Temple University Athletics
Brandon Matthews Looking To Leave Legacy For Temple Golf
4.29.16 | Men's Golf
Temple senior golfer Brandon Matthews has become accustomed to standing out in a crowd. At 6'4", his size attracts attention in class and on the course. Usually, his name is high up on the leaderboard. Eight career wins and the program's first All-American placing since 1988 puts him head and shoulders above his peers.
Matthews grew up in Dupont, Pa., a drive up the Northeast Extension towards Scranton from Temple. He and his dad shared two sports passions: baseball and golf. Choosing between the two games was difficult at first. As a solution, Brandon's dad encouraged him to play both as he got older. "I would pitch five innings, hit my pitch limit, go to the bench, look at my dad, and say 'Let's go play nine.' I fell in love with the game."
Matthews chose golf for one simple reason: "I didn't like to run." He still misses the diamond and wishes he had spent a couple more seasons playing baseball. However, he's happy with his decision. "The game of golf has taken me places and allowed me to meet some unbelievable people. It's been great so far and I'm really looking forward to what the next few years hold."
When looking at colleges, Matthews had some options. He also had a strong advocate in Temple Head Coach Brian Quinn. Matthews noted that Quinn offered to help him with other schools if he didn't choose Temple. Luckily, he did come to North Broad. A lot of that had to do with his teammates. "When I came to visit here, I loved the team. The kids on it were great. We still have a bunch of great kids on the team now. It just keeps getting better every year. It's fun, as a senior, to watch these kids grow."
In his senior year, Matthews has become a player-coach of sorts for the team. He takes tremendous pride in being able to work with the underclassmen and teach ways to improve their game. "Obviously some are a little stubborn and are like 'Ahhh, I don't know about this.' But it's fun for me to teach them things and apply those things into tournaments and get better, save them a few shots a round, a few shots a tournament. That's huge. In golf, it's crazy how much one shot per round can change the game. If you're playing a three-round tournament, that's three shots. That could end up making the difference between winning the tournament and finishing seventh. It's such a small margin and these kids are starting to realize it. It's really fun for me to mentor them and show them things they might not have learned growing up."
Matthews has become a master of tournament play and the smaller things. As a freshman, he was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and made the all-conference team, setting the school record for lowest round as a freshman with 64 at The McLaughlin. He tied school records last spring with three consecutive tournament wins for a career total of eight, earning his second bid to the NCAA Tournament and All-American status. His season average was 70.9, breaking the program record, over a stroke lower than his average as a freshman. In the process, he shared Temple's PNC Male Student-Athlete of the Year with basketball's Will Cummings.
"Brandon is a great player, probably the greatest golfer in Temple University history," said Quinn on his All-American performer. "He has been a great ambassador for Temple University and I wish him the best in his future endeavors."
The start of his senior year didn't start out well. Matthews struggled with his game in the fall. Only two of his 11 rounds finished under par. Matthews redoubled his efforts at practice to reverse the slower start. "I try to work extremely hard. If someone beats me one day, I'm the first on the range the next morning to make sure they don't beat me the next day. That's how I grew up. If I'm not playing well, I'm at the course from sunup to sundown."
The extra work seems to be helping. Matthews carded two 68s to finish the Furman Intercollegiate and started the Cornell South Florida Spring Invitational with a round of 68. However, he shot 72 on his final round, missing out on a chance for a program-record ninth win on the third playoff hole. The team did shoot 594 for a season-best second place.
While Matthews is sad his collegiate career is ending, he looks forward to the next chapter of his golf life. He plans to turn pro in the fall and hopes to qualify for the PGA tour. Before that, his goals include claiming that ninth tournament win, placing first in regionals, and a good showing at the NCAA Championships. He also believes there are great days ahead for the Owls.
"I am happy to have the opportunity to help these younger kids. Watching them grow is so much fun. You see them use these things that maybe I'll show them in practice, maybe they'll use them in a tournament. It's fun to watch them progress and get better. I hope as they get older, become upperclassmen, that they'll do these things to the kids below them, and just learn to have fun. Enjoy the game."
