VESTAL, N.Y. – A new year for the Binghamton golf team begins this weekend as the Bearcats start their 2026-27 season Saturday at the Alex Lagowitz Memorial at Seven Oaks Golf Club in Hamilton, N.Y.
 
This is the fifth year in a row in which Binghamton opens its season at Colgate's home tournament. Aside from Colgate, Binghamton will also face golfers from Bucknell, Canisius, Cornell, Holy Cross, Le Moyne, Niagara, Penn, Saint Joseph's, St. Bonaventure, Seton Hall and Villanova throughout the 54-hole tournament.
 
The Bearcats bring a balanced roster onto the course this season, with the team featuring five returners and four newcomers. The most experienced returner is senior Jackson Vesper. At the 2025 Alex Lagowitz Memorial, Vesper posted his first collegiate top 10 finish by tying for fifth at 72-71-72 = 216/even par. It is the lowest score Vesper has ever recorded in a 54-hole event.
 
A pair of sophomores are also expected to take a step forward this year in Jack Tebeau and Alex Patel. Both golfers competed in all 12 of Binghamton's tournaments during the 2025-26 season. Tebeau put up two top 10 finishes by tying for second at the Battle of Rum Pointe (73-70 = 143/1-under par) and tying for third at the Crusader Invitational (69-71 = 140/even par). Patel, meanwhile, finished 10th in his second collegiate tournament at the Blue Hen Intercollegiate, shooting 74/2-over par in each of the three rounds to finish with a final score of 222/6-over par. Later in the year, he tied for 11th at the Sacred Heart Spring Break Invitational with a score of 73-76-72 = 221/5-over par.
 
The lone junior on the team this year is Lucas Brittain. The native of London, England looks to break into the starting lineup as he has played in four tournaments as an individual in his first two seasons in the Southern Tier. Also looking to make his first appearance in the starting five this season is sophomore Beckham Chiew. The Canadian played in four tournaments as an individual last season.
 
Each of the four freshmen joining the Bearcats this season aims to make an immediate impact. Tien Do is coming off advancing to the final round of qualifying for the U.S. Open this past summer. He previously was a three-time state qualifier in Florida and was named the Golfer of the Year by the Sunshine Athletic Conference in 2025.
 
Enzo Allain was a two-time NJ.com All-State selection while competing for Ridge High School in New Jersey, receiving First Team honors in 2026 and Third Team honors in 2025. Allain won back-to-back Skyland Conference championships in 2025 and 2026 while helping Ridge High School win the 2026 North Jersey, Group 3 state sectional championship.
 
Patrick Smith arrives in Binghamton following his high school career at Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kan. He finished 10th at both the second leg of the 2026 Eastern Kansas League tournament and the 2025 6A SME Regional Tournament. Additionally, he helped Blue Valley North finish in second place at the 2025 KSHSAA State Tournament.
 
Lastly, Jake Doherty joins the Bearcats after competing at The Hotchkiss School in Salisbury, Conn. The Bolton, Mass., native is a two-time All-Founders League selection (2024, 25), winning the conference championship in 2024. Each of those years, he was also named the Team MVP.
 
The first two rounds of the Alex Lagowitz Memorial will be held on Saturday. The opening round begins with a shotgun start at 9 a.m., with the second round following the conclusion of the first. The final round on Sunday begins with a shotgun start at 9 a.m.
 
Matthews Auto is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats Golf.