Ryan Liu, Ethan Yao pace Manhasset boys to LI golf championship
Ethan Yao of Manhasset, left, and teammate Evan Fulgieri celebrate after their rounds in the Long Island boys golf team championship against Northport at Bethpage Black on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Credit: James Escher
It’s rare for two eighth-graders to be the “glue guys” of a team, and it may be even rarer for those two to be the main components of a championship winner.
Ryan Liu and Ethan Yao each shot 4-over-par 75 in Manhasset’s 5-4 win over Northport in the Long Island boys golf championship at Bethpage Black on Tuesday. The two eighth- graders posted the best scores of the day, helping Manhasset (8-1) repeat as Long Island champions.
“We all continue to work hard and execute when out there,” senior Evan Fulgieri said. “Ethan and Ryan, I call them the glue guys. They hold us down, they hold us together.”
Northport won four of the head-to-head matchups, each worth one point. Manhasset had the advantage in total strokes, 409 to 428, earning three points and the victory.
Brodie Douglas shot a 5-over-par 76 for Northport (13-2) and Jackson Gribben shot an 81.
“We dug in. Losing four out of six matches and coming back is rare,” Manhasset coach Michael Tarnowski said. “We came back to win the aggregate, but this is the Black, it’s never easy on this course.”
Liu shot a 75 at the event for the second straight year, while Yao improved on his 80 from a year ago.
“It feels good, because we’ve worked hard for this,” Yao said. “Happy that we were able to go back-to-back.”
Fulgieri shot an 84 and is one of the six seniors graduating this spring, leaving the team’s eighth-graders with leadership roles to fill.
“Have to try to be a good role model for the kids coming in,” Liu said. “Encourage them positively and teach them what we know.”
Justin Chen was a late addition to Manhasset's lineup, filling in for his injured senior teammate Jaden Cheng. Cheng shot a 79 on the course a season ago in Manhasset’s Long Island championship win over Ward Melville.
“He’s one of our top guys and he had an injury. He’s my best friend so I had to step in,” Chen said. “His shoes are hard to fill, but we all did our best to make it happen.”
Liu, Fulgieri, Douglas and Yao will compete at the state championship June 8-9 at Mill Creek Golf Club in Churchville.
“It seems like even when they’re [Liu and Yao] not focused, they can still play well,” senior Justin Yemm said. “When there’s a tournament or big match, they kick it into a different gear. It’s like when you watched Tiger Woods, no one’s beating them.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.
