FAYETTEVILLE, PA- Playing in Coach John MacDonald's final event at the helm of the Owls, the Temple University Golf Team finished a strong third in the Verizon Atlantic 10 Conference Championship, played at the Penn National Golf Club in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania April 20-22. MacDonald announced in February that the 2000-01 season, his 30th at Temple, would be his last.
Temple finished with a three-round total of 883, 19 strokes over par. The Owls trailed only champion Xavier (23-under-par 841) and runner-up Rhode Island (13-under-par 851). It was Temple's best finish in the competition since taking second-place in 1996. The Owls finished ahead of seven teams: Dayton (892), George Washington (894), St. Joseph's (911), Duquesne (912), St. Bonaventure (914), Fordham (923) and La Salle (986).
Temple was led by freshman James Chan, who carded a one-under-par total of 215 to finish sixth among the field of 55 and earn a spot on the all-conference team. Chan's two-under-par 70 on Saturday marked the best single round of his young collegiate career. Senior Chris Bartolacci was 16th at 223; senior Mark Watt and freshman Robert Whiting tied for 21st at 226; and junior Sean McCafferty tied for 29th at 231.
Under MacDonald's direction, the Temple golf team never finished lower than fourth in the 20-year history of the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship. The Owls won the event six times: 1982, 1984, 1985, 1992, 1993, 1995), took second on seven occasions (1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994), were third once previously (1991) and finished fourth in each of the past four seasons (1997-2000).
