Princeton University Athletics
Monday, October 13
St. Andrews, Scotland (The St. Andrews Club)
5:30 AM ET
Princeton University
at
St. Andrews Links Collegiate
Photo by: Chas Dorman
Men's Golf Are St. Andrews Links Collegiate Champions
October 15, 2025 | Men's Golf
Scoring
Princeton defeated Cal, 4-2, in the Championship Match of the 2025 St. Andrews Links Collegiate played at the historic Old Course on a picture-perfect afternoon atr one of the sport's most famous venues.
The Tigers, who needed a furious rally over the final nine holes of play in the second round of stroke play to even qualify for the Championship Match, had four convincing wins over the stroke play portion to secure the team trophy. The matches were decided by medal play, with all six players playing each hole fully over a full 18-round hole to decide the winner.
Freshman Eric Zhao was sent out first for the Tigers, and he parred the first two holes while his opponent played them +3 to build an early lead. Zhao tacked on five birdies over his next 10 holes and eventually built a seven stroke lead which held firm even after a tough run of it with a pot bunker on the 17th hole closed his lead to three. On the 18th, Zhao parred while his opponent recorded a birdie for the final margin.
After the Bears claimed Match Two, a pivotal swing point came in Match Three from another freshman in Luke Brandler. With Princeton leading comfortably in the two anchor matches and Cal ahead in Match 4, it became increasingly clear that the result of Brandler's match with Charlie Berridge would secure the trophy for Princeton.
Brandler fell behind early, trailing by three after just two holes. He settled in, bolstered by a triple Bogey from Berridge on hole #3 which tied the match. Ultimately, Brandler took a lead he would not relinquish when he birdied the ninth and Berridge recorded a bogey. The match would get back to even after Brandler bogeyed the 11th, but back-to-back birdies from Brandler on 14 and 15 gave him a two shot lead. Berridge had to press coming in, and an approach shot on 17 was long resulting in a bogey and a three-shot lead for Brandler with just the 18th to play. A par at the last was enough to secure the match for the rookie and put a second win in Princeton's favor.
Match Four went to Cal, but Princeton had its two top players coming in the final two groups. Riccardo Fantinelli, the 2025 Ivy League Player of the Year, never trailed in his match with Chang en route to a 5-Up win. Fantinelli played his round in -2 while his opponent was +3. The turning points came at hole #5 where Fantinelli birdied and Chang bogeyed to give the Tiger a 4-Up lead. Then, after Chang got a stroke back with a birdie on 9, Fantinelli responded with a birdie of his own on 10- to regain a five shot lead. Even on 15, where Chang recorded a birdie, Fantinelli countered with a birdie of his own.
With Fantinelli's point secured, the Tigers were assured at least a tie knowing Greyserman was still on the course. Fresh off a win in the individual portion of the tournament, Greyserman left no doubt to the tune of an eight-shot win over Daniel Heo. Greyserman was -3 for his round with four birdies and only one bogey. The match was close through 12 holes, with Greyserman holding a two-shot lead. The 2025 Ivy League Rookie of the Year would then birdie each of the next three holes, which coupled with a bogey from Heo on 12, gave Gresyerman a five-shot lead. Heo would then double bogey the 17th, and Greyserman's lead became eight and the Tigers could start celebrating.
Princeton Defeats Cal, 4-2
Match #1: Eric Zhao (P) def Siaho Cong (C), 4 Up
Match #2: Charlie Bundy (C) def Charlie Palmer (P), 7 Up
Match: #3: Luke Brandler (P) def Charlie Berridge (C), 3 Up
Match: #4: Ziquin Zhou (C) def Eric Yun (P), 4 Up
Match #5: Riccardo Fantinelli (P) def Xihuan Chang (C), 5 Up
Match #6: Reed Greyserman (P) def Daniel Heo (C), 8 Up
Princeton defeated Cal, 4-2, in the Championship Match of the 2025 St. Andrews Links Collegiate played at the historic Old Course on a picture-perfect afternoon atr one of the sport's most famous venues.
The Tigers, who needed a furious rally over the final nine holes of play in the second round of stroke play to even qualify for the Championship Match, had four convincing wins over the stroke play portion to secure the team trophy. The matches were decided by medal play, with all six players playing each hole fully over a full 18-round hole to decide the winner.
Freshman Eric Zhao was sent out first for the Tigers, and he parred the first two holes while his opponent played them +3 to build an early lead. Zhao tacked on five birdies over his next 10 holes and eventually built a seven stroke lead which held firm even after a tough run of it with a pot bunker on the 17th hole closed his lead to three. On the 18th, Zhao parred while his opponent recorded a birdie for the final margin.
After the Bears claimed Match Two, a pivotal swing point came in Match Three from another freshman in Luke Brandler. With Princeton leading comfortably in the two anchor matches and Cal ahead in Match 4, it became increasingly clear that the result of Brandler's match with Charlie Berridge would secure the trophy for Princeton.
Brandler fell behind early, trailing by three after just two holes. He settled in, bolstered by a triple Bogey from Berridge on hole #3 which tied the match. Ultimately, Brandler took a lead he would not relinquish when he birdied the ninth and Berridge recorded a bogey. The match would get back to even after Brandler bogeyed the 11th, but back-to-back birdies from Brandler on 14 and 15 gave him a two shot lead. Berridge had to press coming in, and an approach shot on 17 was long resulting in a bogey and a three-shot lead for Brandler with just the 18th to play. A par at the last was enough to secure the match for the rookie and put a second win in Princeton's favor.
Match Four went to Cal, but Princeton had its two top players coming in the final two groups. Riccardo Fantinelli, the 2025 Ivy League Player of the Year, never trailed in his match with Chang en route to a 5-Up win. Fantinelli played his round in -2 while his opponent was +3. The turning points came at hole #5 where Fantinelli birdied and Chang bogeyed to give the Tiger a 4-Up lead. Then, after Chang got a stroke back with a birdie on 9, Fantinelli responded with a birdie of his own on 10- to regain a five shot lead. Even on 15, where Chang recorded a birdie, Fantinelli countered with a birdie of his own.
With Fantinelli's point secured, the Tigers were assured at least a tie knowing Greyserman was still on the course. Fresh off a win in the individual portion of the tournament, Greyserman left no doubt to the tune of an eight-shot win over Daniel Heo. Greyserman was -3 for his round with four birdies and only one bogey. The match was close through 12 holes, with Greyserman holding a two-shot lead. The 2025 Ivy League Rookie of the Year would then birdie each of the next three holes, which coupled with a bogey from Heo on 12, gave Gresyerman a five-shot lead. Heo would then double bogey the 17th, and Greyserman's lead became eight and the Tigers could start celebrating.
Princeton Defeats Cal, 4-2
Match #1: Eric Zhao (P) def Siaho Cong (C), 4 Up
Match #2: Charlie Bundy (C) def Charlie Palmer (P), 7 Up
Match: #3: Luke Brandler (P) def Charlie Berridge (C), 3 Up
Match: #4: Ziquin Zhou (C) def Eric Yun (P), 4 Up
Match #5: Riccardo Fantinelli (P) def Xihuan Chang (C), 5 Up
Match #6: Reed Greyserman (P) def Daniel Heo (C), 8 Up
Players Mentioned
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