Yale Athletics

On Sunday, Sept. 24, the Yale men’s golf team secured both the individual and team championships at the 47^th MacDonald Cup, an annual tournament hosted at the Yale Golf Course.  

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.