Temple's Matthews denied in playoff at Cornell's Spring Invitational

   Temple senior Brandon Matthews came very close to setting the school record for career tournament wins at last weekend’s Cornell Spring South Florida Invitational, losing in a playoff with the host Big Red’s Mike Grayboyes at PGA National’s Fazio Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

   Matthews, a two-time Philadelphia Open champion, fired a 4-under 68 at the par-72 Fazio Course to take the lead in the first round. But Grayboyes, a sophomore from Wachtung, N.J., fired a 68 in Sunday’s second round to catch Matthews, who won the 2010 PIAA crown as a junior at Pittston, at 4-under 140.

   Matthews, who reached the second stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying process last fall, matched par in the second round with a 72. He was gunning for a ninth career individual title, which would be a Temple record. But a par by Grayboyes on the third hole of the playoff denied Matthews the victory.

   Grayboyes and Matthews finished a shot ahead of Grayboyes’ Cornell teammate Brandon Eng, a senior from Potomac, Md., and Dartmouth’s Charles Cai, a senior from West Windsor, N.J. Eng and Cai both followed up opening-round 72s with second-round 69s to finish tied for third at 3-under 141.

Grayboyes and Eng led the Big Red to the team title in the three-team field that included Temple and Dartmouth. Cornell fired a 1-under 287 and followed it up with a 6-under 282 for a 7-under 569 total. Temple and Dartmouth both opened with 298 totals, but the Owls edged ahead of the Big Green in the second round with a 296 total to Dartmouth’s 300. Temple finished at 18-over 594 and Dartmouth ended up at 22-over 598.

   Cornell’s Jack Cen, a freshman from China, had rounds of 70 and 73 to finish alone in fifth place at 1-under 143.

   Three players finished tied for sixth at 1-over 145 including Mike Grayboyes’ older brother Luke (73-72), a junior, Cornell’s Matt Scargle, a freshman from Kennett Square, and Temple’s Gary McCabe (70-75), a freshman who was a Catholic League standout at La Salle.

   Dartmouth’s Cai, Cornell’s Scargle and Temple’s McCabe were all competing as individuals.

   Rounding out the top 10 were the old Inter-Ac League rivals, Dartmouth juniors Sean Fahey, the former Episcopal Academy standout, and Scott Jaster, a standout on some powerful Haverford School teams. Fahey finished ninth with rounds of 76 and 71 for a 3-over 147 total and Jaster was a shot back in 10^th with rounds of 72 and 76 for a 4-over 148 total.

   Temple freshman Sam Soeth, a former Marple Newtown standout, bounced back from an opening-round 82 with a second-round 77 to finish tied for 19^th at 159. Sean Fahey’s older brother Liam, a senior at Temple out of Westtown School, competed as an individual and had rounds of 81 and 84 for a 165 total to finish 22nd.