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GCAA Hall of Fame Member and Former President Passes Away

September 23, 2008

GCAA Hall of Fame Member and Former President Passes Away

Norman, OK - Former Penn State golf coach and GCAA Hall of Fame honoree, Joe Boyle, died of an aneurysm in State College, PA at the age of 87 Thursday morning, September 18.  Boyle, a past GCAA President, was also the recipient of the GCAA Honor Award in 2007.  Funeral services were held Monday, September 22 at the Our Lady of Victory Church in State College.

  

Greg Nye, current Penn State Head Men's Golf Coach, praised Boyle for his contributions to golf and Penn State.  ?Joe was a coach?s coach, a player?s coach, a very fine player and teacher, who completely loved and enjoyed the sport of golf over his entire life. He was one of college golf?s great pioneers as the sport moved from the match play era to the medal play era. I always enjoyed his golf insights and his wonderful sense of humor. It was a great honor for me, having known Joe most of my life, to present him at our annual coach?s convention as our 2007 recipient of our highest coaching distinction, the ?Honor Award?, for his coaching record and lifetime contributions to golf. He was a wonderful father and great Penn Stater.? 

  

Boyle was the captain of Penn State?s 1949 team coached by the Nittany Lions first coach, Robert "Pop" Rutherford. Coach Boyle graduated from Penn State in 1949 and remained in Happy Valley and served as an assistant coach under Pop?s son, Robert, Jr. He was an assistant for Robert Jr. until 1957 before taking the reigns of the program.

  

Boyle guided the Nittany Lions for 25 seasons, leading Penn State to seven Eastern Intercollegiate Championships (1963, 64, 66, 67, 71, 72, 73), two Big Four Championships (1971, 72), and a 197-38-1 record in dual meet competition. During his coaching career he also led the Nittany Lions to appearances in The Intercollegiate (National Championship) five times (1963, 65, 66, 67, 69). The team?s top finish under his guidance at The Intercollegiate was 16th in 1969. Boyle coached 11 GCAA All-America selections at Penn State including four-time All-American Dan O?Neill.

 

A native of Aliquippa, Pa., Boyle enrolled at Penn State in 1941, but left after his first year to serve in the Navy during World War II. He returned to compete for Penn State from 1946-49 and played on Penn State?s 1948 Eastern Intercollegiate Championship team, the first non-Ivy League team to claim the Eastern title.