Speak softly and carry a big stick.

Or at least carry a big club.

That's what senior golfer Matt Shiley has been doing throughout his career at Penn State and it seems to have worked for him.

Shiley is arguably the strongest, most consistent golfer in District II, a district that includes virtually all of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and parts of Virginia.

"Matt posts quality scores on a regular basis," said Men's Golf Coach Greg Nye. "And he goes about his business in a very quiet manner."

Shiley doesn't have to say a word to win the respect of his teammates.

"Matt leads by example -- not by words," said freshman golfer Dirk Ayers. "When he turns in a bad round, he turns around the next day and shoots well."

One might think that a golfer of this caliber would refine his skills at private courses and would be privy to lessons by only the best and most expensive golf pros. In actuality, Shiley started swinging the club on the municipal courses in his hometown of York at the ripe old age of 9 -- coached by his father and pushed on by his brother Brian and longtime friend and current teammate Joe Freed.

"Growing up through the years, Matt was always a competitor," said Freed. "He loves to practice."

"I practice about three hours a day during the school year, and during the summer I practice from sun-up to sun-down," said Shiley. "Golf gets like an addiction."

And all those years of practice have certainly paid off.

Shiley has been the recipient of many prestigious awards during his collegiate career, including last year's Golf Coaches Association of America All-American Scholar Athlete. Only 35 to 50 golfers nationwide win the award, which requires a minimum grade-point average of 3.2 and an average score below 78. He also captured wins at the Atlantic 10 Championship, Eastern Championship and St. John's tournament.

Winning awards isn't something new to Shiley. He began his competitive career as a four-year starter for York Catholic High School and while he was there he earned a district championship and fourth-place finish in the Pennsylvania state championship.

Shiley has two keys to success --patience and practice. "Anyone who's any good has to have patience," said Shiley. "Sometimes I get frustrated, but I try to practice my way through it."

Shiley's teammates can attest to his work ethic.

"He is meticulous," said teammate Jason Tyska, adding that his perfectionist nature sets an unspoken example for everyone on the team.

Freed said Shiley is always the last one on the practice range and the putting green.

"What he does day in and day out is what people notice," said Freed.

Shiley will attempt to pursue a career as a club pro upon graduation, but he said the memories he will take with him will be what happened off the course.

"A story you tell is not about the shots you took or the courses you played, but the people you were with," Shiley said.