James Paschal’s golf career has taken him all over the world, but the roots of his success can be traced to his four years at Southwestern. When you analyze James Paschal’s golf resume, you begin to understand the talent, time and commitment that have gone into his being recognized as Rhodes’ all-time greatest golfer.
James Paschal competed in an era when the NCAA and college golf teams were divided into two divisions, so the competition was extremely tough. As a Lynx golfer from 1968-71, James earned All-College Athletic Conference honors as a freshman, junior and senior. As a senior he went undefeated in dual and triangualar matches. James was medalist in the CBC/Southwestern Invitational in 1968 and fourth in the Southern Mississippi Invitational in 1970. As a senior in 1971, James recorded an amazing stroke average of 71.2.
James is the only player to be selected to the NCAA Golf Championship each of his four years at Rhodes. He placed seventh in the NCAA tournament as a junior and eighth as a senior. As team captain in 1971, he led the Lynx to a berth in the NCAA National Championship Tournament.
James was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity, where he served as secretary his junior year and was active in the chapters work with inner-city children. Among his many professional highlights were playing on the PGA Tour from 1979 to 1983 and winning the Tennessee PGA Senior Championship in 2000.
As current and future Rhodes golfers set goals for their college careers, James Paschal’s success will be the yardstick by which their careers will be measured. For the distinction he bought the college as an outstanding player and for his ongoing contributions to the game of golf, Rhodes is honored to induct JAMES WILLIAM PASCHAL into the Rhodes Athletic Hall of Fame this 22nd day of October, 2004.
