By Jim Young
 
Life is good for Max Alcorn.
 
A four-year letterwinner on USF's men's golf team, the senior from Poway, Calif. has three tournaments remaining in his collegiate career, starting with The Goodwin next week at Stanford. The Cougar Classic in April will serve as a tune up for the West Coast Conference Championships, which will be held on the same Riverside Country Club Course in Provo, Utah a week later.
 
A veteran of 27 collegiate events, Alcorn has improved his stroke average each of the last three seasons and has posted two career top-10's, including a tie for ninth at this year's Saint Mary's Invitational at Poppy Hills Golf Course. He recently matched the low round of his career with a 5-under 67 in the first round of the Arizona National Invitational in Tucson.
 
As good as golf has been to him, Alcorn admires Warren Buffett as much if not more than Tiger Woods. A two-time WCC All-Academic first team selection, he will graduate in May with a degree in finance and soon begin his career as a commercial banking analyst at JP Morgan Chase in San Francisco.
 
"Being a student-athlete at USF has been a tremendous experience for me," said Alcorn. "I have developed lasting friendships with people from all over the world, consistently played some of the nicest and most exclusive golf courses in the United States and had the opportunity to pursue a top notch education in an amazing city. It's been a fun ride to say the least."
 
"Max is everything we want a USF student-athlete to be," said head coach Jack Kennedy. "During his time here, he has maintained an incredibly high GPA, performed at very high levels on the golf course, and has obtained a great job  at JP Morgan in the field he loves.
 
"While he is more of the silent type, he more than makes up for it with his leadership by example. Max has set the bar quite high for those to follow in the classroom and on the golf course."
 
"Know Your Dons" is an on-going feature on USFDons.com designed to personalize the student-athletes of the University of San Francisco. From Poway, Calif., meet Max Alcorn.
 
Student Life
Favorite spot on campus: Koret Health Center
Favorite class: Investment Analysis because I enjoy studying the financial markets
Hardest class: Asian Philosophy
Favorite place to study on campus: Library
Balancing the demands of school and your sport: It's tough and very time consuming, especially frequently missing classes for tournaments. Planning ahead and communicating with professors is key to being successful.
What experience made the biggest impact on you in the classroom? My Financial Statement Analysis class with Professor Ohara was the most real world applicable business class I have taken and helped me significantly in job interviews last fall.
The best thing about USF is: Being conveniently and centrally located to all that San Francisco has to offer.
 
Pop Culture
Favorite TV show: Entourage
Favorite movie: Anchorman
Last book you read: How to Train Your Golden Retriever
Favorite singer or band: blink-182
What's on your iPOD: Anything from Red Hot Chili Peppers to Future
 
Team
Top skill: Positive attitude
One thing you are always working on: Putting
One skill of one of your teammates you wish you had: Tim Widing's long drives
Pre-game rituals or superstitions before events: Solid breakfast and positive thoughts
Funniest teammate: Mathias Wentjarvi. He's sort of a father figure for the team
Favorite Jack Kennedy saying: "Stay patient."
Favorite bonding moment with your team: Trip to Cabo San Lucas
 
Sports
Sports teams I follow: San Diego Padres
Favorite athlete: Kawhi Leonard
Favorite athletic memory: Winning a travel basketball championship game with only four players on our team in the second half.
Biggest sports thrill: Hole in one in a golf tournament when I was 12
My second-best sport: Skiing or running
Sport I'm the worst at: Ice skating
Earliest sports memory: Ski lesson when I was four years old
First sport you ever played: Soccer
 
Food and Travel
Favorite meal: Steak and sweet potato fries
Favorite ethnic cuisine: Italian
Favorite snack food: Greek yogurt with fruit and granola
Guilty pleasure: Watermelon Sour Patch
Least favorite food: Hard boiled eggs
If I had to cook all of my meals, I'd survive on: Steak and yogurt
Who is the best cook on the team: Henry Chung
If stranded on an island, what/who would you bring with you: My girlfriend and our golden retriever.
Most interesting place you've ever visited: Melbourne, Australia
Place you'd most like to visit someday: Ibiza and the Greek Islands
Favorite place in San Francisco: Lands End
Describe your perfect day in San Francisco: Morning run to the beach through Golden Gate Park followed by brunch in the Marina. Then enjoy a sunny day with friends at Dolores Park, capped off with a nice dinner in North Beach.

Golf
Home course: StoneRidge Country Club in Poway, CA
Favorite course: Cypress Point
Course you'd most like to play: Pebble Beach
Introduction into golf: Summer junior golf camp with my brother when I was 9 years old
Dream foursome: Dad, brother, Tiger Woods and myself.
Favorite golfer: Tiger Woods
One part of your game you are always working on: Putting
Constant swing thought: Keep my swing plane shallow
Favorite major tournament to watch: The Masters
Best tip for a weekend golfer: Have a good swing tempo and have a fun time
 
This and That
Hobbies: Surfing, skiing, running, playing with my dog
Pick three words to describe yourself: Easy-going, friendly, ambitious
Early riser or night owl: Early riser
Something people would be surprised to know about me: I wear contacts when I sleep. It's called Orthokeratology.
Person I'd most like to meet: Warren Buffet
Talent I wish I had: Singing
Role models: My parents and brother
My parents were right when they said: "Mom is always right"
Moment in my life I'll always remember: Family ski trip over Christmas when it snowed like 12 feet
Things I collect: Memories
In 10 years, I'd like to be: Living the dream in a nice house with a couple dogs and a family
If I could trade places with someone for a day, it would be: Kelly Slater
Three people from history you'd like to have dinner with: Shane McConkey, Michael Jordan, John Daly
Pet peeves: People that smoke cigarettes or vape
Cats or dogs: Dogs, particularly golden retrievers
Best advice you've ever received and who was it from: My mom: "If you're going to spend time doing something you might as well do it well and be the best you can possibly be"
Describe your perfect day: A day where I could somehow ski deep powder alongside my dad, brother, and uncles, surf glassy waves in Del Mar, and get in a round of golf all in the same day.
Tell us about your hometown: Poway -- also known as "the city in the country" -- is a nice town 20 minutes inland from Del Mar in northern San Diego County. There's plenty of good hiking trails, easy access to the beach, and abundant sunshine.