Sophomore Brandon Matthews tied for fourth overall Tuesday at the 2014 American Athletic Conference Championship in Palm Harbor Fla., as the Owls finished second-to-last among the 10-team field.
Matthews jumped up in the standings from 13th to fourth after a one-under 70 on the final day of competition.
“My ball striking wasn’t my best…I did a lot of grinding,” Matthews said. “I had a lot of putts from four to six that I needed to make and I did throughout the whole tournament…it was nice to see myself hang in there the entire time and grind through it all.”
On the first day of competition, Matthews shot a two-over 73, which placed him 13th out of 151 golfers. He struggled to finish, as he was one among the Top 5 golfers until he shot three over on his final four holes. But he responded with a strong outing on Monday, shooting a one-under 70. He was one of seven golfers to break par on what was a windy day in Palm Harbor, Fla.
As a team, the Owls had trouble. They finished 55 shots behind the tournament champions – Southern Methodist. But the Owls had their best day as a team on Tuesday, shooting a 13-over 297. The championship featured a strong field, with five of the 10 teams that participated being ranked in the Top 50.
“We struggled,” Matthews said. “We did not do well. No one really had their games…that was kind of disappointing.”
Junior Matt Teesdale finished tied for 26th after shooting a three-over 74 on Tuesday. He rebounded from a six-over 77 on Monday, which was his worst score of the tournament.
Senior Matt Crescenzo finished his final round of collegiate golf with a one-over 72, which helped him finish tied for 39th overall. He regrouped after his 10-over 81 on Monday, which was the worst score he has posted all year.
“He’s been an essential part to this team,” Matthews said. “He’s a great golfer, great kid and great teammate. He will be greatly missed by everyone on the team.”
Junior Mike Amole and freshman Evan Notaro finished second-to-last and last, respectively.
Michael Guise can be reached at michaelguise@temple.edu or on Twitter @MikeG2511.
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