Newark Athletics

New Brunswick Athletics

Robert Cardea

During the past four semesters, head coach Bob Cardea has led his Rutgers-Camden golf team to the most successful span in program history. Last fall the team's 44-41-1 record marked the first time in Rutgers-Camden golf history the program had posted four consecutive winning semesters. The team wrapped up that winning record by capturing the title of its own Rutgers-Camden Scarlet Raptors Fall Invitational Oct. 28.

During those four semesters, Rutgers-Camden has posted a 177-143-2 mark. This spring the team is looking to post the first back-to-back winning school years (fall and spring semesters combined) since the 1992-93 and 1993-94 clubs.

The Scarlet Raptors posted a 39-38-1 record during the spring 2005 season to record their third consecutive winning semester, a feat that hadn't happened since they had winning records from the spring 1987 through the spring 1988 semesters.

Cardea's team also posted a winning record for the school year, aided by a strong 57-28 showing during the fall of 2004. With their 96-66-1 mark overall, it marked the Raptors' first winning school year since the team went 112-50-4 during the 1993-94 academic year.

The highlight of last spring came when Chris Binder shot a 71 at the Susquehanna Spring Invitational (April 7), breaking the old mark of 72 accomplished three times - once by Binder (Sept. 23, 2004) and twice by Chris Bevelheimer (Sept. 24, 1993 and April 25, 1994).

During the fall of 2004, the Scarlet Raptors competed in seven invitationals, producing an outstanding 57-28 overall mark. It was more wins in one semester than any team since the 63-23-1 squad, which set a school record in the spring of 1994. Only that club and the Fall 1992 team (61-30) posted better records than the Raptors did during the fall 2004 campaign.

In addition to their overall record, Cardea's Raptors established a program record with a 308 team score at the Franklin & Marshall College Invitational (Sept. 13, 2004) and Binder tied the old individual school mark with his round of 72 at the Moravian College Fall Golf Invitational.

In the last four semesters, Cardea's team has posted the four lowest scores in program history, and also tied the fifth-lowest score last fall with a 313 outing at the Wesley College Invitational (Sept. 8, 2005).

The Scarlet Raptors started their turnaround in the spring of 2004 with a 37-36 record in seven invitationals. That mark gave the Scarlet Raptors their first winning semester since the 63-23-1 mark in the spring of 1994.

The Scarlet Raptors lowered their school record team score that spring, shooting a 312 at the Susquehanna University Tee-Off Invitational (March 25, 2004) then lowered that mark with a 309 score at the Rutgers-Camden Spring Golf Invitational (April 23, 2004). In the fall of 2004 they not only improved that score to a 308 at Franklin & Marshall, but they also added a 310 at the East Stroudsburg University Fall Invitational (Oct. 15, 2004).

Prior to the spring of 2004, the old team mark was 313, set at the Pocono Intercollegiate Championship (April 21, 1994).

The Raptors capped a brilliant fall in 2004 with a strong finish in their last three outings. After a pair of second-place finishes, Rutgers-Camden won the Gwynedd-Mercy College Tri-Match in its last competition Oct. 18.

Last fall the Raptors had two golfers who averaged under 80, as Matt Tomasic carded a 79.0 and Brian Mason came in with a 79.7 mark. Both competed in all six fall invitationals.

The Raptors offered a preview of their upcoming accomplishments during the fall of 2003. That success was led by Ryan Cusick, who opened the campaign with three straight rounds in the 70s, including a 77 (at the time a career low) at the Moravian College Fall Golf Invitational Sept. 25. Cusick's 77 helped the Raptors post a 325 team score, the best team score since their 313 in 1994.

Overall, 12 of the top 20 team scores in program history have been shot over the last four semesters.

Cardea joined the Rutgers-Camden coaching staff in 1995, continuing a tradition which seems to run in the family. His late father, Don, served as the school's golf coach from 1983-87.

In January of 2004, Cardea accepted a new position as the Director of Golf Instruction at Town & Country Golf Links in Woodstown. The new course has been rated the No. 1 course in Salem County, and will be the site for the Scarlet Raptors' Spring Golf Invitational April 15.

Before accepting his new job, Cardea served as the Director of Golf Instruction of the South Jersey Golf Schools at the Parkville Golf Center in West Deptford. Prior to that, he spent six years serving as the General Manager of Somerton Springs South Jersey Golf Campus in Washington Township.

A Cherry Hill resident, Cardea was a four-year golf letterman at Cherry Hill East High School, where he served as captain and led his team to a pair of state finals. He was a member of Wesley College's Eastern College Athletic Conference championship team in 1988 before transferring to Towson State University. Cardea continued his golfing career at Towson State, and graduated from the school in December, 1992, with a degree in Business Management.

Following college, Cardea attended the PGA Teaching School in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Cardea returned to Florida in February, 1999, where he passed the United States Golf Teachers Federation professional test in Port St. Lucie. The certification process included 36 holes on the Saints Course at Club Med, a written rules test and a teaching test.

As a member of the USGTF, Cardea participated in his first USGTF National Championship in October, 1999. The top six golfers at the event made the World Cup team.

Cardea's Rutgers-Camden Record:

YEAR	SEASON	RECORD
1995	Spring	9-37 (4 Opens)
	Fall	18-26 (3 Opens)
1996	Spring	6-52 (6 Opens)
	Fall	11-26 (3 Opens)
1997	Spring	7-60 (6 Opens)
	Fall	4-22 (3 Opens)
1998	Spring	7-59 (7 Opens)
	Fall	3-57-1 (4 Opens)
1999	Spring	5-79 (7 Opens)
	Fall	3-49-1 (4 Opens)
2000	Spring	19-78-2 (7 Opens)
	Fall	12-71-1 (6 Opens)
2001	Spring	11-66-1 (7 Opens)
	Fall	21-48-2 (5 Opens)
2002	Spring	19-61 (7 Opens)
	Fall	18-45 (6 Opens)
2003	Spring	16-45 (7 Opens)
	Fall	20-56 (5 Opens)
2003	Spring	16-45 (7 Opens)
	Fall	20-56 (5 Opens)
2004:	Spring	37-36 (7 Opens)
	Fall	57-28 (7 Opens)
2005:	Spring	39-38-1 (8 Opens)
	Fall	44-41-1 (6 Opens)
TOTAL:		386-1080-10