ITHACA, N.Y. – Under head coach Matt Baughan's leadership, now in his 28th season, the Big Red combines its five returners with a talented group of newcomers to create a lineup built for the program's ultimate goal: breaking through at the Ivy League Championship.
 
The journey begins Sunday, Aug. 31, at the Red Bandana Invitational hosted by Boston College at Turning Stone Resort's Khaulyat Golf Club in Verona, N.Y., the first of four fall tournaments designed to sharpen the Big Red for spring's championship run.
 
It will be the first time Cornell participates in the 54-hole event that honors Welles Remy Crowther, the Man in the Red Bandanna, an American equities trader and volunteer firefighter known for saving as many as 18 lives during the September 11 attacks in New York City, during which he lost his own life.
 
"We're really excited about this incoming class, they bring tremendous experience and talent that will allow them to compete at a high level from day one," said Coach Baughan. "Combined with our returning players who are building off the momentum from last season, we have great depth and potential heading into both the fall and spring campaigns. Our returning guys have shown tremendous growth, and I expect that development to continue as we prepare for the Ivy Championship. Ultimately, our goal is clear: we want to take another step forward and improve our performance when it matters most at the Ivy Championship. This group has the work ethic and competitive spirit to make that happen."
 
 
Returning to the Big Red
Cornell golf welcomes back five experienced golfers who form the foundation of a program ready to build on a solid 2024-25 campaign. Leading the returners are 2025-26 team captains, Tyler Debusschere and Weston Warden, who finished as the team's second and third-best performers with identical 74.9 scoring averages. As a sophomore, Debusschere demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout his second season, while rising senior, Warden proved his reliability by competing in all nine tournaments and earning three team-leading finishes.
 
Viktor Stollinger, a Budapest, Hungary native played in all nine rounds of the 2024-25 spring season and posted a strong T23 finish at the Ivy League Tournament, helping the program to one of its best finishes at the conferences premiere event in over five years.
 
TJ Betlow returns as another contributor after a solid freshman campaign that saw him average 76.0 strokes per round. The Short Hills, N.J. native showcased his potential with a career-low round of 70 at the Bucknell Invitational and his best tournament performance of T22 at Columbia Autumn Invitational, establishing himself as a dependable scoring option.
 
Jack Burda completes the returning corps, bringing valuable experience despite limited tournament action in his first year. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native demonstrated promise with a low round of 73 and will look to build on that foundation.
 
New Faces
The Big Red welcome in four to the golf program ahead of 2025-26:
 
Javier Benerofe  | 5-10 | Armonk, N.Y. | Byram Hills High School
Varsity golf captain...2022 Coaches Award recipient...played four seasons of hockey...captain 2022-23 and 2023-24...helped his team to a League Championship 2023-24, Sectional Championship 2023-24, Regional Championship 2023-24, State Semifinalists, 2023-24...All-Section Academic honor, 2023-24, All-League honorable mention 2023-24...Byram Hills Winter Athlete of the Season 2023-24… his father Mark graduated from Cornell in 1992 and was a member of the lacrosse program.
 
Shep Davis | 6-2 | Thomasville, Ga. | Brookwood School
Davis was a four-year member of the golf team at Brookwood…earned All-State and All-Region on three separate occasions…helped his team to four-straight State Championships…was also a member of the basketball team for three seasons.
 
Edward Paik | 5-11 | Jericho, N.Y. | Jericho High School
Paik played six seasons of varsity golf at Jericho High School….was a All-County selection for four-consecutive seasons (2021-2024)…received MVP and Coaches Award in 2023 and 2021, respectively.
 
Adithya Venkataraghavan | 5-10 | Saratoga, Calif. | Lynbrook High School
Venkataraghavan was named AJGA Rolex Academic All American in 2024...finished third in the AJGA Butterfield Bermuda Junior Championship...recorded a top-10 in the AJGA Junior at Huntsville...won the 2024 San Jose City Championship...finished 3rd in the McClure Cup Champ...Qualified for NCGA Amateur four years in a row.
 
Schedule Outlook
The fall slate for the Big Red features five tournaments, beginning with the Red Bandana Invitational hosted by Boston College at Turning Stone Resort in Verona, N.Y. This three-round, 54-hole event starts Sunday, Aug. 31, with the first two rounds, followed by the final round on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1.
 
September features two tournaments for Cornell: first, the 2025 Alex Lagowitz Memorial (Sept. 6-7) hosted by Colgate at Seven Oaks Golf Course in Hamilton, followed by the Columbia Autumn Invitational (Sept. 27-28) in Lake Placid.
 
October brings the final tournament of the fall season, taking the Big Red out of New York state for the first time in 2025-26. Cornell will travel to Westfield, N.J., and Echo Lake Country Club for the Georgetown Intercollegiate on Oct. 13-14.
 
The spring season features three tournaments prior to the Ivy League Championships on Apr. 24-26. Cornell will travel to Hilton Head, S.C., to compete in the Wexford Intercollegiate in mid-February, followed by the Princeton Invitational (Apr. 11-12) and the Roar-EE Invitational (Apr. 18).