Men's Golf Celebrates 90 Years at 9th Annual Hackberry Invitational
Sep 26 | Men's Golf
PISCATAWAY, N.J. ā The Rutgers men's golf program marked its 90th anniversary Friday, hosting the 9th annual Hackberry Invitational at the Rutgers University Golf Course. The event brought together current Scarlet Knights, alumni, donors and supporters for a day of golf ahead of Rutgers football's matchup with Howard at SHI Stadium that night.
The field included staff, golfers, donorsĀ and 23 alumni spanning more than six decades of Rutgers golf, from Bill Garbarini (1963) to Weston Jones (2025).
Mike MacDonladĀ received the 2026 Ryan Rose Award, joining a list of past honorees that includes Ryan Rose (2019), Rich Stanzione (2021), Jason Newcomb (2022), Bill Garbarini (2023), Don and Penny Pray (2024) and Marc Greenberger (2025).
Lucas Politano and Bennett Espenshade were named 2026 recipients of the Ray Liotta Scholarship, following 2025 honorees Argyle Downes and Derek Gutierrez.
The program thanks the sponsors who made the day possible:
Lunch Sponsors: Don and Penny Pray, Rich Stanzione
Live Scoring Sponsors: Mike MacDonald, George and Marge Derrick, John Grogan
Beverage Sponsors: Newroads Financial Group (Jason R. Newcomb, CFPĀ®), Newmark, Avison Young
Hackberry Sponsors: Damien Hughes, Sean Pattwell, Darren Rice, Gaurav Singh, Mark Beal, Imran Majid, Tim Udicious, Bill Garbarini, NJ PGA, Ryan Rose
The Hackberry is named for the course's ninth hole, the most challenging and No. 1 handicap hole on the layout. The name reflects the qualities of the program, as the hackberry tree is known for its perseverance and ability to survive harsh conditions.
Alumni in attendance included: Bill Garbarini (1963), Steve Havran (1975), Curt Allen (1975), Bill Pollie (1978), Mark Walker (1979), Bill King (1979), Curt Knapp (1980), Bill Boyle (1980), Jim Guerra (1985), Mark Giuliano (1988), Larry Baumann (1990), Ryan MacDonald (2001), Tim Cadigan (2002), Michael Kosup (2006), Seth Hirschhorn (2007), James Arbes (2010), Doug Walters (2014), Chase Wheatley (2017), Shayler Dance (2022), Xavier Marcoux (2023), Luke Wells (2023), Rhett Sellers (2024) and Weston Jones (2025).
The Scarlet Knights continue their fall season at the Hamptons Intercollegiate on Monday, Oct. 5.
