Sept. 13, 2008
Complete Results
PISCATAWAY, NJ - Junior Eric Plisko shot a two-under 69 to lead Temple to an eighth place finish at the Rutgers Invitational on Saturday at the RU Golf Course. Plisko had a 75-69=144 (+2) for the two-round tournament and tied for 21st in the field of 127 players. As a team, the Cherry and White carded a 292-289=581 (+13) to finish 14 shots back of Seton Hall, who rallied on Saturday to defeat defending champion USC Upstate by a stroke.
Plisko's 69 was one stroke off his career best, which came during the first round of the Princeton Invitational last spring. Sophomore Andrew Mason had a consistent 72-73=145 (+3) to finish in a tie for 26th place, while senior Kevin Busteed (70-79=149) and sophomore Joseph Kim (75-74=149) each had seven-over scores, good for a tie for 47th.
The three-over 74 was a career-best for Kim, who appeared in just 10 rounds as a freshman. Senior Adam Pifer rebounded with a two-over 73 on Saturday to tie for 53rd (77-73=150, +8).
Temple's team score of 289 (+5) on Saturday was the second-lowest recorded under second-year head coach Brian Quinn. The Owls shot a 287 (-1) in the final round of last season's Atlantic 10 Championship.
USC Upstate led the field after the first day with a team score of 281, but followed that with a 287 on Saturday. Seton Hall was six strokes back entering the second round but carded a 279 to pull out the victory. The Pirates' Troy Spencer shot a tournament-best 67 on Saturday, as did Central Connecticut's Eric Hawerchak.
Towson's Chris Scialo captured individual medalist honors with a 68-69=137 (-5), two shots ahead of USC Upstate's Baxter Culler and Binghamton's Mike Corbo.
The Owls will embark on a five-day road trip which includes four competitive rounds beginning on Friday. First up is a trip to Bethpage Golf Course for The McLaughlin. After playing the two-day tournament on Long Island, the team will continue north to Newport, RI for the Adams Cup of Newport, one of the top tournaments on the East Coast. Two-day play in Newport begins on Monday.
