Peddie Shines at 15th Annual Swing Against Cancer
With rain coming down, they stayed focused on supporting the cause.
The Peddie Golf Program hosted the 15th Annual Swing Against Cancer Golf Invitational at Peddie Golf Club on April 25. Nine schools competed in the annual event, which raises money for the American Cancer Society.
The Falcons won three of the four awards. Andrew Ma ’27 won the individual boys championship, with Brayden Chen ’28 placing second. Ryland Portadin ’29 claimed the individual girls title.
“I’ve been wanting to support the cause since I was young,” Portadin said. “Coming in here and showing up was a great opportunity and I think it’s great to support those dealing with cancer.”
The varsity girls golf team secured the team championship, led by captain and defending individual champion Jane Wei ’27.
Varsity Boys Golf Head Coach Ben Bickford credited both the challenging conditions and the cause for bringing out the best in his players.
“It was a really great testament to the kids that they went out there even though there were tough conditions,” Bickford said. “We really stressed that they were doing this for an important cause, supporting the American Cancer Society.”
“We saw some tremendous scores from Andrew Ma and Ryland Portadin,” he added. “It really speaks well to the programs that the girls team won in such dominating fashion, and the boys were one stroke away from Blair Academy, which is a great team.”
Varsity Girls Golf Head Coach Brian Dubrule said his team entered the day with a clear goal.
“The girls played really well,” he said. “They’ve played in the rain before, and it was no different than any other match. They wanted to win this year after they didn’t win last year.”
Ma, who became the fourth Falcon to win the individual title in tournament history, said his experience helped him manage the conditions.
“I’m from Japan, so I’ve played in similar weather,” he said. “It was pretty good to have that experience behind me and pull through today in the back nine when it started raining. It means a lot. I’ve done well in the past, and now I’ve finally won my first one here, so winning at home feels pretty good.”
Noah Kerlin ’27 said the team stayed focused despite the changing conditions.
“The weather was definitely a big factor, but we just had to stay in it and stay focused on our goal and not let the weather get to us,” he said. “We knew every shot was going to be different throughout the day: the course was changing, the greens were getting slower. We just had to work towards being the best we could.”
For the coaches who founded the event, the results on the leaderboard have always been secondary to what the day represents. Both Bickford and Dubrule have emphasized that Swing Against Cancer gives their players a chance to experience something the game doesn’t always offer: the opportunity to compete on behalf of something larger than themselves, honoring those affected by cancer and supporting the work of the American Cancer Society through the Coaches vs. Cancer program.
Since 2012, the tournament has raised thousands of dollars, making Peddie’s golf program one of the few secondary school programs in the country to sustain a charitable invitational of this scale over more than a decade.
The 15th anniversary also highlighted the tournament’s connection to professional golf. Kyle Sterbinsky ’15, who won the very first individual title in 2012, is now a caddie on the PGA Tour. Max Greyserman ’13, who led Peddie to three state championships, earned his PGA Tour card in 2023 and recently finished tied for 21st at the 2024 U.S. Open.