum,” captain Teddy Zinsner ’22 said. “The team had a really good afternoon round in some tough conditions after not the best start in the morning which was great to see. I know everyone’s really looking forward to this weekend, and last weekend was a great way to go into it.”

The Bulldogs began the competition by finishing the first round in seventh place with a score of 294, or 14 over par. Rookie Blake Brantley ’25 earned the Blue and White’s best result in this round by tying for sixth with a score of 71 — or one over par — followed by Gabriel Ruiz ’24, who tied for 13th with a score of 72.

Jumping up the leaderboard, the Bulldogs finished the second round in first place, with Brantley placing third overall with a score of 140, or on par. Ruiz tied for fifth with a score of 142 while Darren Lin ’22 tied for 12th by earning 145. Playing for Yale’s B-team, Ben Carpenter ’25 rounded out the Bulldogs’ top-20 finishers with a score of 146 to tie for 18th. 

“[It’s] always awesome to play a tournament at the Yale course,” Gabriel Ruiz ’24 said. “I really appreciate that my friends can come out to watch and the home course advantage is always nice.”

On Saturday, friends, family and women’s team members traveled to the course to watch the competition. The Bulldogs typically play invitationals rather than home or away matches. This year, the team was able to host a home invitational in both the fall and spring for the first time since the 2018-19 season. When the Bulldogs won the MacDonald Cup in the fall, three Bulldogs finished in the top ten. 

At the spring invitational, the Bulldogs led the field in terms of par-four averages with a statistic of 4.10. Individually, Brantley had the most pars, with 28 throughout the 36-hole competition. Lin sunk eight birdies to tie for the most earned. 

“Last weekend was a really great team win,” Brantley said. “To have a lot of people come out and support and then go get it done at our home course was a huge confidence boost for us. We’ve been working really hard so to get that little extra bit of momentum going into Ivy’s this weekend is exactly what we needed.”

The Bulldogs’ most recent victory comes just one weekend before the Ivy Championships. Both the men’s and women’s squads will travel south this coming weekend but will play at different courses from Friday through Sunday. The women will travel to Ringoes, New Jersey to play at the Ridge at Back Brook while the men will play at the Century Country Club in Purchase, New York.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, neither team has played in an Ivy Championship since the spring of 2019. According to an April 19th Golfstat report, the men’s team is ranked 167 nationally — the highest in the Ivy League — and its closest Ancient Eight competitor is traditional nemesis Harvard, ranked 180.

“The team has been grinding hard all week,” Carpenter said after the invitational. “Hopefully we can build off last week’s home win and string together three good days.”

The Bulldogs last won an Ivy title in 2018.

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The women’s golf team traveled to Rockville, Maryland and placed fifth at the Hoya Invitational, hosted by Georgetown, and played from Saturday, April 9 through Sunday, April 10. Amidst harsh weather, three Bulldogs — Ami Gianchandani ’23, Kaitlyn Lee ’23 and Coco Chai ’23 — placed in the top 15 as the team finished with a score of 929, or 65 over par. On the same dates, the men’s golf team earned sixth at the Princeton Invitational with a score of 860, or eight over par. Rookie Blake Brantley ’25 had the Bulldogs’ best showing by tying for fifth with a score of 212, or one under par. 

“Everyone on this team showed a lot of toughness playing in harsh conditions this weekend,” women’s team captain Gianchandani said. “This was some of the coldest and windiest weather we have played in but were still able to post some good scores and make a charge on the last day. Now, it is all about the Ivy Championship.”

Gianchandani had the Bulldogs’ best result of the tournament as she tied for third place with a final score of 225, or nine over par. Lee joined her classmate in the top 10 by tying for sixth with a score of 228 and Chai, competing as an individual, tied for 13th with a score of 232. Rookie Lexi Kim ’25 tied for 30th with a score of 237, followed by 37th place Ashley Au ’23, who earned a score of 239. 

“I am so excited to be here,” Rookie Sophie Simon ’25 wrote to the News during the tournament. “I know this tournament will be so well run and the course is in great shape.”

Simon, who considers the course to be her “home course” as a Maryland native, noted that this tournament was an event that she looked forward to at the beginning of the season and anticipated “having family and friends come out to support the team.” 

Despite difficult weather, the Bulldogs held their own as the team finished with the best overall par-four average with a statistic of 4.29. Gianchandani and Lee finished first and second in this statistic by averaging 4.07 and 4.10, respectively. Gianchandani scored 37 pars to tie with competitors from Boston University, Harvard and Princeton for the most pars scored. Meanwhile, Lee hit seven birdies to tie with two competitors from Quinnipiac as Chai scored six. The Bulldogs also earned the second-most pars by scoring 160, just three behind Ancient Eight rival Harvard. 

During the same weekend, the men’s team faced off against 14 other squads at the Springdale Golf Course in New Jersey. Starting off in 12th place, the Bulldogs finished the tournament at sixth, ahead of seventh-place Dartmouth, 12th-place Cornell, 13th-place Harvard, 14th-place Pennsylvania and 15th-place Brown.

“I’m happy with how our team fought back with some lower scores after a slow start to the tournament,” Darren Lin ’22 said. 

After Brantley, Lin had the second-best finish for the Bulldogs as he tied for 24th place with a score of 216, or three over par. Rounding out the Bulldogs’ squad, Gabriel Ruiz ’23 tied for 37th place by scoring 219, Robert You ’25 tied for 41st with a score of 221, Sho Wai Wu ’23 tied for 51st with a score of 223 and Teddy Zinsner ’22 tied for 59th with a score of 225. 

The Blue and White earned the second-most pars with 175, two fewer than Temple. Lin tied with competitors from Temple and Harvard to hit the most pars with 41 scored throughout the competition. Ruiz and Brantley hit 39 and 37, respectively. 

“It was good to be in Princeton,” Ruiz wrote. “[We’re] another week closer to the Ivy Championship. We did not play out best but we are optimistic about the coming weeks.”

The men’s squad will next compete at home in the Yale Invitational on Saturday, April 16. Both the men’s and women’s squads will play their Ivy League Championship events during the weekend of April 18. 

The post GOLF: Women earn fifth at Georgetown, Men place sixth at Princeton appeared first on Yale Daily News.