WINNING LOOK: Princeton University men’s golfer Quinn Prchal looks down the course during the Ivy League Championships in late April at Saucon Valley in Bethlehem, Pa. Sophomore Prchal went on to win the individual title at the competition, carding six-under 210 in the three-round competition. Prchal’s heroics helped the Tigers finish second in the team standings by one stroke to Penn. Prchal went on to compete in the NCAA regional held at the Course at Yale earlier this month, where he shot a six-over 216 to tie for 37th in the 75-player field. (Photo Courtesy of the Ivy League/Sideline Photos)

Playing in the Ivy League Championship in 2013 as a freshman, Quinn Prchal got off to an inauspicious start.

“I was six-over for the first six holes,” said Prchal. “I was working my way back the rest of the event; it was a lot of patience. I hadn’t played in an Ivy championship and I let it get to me at first.”

Displaying his talent and poise, Prchal worked his way all the way back into a tie for fourth, helping Princeton win the team title and earning Ivy Rookie of the year honors in the process.

“It was a bunched leaderboard; there were five teams within a couple of shots coming into the last day,” recalled Prchal. “It was really exciting. In some tournaments, you plod along and it falls in your lap. We went out and won the event, that was exciting.”

After taking a hiatus from school for a year, Prchal returned this spring for his second Ivy tourney. Utilizing his experience, Prchal produced some exciting golf, carding a six-under 210 in the three-round competition at the Grace Course at Saucon Valley in Bethlehem, Pa. to earn the individual title.

Once again, Prchal started a little slowly, firing a three-over 75 in the first round before producing rounds of 68 and 67 to win the title by three strokes over Penn’s Austin Powell. He was the second Tiger in three years to win the title as Greg Jarmas prevailed in 2013.

“I think part of it was familiarity with the golf course,” said Prchal, whose heroics helped Princeton place second in the team standings at the event, just one stroke behind champion Penn.

“We had a practice round and then started on Friday. The final day was one of my best rounds. I was seven-under through 13; I made a couple of bogeys down the stretch. Mostly I putted the ball really well. I gave myself opportunities. It is very exciting. You work hard to try to put yourself in that position. My coach and teammates helped me all spring, pushing me to put everything together.”

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago in Glenview, Ill., Prchal worked harder on baseball and hockey than golf.

“My parents both played a little bit, I picked up the game on the range when I was five or six playing with them,” said Prchal. “I played baseball and hockey more when I was younger. I fit the sports in with the seasons.”

Standing 5’0 in eighth grade, Prchal’s prospects in baseball and hockey weren’t great at the high school level so he started focusing on golf. After a spurt which saw him gain 10 inches in height by his sophomore year, Prchal grew into a star golfer.

“I had a couple of strong finishes in some state junior events,” recalled Prchal, a three-time All-Conference performer and two-time team MVP for Glenbook South High and the winner of the 2012 Illinois State Amateur tourney. “On the national level at AJGA (American Junior Golf Association), I didn’t win but I had solid finishes, some top 10s.”

Taking a tour of east coast schools after playing in a tournament held in Massachusetts, Prchal visited Princeton and felt an immediate comfort level.

“I am from the suburbs and I liked the suburban feel of the school,” said Prchal.

“I had an official visit later. I liked the guys and the coach (Will Green). The Springdale course is close to campus, I didn’t have to go 20 minutes to play.”

Prchal started playing from the start of his career, tying for 22nd in the season-opening McLaughlin Invitational, a three-round event hosted by St. John’s that wrapped up at Bethpage Red on Long Island.

“I was nervous, I was not exactly sure how well I would play,” said Prchal. “It was a different level from high school. Our first event was at St. John’s; I played two decent rounds and then had a good one.”

In the spring, Prchal had a good experience competing in the NCAA Regional, carding a six-over 222 to tie for 57th.

“It was exciting to play in a field that strong,” said Prchal. “I saw a different mentality. They were going out to make birdies and taking advantage of conditions. You had to find your second gear; I have been working on doing that. It is feeling comfortable at two-under and then working hard and pushing to make more birdies. It is something I needed to learn.”

In the NCAA regional held on the Course at Yale earlier this month, Prchal put that knowledge to work, shooting six-over 216 to tie for 37th in the 75-player field.

“It is a fun golf course; the first two days I didn’t play poorly but I didn’t score well,” said Prchal, who carded a three-under 67 in the final day of the competition to move up the leaderboard.

“I hit the ball well on the first day and I had a couple of bad swings. On the second day, I got stuck on the second hole. The third day, I hit the ball great. I was able to string together a bunch of birdies and finished in the middle of the pack.”

Looking ahead to his junior season at Princeton, Prchal believes the Tigers have the talent to be at the front of the pack.

“With everybody back, it is exciting,” said Prchal, who is planning to play in the Illinois State Amateur and the Illinois Open this summer and hopes to qualify for the U.S. Amateur which is being held in the Chicago area this year.

“We brought in three really good freshmen (Michael Davis, Marc Hedrick, and Eric Mitchell) this year. We learned what we need to work on. We came together later in the year. We want to start off strong in the fall and push things to a higher level.”