The Fordham University men’s golf team opened its 2025-26 season with a statement, competing in the Metropolis Intercollegiate, hosted by Columbia University at the Metropolis Country Club in White Plains, New York. The Rams battled through the course and a fluctuating leaderboard to finish seventh among 15 teams.
They wasted no time making noise in the first round, surging to third place and putting pressure on the other teams. But golf is a game of consistency, and the second round proved to be unforgiving. The team slipped to 10th, struggling to keep the momentum from round one. Though, as was demonstrated previously, the Rams didn’t back down. In the final round, they regrouped and climbed three spots, securing a top-half finish that spoke to their ability to respond to adversity.
Standout sophomore Liam Howard, who finished in the top 10 individually, reflected on both personal and team performance. He noted the confidence boost from the opening round but emphasized the need for consistency, saying, “We just have to string together three good rounds instead of one or two. There are a lot of positive takeaways … that we can build on.” Howard credited his strong play to a summer spent competing in amateur tournaments with high finishes, adding that the rest of his teammates had also worked really hard over the summer to come in prepared.
Preparation, in fact, was a common theme for the Rams. Howard pointed to the value of those summer reps, while junior AJ DePaolo echoed the importance of offseason work. “I personally felt pretty solid,” DePaolo said. “The scores didn’t fully reflect that, but coming off of summer I had a lot of confidence and was happy with certain parts of my game … though there are definitely some areas to improve upon.”
The conditions at Metropolis Country Club added another layer of challenge. Rainy practice rounds and tight, narrow-lined fairways tested both patience and shot-making. Still, Fordham found ways to grind.
“I don’t think much changed from day one to day two,” DePaolo explained. “We just fought and battled through a tough course and conditions and were able to jump a few [spots] with a couple of better shots under pressure in tougher conditions.”
That resilience was seen across the roster. Junior Luke Brower climbed after a strong second round to finish 57th, while junior Tucker Silva placed 44th. DePaolo and sophomore Patrick Ginnity rounded out the lineup in 55th and 69th, underscoring Fordham’s depth.
However, this tournament was more than one finish, as Howard remarks that one of the team goals “is to win at Worcester Country Club in honor of our captain last year, Jake Mrva.” That sense of purpose carried beyond individual results, shaping the team’s broader goals for the season.
Between Howard’s top-10 finish, DePaolo’s determination and the team’s ability to battle back under pressure, Fordham’s seventh-place result at Metropolis feels more like a beginning than a conclusion. The Rams’ next test comes at the Ryan T. Lee Memorial Invitational at Wethersfield Country Club in Connecticut on Sept. 22 and 23. With experience under their belts and confidence rising, the Rams are driving into the season with focus, resilience and clear goals. And if their opener is any indication, Fordham Men’s Golf is just getting started.
