Temple University Athletics
TEMPLE MEN'S GOLF SPRING 2002 OUTLOOK
1.11.02 | Men's Golf
"Temple is definitely one of the top teams in District II", according to first-year head coach Bill Mannino.
The Owls got off to a solid start this season, consistently shooting scores in the 290's and finishing in the top 10 in all five tournaments in the fall. The Owls recorded two second place finishes, one at the Stabler Intercollegiate at Lehigh and the other coming later at the Temple Invitational.
"The Temple Invitational was by far our best showing in the fall. The guys almost came back from 10 shots down to catch Maryland, a powerhouse in the Atlantic Coast Conference this year, but eventually fell short by one shot" said Mannino.
The only blemish in fall came at the last event hosted by Georgetown. It was the first time all season that the Owls carded a score over 300.
"The poor finish at Georgetown couldn't have come at a better time. It was our last event in the fall, and I know the guys were disappointed. That should fuel them to work even harder over the winter and come out ready to compete for a conference championship in the spring"
The roster features a very young and talented team even though the Owls only return two starters. Sophomores James Chan and Robert Whiting return to the lineup.
"Both Robert and James saw a lot of action last year and they both had strong finishes at the Atlantic 10 Championships," commented Mannino.
Gerry Chen, a transfer student from Rutgers, sat out last year but showed much promise in this season's fall portion.
"Gerry hits it as far as anyone we compete against. He has been working hard on his short game and should be ready to win a tournament this spring," Mannino said.
Jonathan Rusk, a junior transfer from Auburn University, played in the number one position for the Owls in the fall.
"Jon is our strongest player. Jon has the most experience playing in college events coming from Auburn, one of the strongest programs in the country. He shot in the 60's twice in the fall and won the Temple Invitational wire-to-wire," said Mannino.
Patrick O'Neill and Bill Mullen, both freshmen, each started in all five events in the fall campaign.
"Both Bill and Patrick have an incredible amount of ability," said Mannino. "They both put themselves in contention to win a tournament last fall. Once they adjust to playing at the collegiate level, we are going to win tournaments".
The spring schedule begins in March with a tournament in Fort Meyers, Florida and ends with one just before May in Newport, Rhode Island. The Owls will compete in a total of six events highlighted by the Atlantic 10 Championship in mid April.
"Our goal this spring is to win the conference," said Mannino.
