The Colgate University men’s golf team started their season with a strong performance at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 31, hosted at Seven Oaks Golf Club. After a runner-up finish at the Patriot League Championship last season, the team had a taste of success and an appetite for more. The Raiders finished fifth out of 15 teams – a notable improvement from last year’s seventh place finish at the same event. Senior Robbie Herzig aided the team’s success with a strong performance, earning him fourth place individually.
The tournament followed the same format that is played at the Conference Championship, serving as good preparation for the season finale in the spring. Despite the unfavorable weather conditions, the Raiders were still able to perform well — a testament to the team’s grit and unfazed mentality. Nonetheless, showers in the area forced a rain delay early Saturday, reducing the tournament from 54 to 36 holes.
Senior Justin Fedele has played a vital role in the recent successes of the men’s golf program. Last season, Fedele posted three top-ten finishes in tournament play. In the same season, Fedele tallied an impressive round of 67 on the final day of the 2023 Bucknell Invitational. Fedele’s achievements extend to the classroom as he has earned the title of All-America Scholar for two consecutive years. Fedele spoke on the team’s potential this season after a promising performance at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial Tournament.
“Our team this year is very young, but I think we have a good enough group to compete after our performance this weekend,” Fedele said. “Hopefully we can continue to build momentum and win another tournament this year, especially the Patriot League Championship.”
Senior Wyatt Petersen expressed his excitement for the youthful roster heading into the season and emphasized the team’s ultimate goal: a championship title.
“The team is excited for the rest of the season. We have welcomed five [first-years] to the squad and are excited to see them add to our team,” Petersen said. “We are working toward our season goal of winning the Patriot League Championship and hope to see some top finishes along the way.”
Senior Robbie Herzig’s fourth place finish at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial Tournament greatly propelled the Raiders to their excellent tournament finish. Herzig is no stranger to excellence with the Raiders. Last season, he shot a 63, marking the single lowest round in program history, and he was also nominated to the All-Patriot League First Team last season. Herzig believes the team’s performance at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial Tournament was just the tip of the iceberg.
“The team played solid this weekend. We had three [first-years] in the lineup and definitely didn’t play our best, but to still come in fifth out of 15, all things considered, was nice to see,” Herzig said. “And for me personally, it was nice to get off to a good start this year. Going forward, we just need to keep putting ourselves in contention after the first round and find a way to keep the pedal down.”
Herzig and Fedele look to build off last season’s individual top six finishes as they look far into the future for the Patriot League Championship this spring.
The team will travel to Annapolis, Md. in a few weeks to compete in the Navy Fall Invitational tournament, “The Goat,” which starts on Saturday, Sept. 21.
