Temple University Athletics
2009 Outlook: Golf Shooting For Atlantic 10 Title
2.13.09 | Men's Golf
Feb. 13, 2009
PHILADELPHIA - One shot a round. It doesn't sound like much, but Temple's second-year head golf coach Brian Quinn would disagree. His belief is that if each player can save one shot a round, his team will be in contention for every tournament it enters.
The math would agree. Temple's dramatic turnaround, which includes its best GolfStat team ranking in five years, would be even more impressive with eight or 12 less shots per tournament subtracted from the team total.
The Owls won their first tournament in over three years when they captured the Big 5 Invitational on October 11. They lost another event, the St. Bonaventure Invitational, by a single stroke and added three more top-eight finishes at Rutgers (8th), The McLaughlin (4th) and Old Dominion (6th) in their best fall season in recent memory.
If each player saved a shot each round, TU would have won the St. Bonaventure Invitational going away and added another tournament title at The McLaughlin. Temple would have also finished fourth at Rutgers and Old Dominion.
It's a simple theory, but one that would give Temple a good shot at its ultimate goal, the Atlantic 10 Championship. The Cherry and White posted its best three-round score at the event in six years last spring and would like nothing better than being paired up with three-time defending champion Charlotte coming up the 18th fairway on Sunday with a chance to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997.
Leading the way for the Owls are junior Eric Plisko and senior Kevin Busteed. The duo ranks second and third, respectively, in the Atlantic 10 in scoring average and will be counted upon to post low numbers in every round.
Plisko led the team in the fall with a 73.1 stroke average, a full two shots lower than his 2007-08 average. He tied for the individual lead after 36 holes at St. Bonaventure before falling in a playoff and finished fifth at the Big 5 Invitational. The Sugar Notch, PA native carded four rounds at par or better, including a pair of season-best 69s.
"Eric had a wonderful fall," Quinn said. "He still hasn't realized how good he is. I see nothing but great things for him in the spring."
Busteed's impressive progress has mirrored the team's success. A former walk-on who fought to crack the lineup for each tournament, Busteed is now one of the top players in the conference. His 73.2 stroke average is five shots less than last season and includes four rounds of par or better, including a career-best 68 at The McLaughlin in September.
"Kevin was our MVP of the fall," Quinn said. "He went from not even being in the top seven last spring to becoming statistically our second-best player this fall. Kevin has worked extremely hard on his game and on his attitude. He's a great asset to the team."
Sophomore Andrew Mason (76.6 average) continued to show flashes of brilliance on the course, including a 69 at The McLaughlin, and enters the spring penciled in as the #3 player. His consistent play at the Big 5 Invitational helped the Owls to the team title.
"Andrew has the gift to be as good as he wants to be," Quinn said. "We have to get him to free his mind on the course. If he does that, there will be no stopping him."
Sophomore Sasha Bozic, who competed in three events as an individual this fall, averaged a 76.8 in six rounds. He looks to build upon last spring's success, where he averaged 74.9, earned three Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors, and finished second for the Owls at A-10s.
"As with Andrew, Sasha will never have to touch his swing, it's that good," Quinn said. "I expect him to play really well this spring. We need him in the lineup to succeed."
Sophomore Joseph Kim competed in four of five events and improved his stroke average by two shots from last season (76.1).
"Joseph has improved dramatically," Quinn said. "He works extremely hard and is a very solid player for us and a great teammate."
Senior Adam Pifer averaged a 77.9 this fall and looks to be on his way to returning to his 2006-07 form, where he averaged a team-best 75.1. One of the longest hitters in the region, Pifer's work ethic and intelligent play should make his final semester a memorable one.
"Adam is probably our smartest player on the course," Quinn said. "He wants to be good so badly that sometimes he gets in his own way. Adam is the reason we won the Big 5 with his 72 on Sunday and I look forward to him having a very good spring."
Sophomore Mark Edmondson did not appear in any events after transferring from Hosftra. While playing for the Pride, Edmondson posted a 77.0 stroke average, including a career-best 71 at the Hofstra Invitational.
"I give Mark a lot of credit," Quinn said. "He has reshaped his body and his swing has finally caught up to the change. Hopefully, he'll work his way into the lineup."
Freshman Devin Bibeau, an outstanding scholastic player from Upton, MA, will redshirt this season. A three-time conference medalist, Bibeau set a school and league record with a four-under 31 nine-hole score during his senior season.
"Devin has worked very hard to change his swing," Quinn said. "I expect some really good things from him."
Awaiting the Owls is the toughest schedule in recent memory. TU will open up at the William and Mary Invitational on March 23-24 before traveling south to the Furman Intercollegiate. Last year's field included three of the top 15 teams in the nation--Tennessee-Chattanooga, Clemson and South Carolina.
After a week layoff, Temple will head to Ohio State (April 11-12) and Purdue (April 18-19) in preparation for the Atlantic 10 Championship. The field at OSU includes 10 teams ranked in the top 75 nationally including four in the top 50.
Purdue features a similar field, with nearly every Big 10 team set to tee off at the Boilermaker Invitational. Golfstat preseason #5 Illinois and #7 Indiana headline the field.
"The schedule is probably one of the toughest in the country," Quinn said. "I want our kids to experience the country outside of the tri-state area. We also need to see the best players and teams to see where we can improve."
The regular season concludes at the A-10 Championship, hosted from April 24-26 at the Mission Inn Resort in Howey-of-the-Hills, FL. Charlotte, which finished last season eighth at the NCAA Championship, is the favorite.
"It is time for us to compete in these tournaments, and not just show up," Quinn said. "The goal is to win the Atlantic 10 Championship and reach the NCAA Tournament. Everything is geared toward that goal."
