Resumé

This page contains the professional activities and accomplishments of Dr. Tom Dorsel over an academic career. Included are his educational degrees; record of teaching, research, and service; honors, grants, and affiliations; scholarly publications and presentations in the areas of experimental, educational, clinical, health, and sport psychology; and a brief history of Tom’s personal sports background. Since it is the formal record of over 45 years of activity, the resulting document is rather lengthy. It is, however, organized into categories that one can review before looking at any particular area in detail. If you would like a brief biographical sketch in lieu of the entire resumé, please click here.

Thomas N. Dorsel


 

EDUCATION

 


Post-Doctoral

 

Internship, Clinical Psychology 

University of California, Davis (Medical Center)

1981-1982

NSF Fellowship, Clinical Psychology 

University of New Mexico

1980-1981


Pre-Doctoral

 

 

 

Ph.D., Psychology

University of New Mexico

1970-1974

M.S., Psychology

University of Kentucky 

1968-1970

B.A., Psychology

University of Notre Dame

1964-1968


 

PROFESSIONAL CAREER


Teaching

 

Professor Emeritus of Psychology

Francis Marion University

2008-pres.

Professor of Psychology

Visiting Professor of Sport Psychology 

Francis Marion University

University of Notre Dame 

1990-2008

Fall, 1997

Associate Professor of Psychology

Francis Marion University 

1986-1990

Assistant Professor of Psychology 

Western Carolina University 

1974-1986


Administration

Director of Internship Program

 

 

Francis Marion University

 

 

1988-2008

Director of Clinical Psychology

Francis Marion University

1988-1993

 

 

Consulting

 

Sport Psychology, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN

1997-1998

Clinical/Health/Sport Psychology, Private Practice, Florence, SC 

1988-pres.

Behavioral Medicine, HEALTHSOUTH, Florence, SC 

1986-1988

Rehabilitation Psychology, Thoms Rehabilitation Hospital, Asheville, NC 

1985-1986

Clinical/Health Psychology, C.J. Harris Hospital, Sylva, NC

1983-1985


Professional Offices, Memberships, Honors, and Licenses

 

South Carolina Psychological Association (President, 1993 – 1995), Member, 1986-pres.

Golf Writers Association of America, Member, 2000 – present

 

International Network of Golf, Instructional Writing Awards, 1999 – 2006  (1st Place, 2004)

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, State of South Carolina, 1986 – present  (License #392),

 


Staff, Editorial And Advisory Positions

 

Featured Contributor (Sport Psychology), Golf Illustrated 

1997-2008

Contributing Editor (Sport Psychology), GOLF Magazine

1990-1992

Technical Editor (Sport Psychology), GOLFWEEK 

1987-1990

Advisory Committee/Editorial Review Board, National Conference on Undergraduate Research 

1986-1989


Selected Grants

 

External funding of graduate internships:  $527,000

1999-2008

External funding for graduate internships:  $140,000 

1988-1993

NSF Science Faculty Professional Development Grant:  $26,000 

1980-1981


 

NETWORK TELEVISION APPEARANCES

Featured either solo or with the following PGA Tour Professionals in sport psychology instruction segments on ESPN's "Inside the PGA Tour," produced by PGA Tour Productions, Jacksonville, FL:
 Jim Gallagher, Jr., four programs, April 21-25, 1993.
 Bruce Fleisher, four programs, May 12-15, 1994.
 Kirk Triplett, four programs, May 19-22, 1994.
 Fred Funk, eight programs, April 27-30 and October 5-8, 1995.
 Solo, four programs, May 4-7, 1995.
 Bob Estes, eight programs, July 27-30, 1995, and September 13-15, 1996.
 Doug Martin, four programs, June 27-29, 1997.
 Michael Christie, four programs, September 5-7, 1997.
 Scott McCarron, three programs, May 6-9, 1999.
 Willie Wood, three programs, September 24-26, 1999.

Featured on "Golf Central," The Golf Channel. Orlando, FL, March 15, 1996.

OTHER TELEVISION EXPERIENCE

Co-producer and co-host, "Hilton Head Golf Weekly," WHHI-TV, Hilton Head Island, SC.  1999-2001. 

