Men's Golf Welcomes Four Players to 2024-25 Signing Class
Nov 14 | Men's Golf
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The Rutgers men's golf program is proud to welcome four members to an impressive 2024-2025 signing class.
RU was named the best program in the Northeast region this past season and continues to recruit the best talent from the area. Head coach Rob Shutte looks forward to welcoming the new group and wants to continue to not only harvest talent from the northeast but continue to recruit international talent to Piscataway.
"We are super excited about this group of guys," Shutte said. "We have been able to become one of the top programs here in the Northeast. I think that the fact that these four players are coming from states here in the Mid-Atlantic through the Northeast speaks to the fact that these guys recognize the success that we have players who want to be developed. We have a strong track record here of developing high-level college golfers. This is a group who have all bought into our culture of wanting to be coached, which is very important. We will continue to recruit the Northeast hard, but also continue in the future years to bring guys internationally to help us get closer to winning the Big 10 Championships and playing well in the postseason."
Thomas Murdough
Murdough is a golfer from Lincoln, Mass., who is ranked the No. 6 player out of the Commonwealth State (Junior Golf Scoreboard). He finished top-15 in the AJGA Junior at Penn State in 2022 and had a top-25 finish in the Hudson Junior Invitational in 2022.
Murdough helped lead Team Massachusetts to a victory in the 2023 New England Amateur Team Championship. Murdough was a First Team All-Massachusetts Selection and had three-career U.S Challenge Cup individual wins. He was also the 2022 U.S Challenge Cup Individual Champion. Thomas is the son of parents Tina and Thomas Murdough.
"Tommy is a guy that has a connection with some of our other Massachusetts players that are part of our program," Shutte said. "A lot of time when you look at golfers from Massachusetts, they are guys that play in difficult conditions. A lot of the tournaments that these guys play in the late spring and fall are just really tough. Tommy is a tough guy whose stock is only going to go up. He is a golfer who always has a positive attitude and who is going to fit well into our culture of wanting to be coached."
Argyle Downes:
Downes is from Charlestown, West Virginia, and is the No. 1 ranked player from the state (Junior Golf Scoreboard). He finished in second place at the Babygrande D.C. Classic. In 2023, Argyle finished ninth at the Three Little Birds Memorial AJGA Open.
Downes finished tied for fourth place at the 2023 Lanto Junior Championship and finished tied for twelfth at the 2023 Scott Roberston Memorial. Downs is a two-time West Virginia Golf Association(WVGA) Boys Player of the Year. Downes has two AJGA Top-5 Finishes in 2023 and he was the 2023 Individual PAISAA State Champion. Argyle is the son of parents Dawnyielle and Raymond Downes.
"Argyle is the best player in West Virginia," Shutte said. "He is a golfer who is already physically developed at this stage and can step in a college weight room and hold his own. We expect him to have a great summer leading up to his arrival next fall and be in a position to make an impact right away. He is a golfer who moves the ball with big club head speed and is going to be able to play in long golf courses right away. He comes from a wonderful family and has already been out living on his own so his transition to college is going to be very smooth. His exposure in big events from magazine to television appearances is only going to help him transition to the bright lights here in New Jersey."
Maxwell Jackson:
Jackson is the No. 1 ranked player from Rhode Island (Junior Golf Scoreboard). He clinched the title of Rhode Island Boys Junior Amateur Champion in both 2022 and 2023. Additionally, Jackson also had a top-15 finish in the 2023 New England Junior Amateur Invitational. Jackson was the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Rhode Island Junior Amateur Champion. Maxwell was also the 2021 and 2022 High School Individual State Champion.
In 2022, he competed in the prestigious U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. Maxwell is the son of Tracey and Gregg Jackson.
"Max is a real athlete and brings in a history of playing high-level soccer and now has transitioned his focus on golf the past couple of years," Shutte said. "I think that playing multiple sports will help him in the team environment. He played well in the U.S. Junior last year and has won the Rhode Island Boys Junior Amateur Champion the last 2 years. He has all the upside of being a great athlete and being from a great family. As the oldest brother of three siblings, he is used to being a leader. He brings in that Northeast tough weather and tough mind to the team and I'm super excited to see what he can do."
Bennett Espenshade:
Espenshade is the No. 1-ranked player from Maryland (Junior Golf Scoreboard) and 39th-overall in the class of 2024 (Junior Golf Scoreboard). In 2023, he had three top-five finishes at AJGA events. Espenshade finished second at the 2023 K.J. Choi Foundation Junior Championship, tied for third at the UHY Baltimore Junior, and finished second at the Three Little Birds Memorial AJGA Open.
Espenshade was named the 117th Middle Atlantic Amateur Champion and finished tied for twenty-fifth at the Jones Cup Junior Invitational. Bennett was able to advance through local qualifying for the 2023 U.S. Open. He also participated in the prestigious U.S. Junior Amateur and finished tied for 33rd in the event. Bennett is the son of Christine and Peter Espenshade.
"Ever since Bennett committed to Rutgers, it has allowed him to prosper all summer long," Shutte said. "He is a proven winner winning the Middle Atlantic Amateur Champion just a couple of weeks ago against tough competition. which is super impressive. Making match play in the U.S. Junior and playing well in the match play showed that he can play on the biggest stages. He is really starting to believe that he is and can be a big-time golfer. It was fun to see because he bought into the culture and what the culture can do for him. He is just pure hunger, all the time. I am super excited to see what he can do for us and hopefully, he can make an impact right away with some other guys next fall."
