Temple University Athletics
Golf Tees It Up Under New Leadership In 2008
2.22.08 | Men's Golf
Feb. 22, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - When first-year head coach and former letterwinner Brian Quinn was teeing it up for the Cherry and White, Temple was recognized as one of the top teams in the Mid-Atlantic region. Quinn has plans of returning the Owls to regional and even national prominence with a simple plan.
"We want to run a first-class program," Quinn said. "We're going to do things the right way. The guys will look professional and hopefully they will play like professionals."
A four-time All-East and All-Atlantic 10 selection as a senior in 1990, Quinn led Temple to three NCAA appearances and spent 16 years as a professional golfer. Currently the director of instruction at BQ Golf Academy, Quinn is certainly qualified to guide TU back to its spot among the conference and region's best.
The Owls had one of their best fall seasons in recent memory, even as many players worked hard to adjust to swing changes. Temple finished second in a pair of events (Bucknell and Mount St. Mary's), laying the groundwork for an even-better spring season.
Temple will be led by redshirt junior Paul Amess, who paced the Owls with a 74.9 stroke average last spring and was second on the team this fall with a 74.6 average. A big-hitter off the tee, Amess posted a pair of top-five finishes in the fall. He is equally skilled in the classroom, posting a 3.9 GPA as a finance major, earning Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area honors.
"Paul is my definition of a student-athlete," Quinn said. "He has the potential to play golf for a living. His biggest strength is how far he hits the golf ball and his touch around the greens. I'm real excited for Paul's future here at Temple and beyond."
Junior Adam Pifer is looking forward to a successful spring season after revamping his swing. He was inconsistent in five events this fall, finishing with a 78.4 stroke average, but showed signs of returning to his 2006-07 form. The Telford, PA native led the team with a 75.1 average a year ago.
"Adam had a tough fall and you can blame that totally on me," Quinn said. "He needed to make some swing changes and I look for him to be ready to go this spring. He loves golf and has a great work ethic. Once he feels a little more comfortable with his swing, he's going to have a really good season and a real future in golf."
Sophomore Eric Plisko played his way into the team's top scoring average (74.3) this fall. The smooth-swinger led the team in two events and had a team-best three top 20 finishes. The Sugar Notch, PA native posted a five-over score of 73-70-72=215 at The McLaughlin.
"He has the simplest golf swing you'll ever see," Quinn said. "Eric hits it far and is the best iron-hitter on the team. He's another guy that could have a career playing golf."
Redshirt freshman Sasha Bozic and true freshman Andrew Mason both made quick adjustments to collegiate golf. Bozic finished with a 76.3 average this fall, including a ninth place finish at the Mount St. Mary's Fall Classic (77-72=149, +5).
"Sasha is a really good kid," Quinn said. "He has all the ability in the world and he's going to be a real good college golfer. His technique is better than 99% of the people that play golf."
Mason was brilliant at times, picking up two Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors. He burst onto the scene with an eighth place finish in his first event, the Bucknell Invitational, with a 71-76-71=218 (+8). After going through some swing changes, he returned to his early season form with a ninth-place showing at Mount St. Mary's (71-78=149, +5).
"Andrew is only going to get better," Quinn said. "He has a ton of ability and one of the best moves through the ball you will ever see. The sky is the limit for him."
Junior Kevin Busteed competed in three events with a 78.8 scoring average this fall. His best career performance came last spring at the Treasure Coast Classic, when he shot a 72-71-72=214 (+1).
"Kevin's made some nice changes with his golf swing," Quinn said. "He has worked very hard on his technique and I'm looking for him to be much more consistent. Kevin doesn't realize how good he really is."
A pair of freshmen, Mike Boyd and Joseph Kim, will most likely redshirt this season.
"My dream is for three or four of them to win a golf tournament," Quinn said. "At the end of the day, golf is an individual sport. We play it as a team, but if each of them plays to the best of their ability, then we'll do pretty well as a team."
The Owls will take on one of their most challenging schedules of late, beginning with the three-day SIU-Edwardsville Cougar Classic, played at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, FL.
Temple then visits historic Williamsburg, VA for a matchup at the William and Mary against some of the top teams on the East. Following a weekend off, the Cherry and White heads north to the Yale Spring Opener, a former staple on the spring slate.
After trips to Princeton and Mount St. Mary's, TU visits Charlottesville, VA for the Virginia Cavalier Classic. Several teams from last year's tournament were ranked in the top 100 nationally by golfstat.com.
"Our schedule is a lot more difficult than what they are accustomed to playing," Quinn said. "But it will make them better players."
The competition will prove as a tune-up for the 54-hole Atlantic 10 Championship on May 2-4 at Orange County National in Winter Green, FL.
Two-time defending champion Charlotte, who spent time as the consensus #1 team in the nation this fall, is picked as the top team. The 49ers joined Rhode Island as the two A-10 teams to make the NCAA Tournament in 2007.
"I'm excited for the season to start," Quinn said. "We're going to be a lot more successful than people think."