On location in the 13th and 18th towers with NBC Sports announcing team (Dick Enberg, Johnny Miller, Dave Marr, Bob Trumpy, etc.) for the live telecast of the "Bay  Hill Invitational."  Orlando, FL, March 16-17, 1996.

On location with on-course reporters (Gary Smith and Doug Tewell) and The Golf Channel for the live telecast of the "South Carolina Classic."  Florence, SC, April 11-14, 1996.

On location in the 18th tower with CBS/USA Network Sports announcing team (Peter Kostis & Bill McAfee) for the live telecast of the "MCI Heritage Classic."  Hilton Head, SC, April 17, 1997.
 

NETWORK RADIO BROADCASTS

Featured on "Straight from the Tour," PGA Tour Radio Network.  Atlanta, June 7, 1997.

Featured on “Pure Golf” with Peter Kessler, XM Satellite Radio, June 5, 2006.
 

POPULAR PRESS

BOOKS

Dorsel, T.N.  (2008)  Golf:  The Mental Game.  Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks

Dorsel, T.N.  (2002)  Clinical Psychology:  Practical Guidelines and Useful Materials.  Unpublished classroom manual.

Dorsel, T. N. (2001)  Putting Machine.  Florence, SC: Serious Sports

Dorsel, T. N. (1996)  THE COMPLETE GOLFER: Physical Skill and Mental Toughness.  Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

 

MAGAZINE ARTICLES

Dorsel, T. N. (2008).  Great swing, lousy score: Golf’s curious contrasts.  Golf Illustrated, 14,

  (November/December), 11-13.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2008).  Lower your comfort zone.  Golf Illustrated, 14, (September/October), 12-14.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2008).  Keep your cool on the course.  Golf Illustrated, 14, (July/August), 11-14.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2008).  Forget mechanics:  Swing away.  Golf Illustrated, 14, (May/June), 12-18.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2008).  Thrill of going for it: Is it in you?  Golf Illustrated, 14, (January/February), 21-24.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2007).  Hitting great shots under pressure.  Golf Illustrated, 13, (September/October), 19-21.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2007).  Getting ready:  The proper way to warm-up.  Golf Illustrated, 13, (May/June), 28-32.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2007).  How to reach your goals this season.  Golf Illustrated, 13, (January/February), 27-32.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2006).  How your personality can affect your game.  Golf Illustrated, 12, (September/October), 19-22.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2006).  The mental gymnastics of putting.  Golf Illustrated, 12, (May/June), 14-18.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2006).  What every player wants:  Full-shot control.  Golf Illustrated, 12, (March/April), 14-18.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2006).  Preparing for the new season:  Seven tips.  Golf Illustrated, 12, (January/February), 18-25.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2005).  Seven ways to stay sharp during the off-season.  Golf Illustrated, 11, (November/December), 14-18.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2005).  Win club tournaments:  Think like a champ.  Golf Illustrated, 11, (September/October), 14-18.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2005).  How to get your head back in the game.  Golf Illustrated, 11, (July/August), 18-22.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2005).  Make the most out of limited practice time.  Golf Illustrated, 11, (April/May), 14-19.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2005).  Golf’s a struggle:  So why not enjoy it?  Golf Illustrated, 11, (January/February), 14-16.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2004).  Keep your head down:  Curing most players’ biggest mistake.  Golf Illustrated, 10, (November/December), 14-16.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2004).  Visualize success:  Every shot pretty as a picture.  Golf Illustrated, 10, (August/September/October), 18-20.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2004).  Six reasons why you should think positive about your game.  Golf Illustrated, 10, (June/July), 16-18.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2004).  Faster play – Ten steps to achieve it.  Golf Illustrated, 10, (April/May), 16-18.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2004).  Making the big putt.  Golf Illustrated, 10, (February/March), 18-20.

Dorsel, T. N. (2003).  Break a slump:  Six ways to get your game back on track.  Golf Illustrated, 9, (Fall issue), 18-21.

Dorsel, T. N. (2003).  Getting better:  Play like you practice.  Golf Illustrated, 9, (Summer issue), 14-16.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2003).  How to cope with golf’s best and worst.  Golf Illustrated, 9, (Special issue), 14-16.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2003).  Three ways to get better:  It’s a mental thing.  Golf Illustrated, 9, (Spring issue), 14-18.

