ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell men's golf team will start the 2011-12 season on Sunday with the first day of a two-day tournament in Olean hosted by St. Bonaventure. The 23rd Annual Leo Keenan Invitational, taking place at the Bartlett Country Club, will feature 11 schools from the United States and Canada. The first round will tee off at 9 a.m., and Monday's round will begin at 9:15 a.m.

The Big Red has participated in this tournament for the last two years, placing fourth out of 12 last season and sixth out of 13 in 2009. Matt Jaye, a letterwinner who graduated last season, took second place overall in the 2010 tournament and placed fifth the year before.

Coach James Baughan returns for his 13th year in charge of the Big Red, he will lead a very young squad in 2011-12. Cornell lost five seniors to graduation last year and has just two returning letterwinners. Junior Mark Baity and senior John Dean are the two letterwinners, while seniors Alexander Lavin and Alexander Simson will be the co-captains of this year's squad.

Going on the trip to Olean are five golfers competing as part of the team. The Big Red's lineup will consist of Carl Schimenti, Simson, Max Koehler, sophomore transfer Craig Esposito and Dean. Sophomore Zack Bosse will also be participating in the tournament as an individual.

Esposito, a transfer from Le Moyne College, joins freshmen Andrew Palmer and Jared Hoffman as the new additions to this squad.

Other teams competing in the tournament are St. Bonaventure, La Salle, Drexel, Fairmont State, Long Island, Niagara, Robert Morris, St. Francis and Canadian schools Humber College and Ottawa University. St. Bonaventure won last year's tournament and Drexel took the title in 2009.