SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College men's golf team begins its 2025-26 season this weekend at Middlebury's Ralph Myhre Golf Club for the Duke Nelson Invitational.
 
It is an event that Skidmore has fared well in over the years. A year ago, the Thoroughbreds finished 14^th out of 23 of many of the best teams in the Northeast. Skidmore ended the year fourth at the Liberty League Championship.
 
THE SCHEDULE AHEAD
Skidmore will play in four events in the fall. After Middlebury, the Thoroughbreds will go to the Williams Fall Invitational, followed by the RPI Invitational Oct. 5-6 at the Shaker Ridge Country Club. The semester ends with the Skidmore Invitational. Oct. 11-12 at the Saratoga State Park. The schedule will pick up in the spring with five tournaments in preparation for the Liberty League Championship.
 
LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
The 54-hole stroke play tournament will once again be held at the Shenendoah Golf Course at the Turning Stone Resort Casino April 24-26. Rensselaer will serve as the host institution in 2026.
 
RETURNING
There are seven returning players from the 2024-25 roster made up of three sophomores and four juniors. Team MVP Johnny Hwang earned All-Liberty League Second Team honors last season, and earned a ninth-place finish at the league championship tournament. Rudraksha Banerjee finished T-10.
 
INCOMING
Skidmore's roster features three new faces. Two of them (Jaden Cheng, Derek Thomas) will make their collegiate debuts this weekend at Middlebury.
 
PROGRAM HISTORY
Skidmore has one of the richest histories in Division III golf. The Thoroughbreds have won 10 Liberty League Championships (2003, 2005, 2007-10, 2012-13, 2015-16) and have appeared in 29 NCAA Tournaments, with 13 team top-10s, and second-place finish in 1996.
 
FROM HEAD COACH TOM OPPEDISANO
"I really like our group going into this season. We are very young with no seniors, but all of our guys have strong tournament experience and are ready to go. We will start two first-years and three sophomores at Middlebury, and I am confident we will be very competitive. Our pre-season qualifying was really strong and we will only get stronger in the spring when Junior, Tate Esler returns from his study abroad."