 

Dorsel, T. N. (2003).  Four things in every round that determine your scores.  Golf Illustrated, 9, (Winter issue), 16-18.

Dorsel, T. N. (2002).  Five ways to sharpen your mental toughness.  Golf Illustrated, 8 (Fall), 14-16.

Dorsel, T. N. (2002).  The 9 R’s of good golf.  Golf Illustrated, 8 (Summer), 14-17.

Dorsel, T. N. (2002).  Ten tips to make the most out of attending a golf tournament.  Golf Illustrated, 8 (Spring), 14-16.

Dorsel, T. N. (2002).  Eight secrets to better course management.  Golf Illustrated, 8 (Winter), 14-19.

Dorsel, T. N. (2001).  Lower scores – Don’t let ego get in your way.  Golf Illustrated, 7 (Fall), 16-18.

Dorsel, T. N. (2001).  How to use swing keys more effectively.  Golf Illustrated, 7 (Summer), 18-21.

Dorsel, T. N. (2001).  Solving golf’s mental mysteries.  Golf Illustrated, 7 (Spring), 18-21.

Dorsel, T. N. (2001).  Play slow-motion golf for better results.  Golf Illustrated, 7 (January/February), 18-20.

Dorsel, T. N. (2000).  How swing keys and mental images can lower your scores.  Golf Illustrated, 6 (November/December), 18-20.

Dorsel, T. N. (2000).  Take your game to the next level.  Golf Illustrated, 6 (September/October), 16-18.

Dorsel, T. N. (2000).  Six ways to prevent choking.  Golf Illustrated, 6 (July/August), 18-20.

Dorsel, T. N. (2000).  Seven ways to build confidence on the course.  Golf Illustrated, 6 (May/June), 18-20.

Dorsel, T. N. (2000).  Measure your progress with alternative scores.  Golf Illustrated, 6 (March/April), 14-15.

Dorsel, T. N. (2000).  How to play the mental game for 18 holes.  Golf Illustrated, 6 (January/February), 18-20.

Dorsel, T. N. (1999).  Maintain focus:  A can't miss state of mind.  Golf Illustrated, 5 (November/December), 28-30.

Dorsel, T. N. (1999).  The scoreboard:  Should you look?  Golf Illustrated, 5 (November/December), 18-19.

Dorsel, T. N. (1999).  Equipment has a mental side, too.  Golf Illustrated, 5, (July/August), 28-29.

Dorsel, T. N. (1999).  How to determine your true handicap.  Golf Illustrated, 5, (March/April), 18-20.

Dorsel, T. N. (1998).  Staying with a bad round.  Golf Illustrated, 4, (November/December), 24-25.

Dorsel, T. N. (1998).  Seven things you can do to improve scores & lower your handicap. Golf Illustrated, 4, (September/October), 24-28.

Dorsel, T. N. (1998).  Aggressive play: Why going for the pin pays off.  Golf Illustrated, 4, (September/October), 22-23.

Dorsel, T. N. (1998).  Isolate yourself to improve your focus.  Golf Illustrated, 4, (May/June), 22-23

Dorsel, T. N. (1998).  Gain control of your game:  Learn to place the ball.  Golf Illustrated, 4, (January/February), 20-23.

Dorsel, T. N. (1997).  Handling the pressure of partner golf.  Golf Illustrated, 3, (November/December), 24-26.

Dorsel, T. N. (1997).  Control your thoughts for a better swing.  Golf Illustrated, 3, (March/April), 25-27.

Dorsel, T. N. (1996).  Count all your strokes.  Golf Illustrated, 2 (Sept./Oct.), 22-24.

Dorsel, T. N. (1996).  Behavior modification for slow play. Golf Illustrated, 2 (May/June), 26-27.

Dorsel, T. N. (1993).  Psyche holes.  GOLF Magazine, 35 (March), 135.

Dorsel, T. N. (1992).  Getting it there.  GOLF Magazine, 34 (December), 80-81.

Dorsel, T. N. (1992).  Go for it!  GOLF Magazine, 34 (August), 49.

