Coach David Bakyta (since 2006) replaced a coaching legend in Tim Brown who retired following the 2005-06 season. Brown started the Skidmore golf program in 1981.

Bakyta was a 1989 All-American while playing for Brown and the Skidmore Thoroughbreds.

During Brown’s tenure, Skidmore won everything in NCAA Division III except a national championship, and the Thoroughbreds narrowly missed winning “the big one” a couple of times.

At the 1996 national championship, it took a final round 66 from Mike Adamson of Methodist College as Methodist edged third-round leader Skidmore for the title.

The Skidmore men have placed in the top-10 in 15 of the last 24 NCAA D-III National Championships, including second in 1996, third in 2000, and fourth in 1989 and 1999, fifth in 2008 and 10th in 2009.

 

Skidmore tied for ninth with Hope College (Mich.) at the 2010 NCAA D-III Championship contested at Hershey Links and Hershey Country Club in Hershey, PA.  Teams played one round on each course the first two days with morning tee-times getting wind and rain.  Skidmore grabbed the first-round lead playing on Hershey Links, the easier of the two courses.

 

The #3-ranked Thoroughbreds dropped to fourth after the second round and then two more spots to sixth after round three.  Skidmore continued their week-long slide and finished with a ninth-place tie.  Low scores were posted by Brendan Singleton ( 72-78-77-69=296) who carried the team the last day with his three-under par 69 and Chris DeJohn (73-75-74-76=298).  They finished 17th and 24th individually out of 190 players.

 

DeJohn earned his third consecutive D-III First-Team All-American award.  Singleton was named 2010 D-III Third-Team All-American.

 

In May 2010 DeJohn advanced to the U.S. Open Sectional qualifying for the second year in a row.

Skidmore College rolled to the fall 2009-10 Liberty League Championship at St. Lawrence University GC in Canton, N.Y. Skidmore won the tournament by 33 strokes, shooting a 36-hole score of 3-under par 573. The team controlled the individual leaderboard, grabbing the first four places in the seven-team tournament. Co-medalists were Chris DeJohn (71-71=142) and Peter Anderson (74-68=142), who were one stroke ahead of third place Joseph Flowers (73-70=143). Matt Canavan placed fourth (74-72=146).

The Skidmore teams have more than held their own against Division I and II competition over the years.

Bakyta came to Skidmore after serving as head golf professional at the Hollow Brook Golf Club in Cortland Manor, N.Y.