RU was named the best program in the Northeast region this past season and continues to recruit the best talent from the area. Head coach Rob Shutte looks forward to welcoming the new group and wants to continue to not only harvest talent from the northeast but continue to recruit international talent to Piscataway.
"We are super excited about this group of guys," Shutte said. "We have been able to become one of the top programs here in the Northeast. I think that the fact that these four players are coming from states here in the Mid-Atlantic through the Northeast speaks to the fact that these guys recognize the success that we have players who want to be developed. We have a strong track record here of developing high-level college golfers. This is a group who have all bought into our culture of wanting to be coached, which is very important. We will continue to recruit the Northeast hard, but also continue in the future years to bring guys internationally to help us get closer to winning the Big 10 Championships and playing well in the postseason."
Thomas Murdough
Murdough is a golfer from Lincoln, Mass., who is ranked the No. 6 player out of the Commonwealth State (Junior Golf Scoreboard). He finished top-15 in the AJGA Junior at Penn State in 2022 and had a top-25 finish in the Hudson Junior Invitational in 2022.
Murdough helped lead Team Massachusetts to a victory in the 2023 New England Amateur Team Championship. Murdough was a First Team All-Massachusetts Selection and had three-career U.S Challenge Cup individual wins. He was also the 2022 U.S Challenge Cup Individual Champion. Thomas is the son of parents Tina and Thomas Murdough.
"Tommy is a guy that has a connection with some of our other Massachusetts players that are part of our program," Shutte said. "A lot of time when you look at golfers from Massachusetts, they are guys that play in difficult conditions. A lot of the tournaments that these guys play in the late spring and fall are just really tough. Tommy is a tough guy whose stock is only going to go up. He is a golfer who always has a positive attitude and who is going to fit well into our culture of wanting to be coached."
Argyle Downes:
Downes is from Charlestown, West Virginia, and is the No. 1 ranked player from the state (Junior Golf Scoreboard). He finished in second place at the Babygrande D.C. Classic. In 2023, Argyle finished ninth at the Three Little Birds Memorial AJGA Open.
Downes finished tied for fourth place at the 2023 Lanto Junior Championship and finished tied for twelfth at the 2023 Scott Roberston Memorial. Downs is a two-time West Virginia Golf Association(WVGA) Boys Player of the Year. Downes has two AJGA Top-5 Finishes in 2023 and he was the 2023 Individual PAISAA State Champion. Argyle is the son of parents Dawnyielle and Raymond Downes.
"Argyle is the best player in West Virginia," Shutte said. "He is a golfer who is already physically developed at this stage and can step in a college weight room and hold his own. We expect him to have a great summer leading up to his arrival next fall and be in a position to make an impact right away. He is a golfer who moves the ball with big club head speed and is going to be able to play in long golf courses right away. He comes from a wonderful family and has already been out living on his own so his transition to college is going to be very smooth. His exposure in big events from magazine to television appearances is only going to help him transition to the bright lights here in New Jersey."
Maxwell Jackson:
Jackson is the No. 1 ranked player from Rhode Island (Junior Golf Scoreboard). He clinched the title of Rhode Island Boys Junior Amateur Champion in both 2022 and 2023. Additionally, Jackson also had a top-15 finish in the 2023 New England Junior Amateur Invitational. Jackson was the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Rhode Island Junior Amateur Champion. Maxwell was also the 2021 and 2022 High School Individual State Champion.
In 2022, he competed in the prestigious U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. Maxwell is the son of Tracey and Gregg Jackson.
"Max is a real athlete and brings in a history of playing high-level soccer and now has transitioned his focus on golf the past couple of years," Shutte said. "I think that playing multiple sports will help him in the team environment. He played well in the U.S. Junior last year and has won the Rhode Island Boys Junior Amateur Champion the last 2 years. He has all the upside of being a great athlete and being from a great family. As the oldest brother of three siblings, he is used to being a leader. He brings in that Northeast tough weather and tough mind to the team and I'm super excited to see what he can do."
Bennett Espenshade:
Espenshade is the No. 1-ranked player from Maryland (Junior Golf Scoreboard) and 39th-overall in the class of 2024 (Junior Golf Scoreboard). In 2023, he had three top-five finishes at AJGA events. Espenshade finished second at the 2023 K.J. Choi Foundation Junior Championship, tied for third at the UHY Baltimore Junior, and finished second at the Three Little Birds Memorial AJGA Open.
Espenshade was named the 117th Middle Atlantic Amateur Champion and finished tied for twenty-fifth at the Jones Cup Junior Invitational. Bennett was able to advance through local qualifying for the 2023 U.S. Open. He also participated in the prestigious U.S. Junior Amateur and finished tied for 33rd in the event. Bennett is the son of Christine and Peter Espenshade.
"Ever since Bennett committed to Rutgers, it has allowed him to prosper all summer long," Shutte said. "He is a proven winner winning the Middle Atlantic Amateur Champion just a couple of weeks ago against tough competition. which is super impressive. Making match play in the U.S. Junior and playing well in the match play showed that he can play on the biggest stages. He is really starting to believe that he is and can be a big-time golfer. It was fun to see because he bought into the culture and what the culture can do for him. He is just pure hunger, all the time. I am super excited to see what he can do for us and hopefully, he can make an impact right away with some other guys next fall."
Rutgers Athletics Launches the Athletic Excellence Fund
Monday, October 06
R Fund, Knights of the Raritan are YouKnighted | Million Dollar Match
Friday, February 28
Rutgers x Nike Apparel Partnership
Thursday, December 19
Rutgers Athletics 2023-24 Year in Review
Friday, July 12