Dorsel, T. N. (1992).  Threat or Opportunity?  GOLF Magazine, 34 (March), 35.

Dorsel, T. N. (1992).  Relax.  GOLF Magazine, 34 (February), 24.

Dorsel, T. N. (1991).  Why you don't improve.  GOLF Magazine, 33 (December), 37.

Dorsel, T. N. (1991).  Uncharted territory.  GOLF Magazine, 33 (November), 18.

Dorsel, T. N. (1991).  The zone.  GOLF Magazine, 33 (October), 16.

Dorsel, T. N. (1991).  Golf is not 90% mental.  GOLF Magazine, 33 (August), 24.

Dorsel, T. N. (1991).  Full focus.  GOLF Magazine, 33 (July), 22-23.

Dorsel, T. N. (1991).  The mental side of putting.  GOLF Magazine, 33 (May), 54-55.

Dorsel, T. N. (1991).  The mental side of wedge play. GOLF Magazine, 33 (April), 62-63.

Dorsel, T. N. (1991).  The mental side of driving.  GOLF Magazine, 33 (March). 48-49.

Dorsel, T. N. (1990).  The case for serious golf.  Golf Illustrated, 6 (June), 30-31.

Dorsel, T. N. (1988).  Talk to yourself: Realistic self-talk means less stress on the course.  Golf Digest, 39 (January), 114-116.  (Also reprinted in Australian Golf Digest, 1988.)

Dorsel, T. N. (1980).  The four egos:  How to improve your game by controlling your personality.  GOLF Magazine, 22 (May), 92-95.  (Also reprinted in GOLF European, 1980.)
 

PUBLICATIONS

Sport Psychology

Dorsel, T. N., & Rotunda, R. J. (2001). Low scores, top finishes, and big money:  An analysis of PGA Tour statistics and how these relate to overall performance.  Perceptual and Motor Skills, 92, 575-585.

Dorsel, T. N., & Salinsky, D. M. (1990).  Enhancing willingness to practice golf through use of a  mastery approach.  Perceptual and Motor Skills, 70, 415-418.

Dorsel, T. N. (1978).  A mastery learning approach to practicing athletic skills.   Perceptual and Motor Skills, 46, 1243-1246.

Clinical/Health Psychology

Dorsel, T. N., & Baum, A. (1989).  Undergraduate health psychology:  Another challenge for an ambitious field.  Psychology & Health, 3, 87-92.

Dorsel, T. N. (1989).  Chronic pain behavior pattern:  A simple theoretical framework for health-care providers.  Psychological Reports, 65,  783-786.

Dorsel, T. N. (1988).  Improved ability to cope with stress among college undergraduates through education.  Journal of Advancement in Medicine, 1, 225-230.

Dorsel, S. J., & Dorsel, T. N. (1986).  Helping parents whose child has died:  A review of coping strategies and alternatives for support.  The American Journal of Hospice Care, 3, 17-20.

Dorsel, T. N. (1984).  A model for health psychology.  Health Psychology, 3, 583-584.  (Also reprinted in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 1986, 11, 283-284).

Dorsel, T.N. (1984).  Serving an immediate need vs. establishing scientific support:  Are they incompatible?  American Psychologist, 39, 1486-1487.

Dorsel, T. N., Anderson, M. L. & Moore, E. M. (1980).  A further simplification of variable schedule, self-reinforcement procedures.  Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 11, 35-36.

Dorsel, T. N. (1978).  Crying:  Easily establishing but difficult to eliminate.  Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 7, 156-158.

Dorsel, T. N. (1977).  Implementation of variable schedule, self-reinforcement procedures.  Behavior Therapy, 8, 489-491.

Experimental and Educational Psychology

Dorsel, T.N. (2008) Teaching investment fundamentals to undergraduates: A simulation and resulting data.  In preparation.

Dorsel, T. N., & Wages, C. (1993).  Gifted residential education:  Outcomes are largely favorable, but there are some cautions.  Roeper Review, 15, 239-242.

Dorsel, T. N.  (1989).  The teacher as "Coach": A whole new ball game.  Psychology in the Schools. 26, 209-212.

Dorsel, T. N. (1987).  Education's "4th R":  Responsibility.  Psychology in the Schools, 24, 151-152.