Matthews will lead the Owls into the American Athletic Conference Championship starting May 1.
by Marco Cerino, Temple University Athletic Communications Assistant
Matthews grew up in Dupont, Pa., a drive up the Northeast Extension towards Scranton from Temple. He and his dad shared two sports passions: baseball and golf. Choosing between the two games was difficult at first. As a solution, Brandon's dad encouraged him to play both as he got older. "I would pitch five innings, hit my pitch limit, go to the bench, look at my dad, and say 'Let's go play nine.' I fell in love with the game."
Matthews chose golf for one simple reason: "I didn't like to run." He still misses the diamond and wishes he had spent a couple more seasons playing baseball. However, he's happy with his decision. "The game of golf has taken me places and allowed me to meet some unbelievable people. It's been great so far and I'm really looking forward to what the next few years hold."
When looking at colleges, Matthews had some options. He also had a strong advocate in Temple Head Coach Brian Quinn. Matthews noted that Quinn offered to help him with other schools if he didn't choose Temple. Luckily, he did come to North Broad. A lot of that had to do with his teammates. "When I came to visit here, I loved the team. The kids on it were great. We still have a bunch of great kids on the team now. It just keeps getting better every year. It's fun, as a senior, to watch these kids grow."
In his senior year, Matthews has become a player-coach of sorts for the team. He takes tremendous pride in being able to work with the underclassmen and teach ways to improve their game. "Obviously some are a little stubborn and are like 'Ahhh, I don't know about this.' But it's fun for me to teach them things and apply those things into tournaments and get better, save them a few shots a round, a few shots a tournament. That's huge. In golf, it's crazy how much one shot per round can change the game. If you're playing a three-round tournament, that's three shots. That could end up making the difference between winning the tournament and finishing seventh. It's such a small margin and these kids are starting to realize it. It's really fun for me to mentor them and show them things they might not have learned growing up."
Matthews has become a master of tournament play and the smaller things. As a freshman, he was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and made the all-conference team, setting the school record for lowest round as a freshman with 64 at The McLaughlin. He tied school records last spring with three consecutive tournament wins for a career total of eight, earning his second bid to the NCAA Tournament and All-American status. His season average was 70.9, breaking the program record, over a stroke lower than his average as a freshman. In the process, he shared Temple's PNC Male Student-Athlete of the Year with basketball's Will Cummings.
"Brandon is a great player, probably the greatest golfer in Temple University history," said Quinn on his All-American performer. "He has been a great ambassador for Temple University and I wish him the best in his future endeavors."
The start of his senior year didn't start out well. Matthews struggled with his game in the fall. Only two of his 11 rounds finished under par. Matthews redoubled his efforts at practice to reverse the slower start. "I try to work extremely hard. If someone beats me one day, I'm the first on the range the next morning to make sure they don't beat me the next day. That's how I grew up. If I'm not playing well, I'm at the course from sunup to sundown."
The extra work seems to be helping. Matthews carded two 68s to finish the Furman Intercollegiate and started the Cornell South Florida Spring Invitational with a round of 68. However, he shot 72 on his final round, missing out on a chance for a program-record ninth win on the third playoff hole. The team did shoot 594 for a season-best second place.
While Matthews is sad his collegiate career is ending, he looks forward to the next chapter of his golf life. He plans to turn pro in the fall and hopes to qualify for the PGA tour. Before that, his goals include claiming that ninth tournament win, placing first in regionals, and a good showing at the NCAA Championships. He also believes there are great days ahead for the Owls.
"I am happy to have the opportunity to help these younger kids. Watching them grow is so much fun. You see them use these things that maybe I'll show them in practice, maybe they'll use them in a tournament. It's fun to watch them progress and get better. I hope as they get older, become upperclassmen, that they'll do these things to the kids below them, and just learn to have fun. Enjoy the game."
Matthews will lead the Owls into the American Athletic Conference Championship starting May 1.
by Marco Cerino, Temple University Athletic Communications Assistant
Players Mentioned
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