NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Iona College golf head coach Chris Merce announced the signing of Brendon Kim, Paolo Matti, and Devin Delisle to National Letters of Intent during the NCAA’s early signing period. All three announced they will be playing for the Gaels beginning in the fall of 2015.
“I am looking forward to welcoming these student-athletes to campus next fall and having the opportunity to coach them during their collegiate careers,” said Merce. “With four seniors on the current roster, we are looking for this recruiting class to contend for spots on the travel roster and make an immediate impact on our team. What excites me most about them is I think they have the potential and determination to allow them to improve at Iona.”
Brendon Kim is a River Vale, NJ native and three-time letter winner at Bergen Catholic in Oradell, NJ. As a junior, Kim helped lead Bergen Catholic to six tournament victories, including the 2014 New Jersey Tournament of Champions. The Crusaders also finished the year ranked as the number one team in New Jersey by The Star Ledger.
In addition to his play at Bergen Catholic, Kim has competed in MGA, NJSGA, New Jersey PGA, IJGT, and AJGA events. In the summer of 2014, Kim finished tied for third at the MGA Public Links Championship and recorded a top-20 finish at the 2014 Carter Cup. He finished fourth in the 2014 New Jersey PGA Junior Player of the Year standings after recording six top-10 finishes. In 2013 and 2014, Kim qualified for the NJSGA Junior Championship and in 2012, was one of only 16 qualifiers at the MGA/MetLife Boys Championship.
Merce on Kim: “Brendon has had a lot of success during his junior golf career and has really improved his game over the last two years. I think he still has a lot of room to continue to develop as a collegiate golfer. He has a tremendous personality that was evident throughout the recruiting process and I’m excited for what he is going to bring to our program on and off the course.”
Paolo Matti is a Union, NJ native and three-time letter winner at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, NJ. Matti finished tied for 13th in the 2014 New Jersey PGA Junior Player of the Year standings after posting a runner-up finish at the New Jersey Junior PGA Championship and a sixth place finish in the Junior PGA Championship qualifier. Matti also posted a 12th place finish at the MGA Junior Championship, a top-20 finish at the 2014 Carter Cup, and qualified for the 2014 NJSGA Junior Championship. In 2014, he competed in two AJGA events, recording a top-25 finish at the AJGA Junior hosted by Morgan Hoffmann and a top 35 finish at the AJGA Junior at Bethesda.
In 2013, Matti qualified for the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions and finished fifth in the Non-Public B section. He was a three-time selection for the Jon Pritsch Memorial Cup of by the New Jersey PGA. He is also a three-time winner of the Union County Junior Public Links.
Merce on Matti: “Paolo has recorded top finishes in several prestigious events throughout his career up to this point and I am optimistic his accomplishments as a junior golfer will translate nicely to his collegiate career at Iona. In addition to his golf ability, Paolo is a great student in the classroom, which will fit very well with the type of student-athlete we want as part of our program.”
Devin Delisle is a Brushton, NY native and attends Brushton-Moira High School. As a Panther, Delisle has qualified for the New York State Public High School Golf Championship in each of the last four years, including as an eighth grader in 2011. In 2012, he recorded the second lowest score of the freshmen competing in the event, finishing 27th in the 99 player field. In 2013, he recorded a 15th place finish and most recently as a junior in 2014, he finished tied for fourth and was named to the All-State team. Delisle’s finish earned him a spot in the 2014 New York State Federation Championship, where he recorded a third place finish. Delisle captured the New York State Section X championship in 2012 and 2014 and was a runner-up in 2013.
In addition to his high school career, Delisle was named the 2013 Northeastern New York PGA Junior Player of the Year and 2014 North Country Junior Golf Tour Player of the Year.
Merce on Delisle: “Devin comes from an area of New York that does not have that many opportunities for junior golf but he has proven that he is capable of being a successful golfer on the college level. He has shown an ability to play his best golf in his biggest events and that’s evident from his top five finishes at the State and Federation this past year. I’m looking forward to watching his progress and having the chance to help him continue to develop at Iona.”