Dorsel, T. N. (1981).  Conflicting goals:  A dilemma for the teacher-researcher.  Teaching of Psychology, 8, 52-53.

Dorsel, T. N. (1980).  Effect of mastery and test-item distribution on college classroom performance.  Journal of Personalized Instruction, 4, 30-33.

Dorsel, T. N., & Cundiff, G. W. (1979).  The cheat-sheet: Efficient coding device or indispensable crutch.  Journal of Experimental Education, 48, 39-42.

Dorsel, T. N. (1979).  Effects of various sensory inputs on prose learning.  Perceptual and Motor Skills, 48, 843-847.

Dorsel, T. N. (1979).  Creativity:  Incubation as a special case of reminiscence.  The Journal of Creative Behavior, 13, 53-54.

Dorsel, T. N. (1977).  A new look at racial prejudice.  Psychology in the Schools, 14, 188-190.

Dorsel, T. N. (1976).  The effect of preference for method and type of method on comprehension of verbal material.  Journal of Experimental Education, 45, 30-33.

Dorsel, T. N. (1975). Preference, study skills, and study behavior: A theory.  North Carolina Psychological Association Bulletin, 16-17.

Dorsel, T. N. (1975).  Preference-success assumption in education.  Journal of Educational Psychology, 67, 514-520.

University Administration & Professional Issues

Dorsel, T. N. (1988).  External work by faculty:  An opportunity and a responsibility.  Higher Education Review, 20 (2), 61-64.

Dorsel, T. N. (1981).  Sharing the load:  A model to allocate departmental work.  Phi Delta Kappan, 63, 63-64.
 

PRESENTATIONS

Sport Psychology

Dorsel, T.N.   Making it to the "Big Dance":  Required mental skills for moving from the developmental tours to the PGA Tour.  Invited presentation for the Power-Bilt Tour, Myrtle Beach, 1996.

Dorsel, T.N.  Sport psychology and junior golf.  Invited presentation for the International Junior Golf Tour, Hilton Head, 1996.

Heckel, R.V., Imm, P.S., Ogletree, K., Brignoli, B., & Dorsel, T.N.  Using sport concepts to enhance health and psychological functioning.  Discussant on symposium at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Savannah, 1995.

Kaiser, C., Dorsel, T. N., Heckel, R., Kronenberger, E. J., & Rotunda, R.  Three faces of sport psychology:  Teaching, consultation, & research.  Member of symposium at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, 1993.

Dorsel, T. N.  Applied sport psychology:  Behavioral principles applied to golf.  Invited presentation for the South Carolina Psychological Association, Columbia, 1992.

Dorsel, T. N.  Sport psychology:  Personality & stress.  Invited presentation at the Annual Family Medicine Symposium of the University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Columbia, 1989

Dorsel, T. N.  Marketing innovations in applied psychology.  Member of symposium at the Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Psychological Association, Hilton Head, 1989.

Dorsel, T. N., & Salinsky, D. M.  The effect of three practice techniques on putting performance in golf. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Atlanta, 1988.

Dorsel, T. N.  The club professional:  Performer, professor, promoter, and peacekeeper.  Invited presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Carolinas Professional Golf Association, Hilton Head, 1987.

Dorsel, T. N.  Psychologists in sports & fitness.  Presented at the Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Psychological Association, Myrtle Beach, 1987.

Dorsel, T. N.  Reducing tension in motor skill performance:  An application of "Cheating"  as an efficient practice technique.  Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, 1975.

Clinical/Health Psychology

Dorsel, T. N.  Self-care for psychologists:  Lessons learned by former SCPA presidents.  Member of symposium at the Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Psychological Association, Myrtle Beach, 2003.

Dorsel, T. N.  Promoting lifestyle change among college undergraduates:  An empirical analysis of a practical approach.  Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, 1987.

Dorsel, T. N. , Andrasik, F., Levin, R., Middaugh, S., & Kee W.  Chronic pain:  Theory, data, and practice.  Chair of symposium at the Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Psychological Association, Myrtle Beach, 1987.

Dorsel, T. N., Wertheimer, M., Evans, R. I., Olbrisch, M. E., Prokop, C. K., Bruce, W. E., & Puente, A. E. The teaching of undergraduate health psychology.  Chair of symposium at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, 1986.

Dorsel, T. N.  Clinical health psychology.  Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, 1985.

Coffey, J., Dorsel, T. N. & Haeberle, K.  How Psychologist are working with physicians.  Member of symposium at the Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Psychological Association, Asheville, 1984.

Experimental And Educational Psychology

Dorsel, T. N., Wages, C., Cox, L. H., & Engin, A.  A psychosocial perspective on the S.C. Governor's School for Science & Mathematics:  What is it, who attends, what do they achieve, and how does it affect them?  Chair of symposium at the Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Psychological Association, Myrtle Beach, 1992.

Dorsel, T. N., & Wages, C.  South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics:  Empirical data on student/parent adjustment.  Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Knoxville, 1992.

Dorsel, T. N., & Wages, C.  Gifted, residential education: Outcomes are largely favorable, but there are some cautions.  Presented at the Annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, Washington, DC, 1991.

Dorsel, T. N., Dorsel, S. J., Dorsel, J. K., Dorsel, D. S., Dorsel, R. M., Dorsel, C. T.  South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics:  Empirical data on the psychosocial perspective and one family's personal experience.  Chair of symposium at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Washington, DC, 1989.

Dorsel, T. N., Braid, B., Antonelli, D.C., Mohrig, J. R., Mullikin, K. R., Memory, J. D.  Research in the various disciplines: What researchers do, why they do it, and how they describe it.  Chair of symposium at the Second National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Asheville, NC, 1988.

Dorsel, T. N.  Effect of various sensory inputs on prose learning.  Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, New York, 1979.

Dorsel, T. N., & Cundiff, G. W.  The cheat-sheet:  Efficient coding device or indispensable crutch.  Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, 1978.

Dorsel, T. N.  Effect of four evaluation procedures on college classroom performance.  Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, 1977.

Dorsel, T. N.  Demonstration and analysis of a first-person lecture.  Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, 1976.

Dorsel, T. N.  Instructional method, preference for method, and comprehension.  Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Chicago, 1975.

Dorsel, T. N  & Collins, J.  Stimulus control of avoidance behavior.  Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Atlantic City, 1970.
 

COLUMNIST

Contributed 44 monthly sport psychology columns to GOLFWEEK, a national golf publication based in Orlando, FL, 1987-1990.

The above columns and other golf magazine articles were reprinted monthly in The State, South Carolina's most widely circulated daily newspaper out of Columbia, SC, 1989-1993.

The above columns were reprinted monthly in The Island Packet, the daily newspaper of Hilton Head Island, SC, 1995-1997.


 

PERSONAL SPORTS BACKGROUND

The following is a brief history of Dr. Tom's activities and accomplishments as a competitive amateur golfer, as well as his current involvement as a player.  This brief biographical sketch does not pretend to paint a picture of an illustrious champion, but only to demonstrate that Dr. Tom, as a sport psychologist, has struggled with the game himself and has been there when he talks about the mental side of competition.  Brief mention is also made of his boxing career at Notre Dame.

 

   Tom Dorsel began playing golf in 1956 as a 10 year old when his uncle took him out for three nine-hole rounds.  The following summer Tom began playing regularly and entered his first competitive event in 1959 when he was 13 years old.  Walking and carrying the huge golf bags of the time, he fired a 112-110 (222) in the one-day, 36-hole Northern Kentucky Junior Golf Tournament, a score that was good for 2nd last place.  Four years later in 1963, Tom finished tied for 3rd place in this event with scores of 72-73 (145), two shots out of the lead.  Also, in 1963, Tom missed qualifying for the USGA Junior Amateur Championship by four shots, being one of only four players to break 80.
    In 1964, Tom qualified for the Cincinnati Metropolitan Amateur Championship with scores of 73-79 (152), only to lose in the first round of match play to a former two-time city champion.  In addition, the 1964 season saw Dorsel finish tied for 3rd place again in the Northern Kentucky Junior, this time with a 77, two shots out of the lead.  Another 77 was good enough for 7th place in the qualifier for the Northern Kentucky Amateur, but that too was followed by a first round loss in match play.  The next year (1965), however, Dorsel qualified again with a 75, and found that elusive first round victory by defeating the 1963 champ, who was also the 1965 co-medalist, by a score of 2 & 1.  Dorsel and the player he just defeated also went on that year to be the only two qualifiers from their section for the Kentucky State Amateur Championship.
    In 1966, Dorsel was again a 4th place qualifier for the Northern Kentucky Amateur, and again made it through the first round of match play only to fall to another two-time champion and former professional golfer in the 2nd round.  These early years of Tom's competitive career ended in 1967 when he completed the first three rounds of the Cincinnati Metropolitan Championship, which by then had gone to medal play, in 73-76-73 (tied for 11th place), only to see his hopes of a higher finish dashed by a final round 81.
    It wasn't until 1978, after graduate school and beginning a career as a college professor, that he briefly returned to competitive golf winning the Forest Hills Club Championship in North Carolina, shooting 69-75 for a 5 shot victory.  In more recent years, he has won three club championships at the Harbour Town Yacht Club on Hilton Head Island, and finished as high as 4th, 5th, and 7th in the Florence Country Club Championship in South Carolina.

 

   At age 51, Tom played in the 1997 USGA Senior Open qualifier and shot a respectable 78, good enough for 59th place in a field of 139 pros and top amateurs.  It took a score of 71 to be among the four qualifiers, one of whom was Senior PGA Tour player Vincente Fernandez, the only player to break 70 on that difficult day.  When Tom reached full senior status at age 55, he played in his first senior amateur event during the summer of 2001 where he tied for first place in a one-day event at The Traces in Florence, SC, shooting an even par round of 72.  He was 3 under par through 11 holes, but a ball out of bounds at the 13th and a bogey at the 18th prevented all out victory in his inaugural senior event.  Later that same summer at the South Carolina Golf Association Seniors Championship held at the Legends Resort in Myrtle Beach, Tom shot a respectable 79-74 to make the cut.  A week later he finished tied for second place in the Florence CC Senior Club Championship with scores of 80-75, two shots out of the lead.

    Senior amateur competition continued in 2002 with another runner-up finish in the Florence CC Senior Club Championship (81-77).  Tom made his first appearance in the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) national tournament held annually at The Dunes in Myrtle Beach.  Leading with 6 holes remaining in the 36-hole stroke-play event, he ended up 4th in the Senior Division due to a 10 on the infamous 13th hole.  A second appearance in this event in 2003 resulted in a tie for 3rd place in the Senior Division, 5 strokes out of the lead.

    In 2004, Tom played on the winning 12-member South Carolina Media Challenge team at The Reserve in Litchfield, SC, which bested the North Carolina squad in a Ryder Cup format 33-30.  Tom contributed to the victory with 4.5 points, 3 of them coming in a sweep of his individual match.  Later that year Tom came in 4th out of 27 players in the Carolinas Golf Reporters Association Stroke-Play Championship held at Pinehurst #8 and Mid Pines.

    Tom was again the perennial bridesmaid in the 2005 Florence CC Senior Club Championship.  This time, however, he led the field with an even-par first-round 71 and was still only 3 over par with five holes to go in the final round, when he lost a battle down the stretch to settle for a second-place finish for the third time.  The final round included a 175-yard shot from the fairway for eagle on the 6th hole.

    Tom has effectively retired from competitive golf at this point, but as the boxer he also was (see below), he is always open to coming out of retirement if the spirit moves him.  He still has a single-digit handicap and sometimes shows flashes of brilliance, but most of the time he now plays for exercise and the art form that golf affords to the person who truly appreciates the game.
 

    Tom was a three-year boxer in the Bengal Bouts at Notre Dame -- from 1966 to 1968.  The Bengal Bouts competition has been a tradition at Notre Dame since the 1930s with proceeds going to support the Bengal missions overseas.  Tom won exactly half of his matches over the three-year period, culminating in a runner-up finish in the 145 lb. weight division during his senior year.  That was good enough to win him a coveted Bengal Bout monogram jacket, a symbol of accomplishment in athletics at Notre Dame.

 



BUSINESS LOCATION:

Serious Sports; Florence, SC   Website: www.serious-sports.com
Phone: 843-618-4653.  Email: tom@dorsel.com