Georgia Golfers Finish 17th At NCAA Championships

Sophomore, Keith Mitchell, was the low Bulldog at the NCAA Championship tying for 9th individually

The Georgia men's golf team saved its best for last on Thursday at the NCAA Championships.

The Bulldogs carded a 4-over-par 288 at The Riviera Club, seven shots better than their first round and 10 strokes better than their second round. Thursday's loop gave Georgia a three-day total of 29-over 881.

The Bulldogs, however, fell short of their goal of a top-8 finish to advance to match play. Georgia wound up in 17th place, six shots behind eighth. The teams advancing to match play starting on Friday were Alabama (859), UCLA (861), Texas (869), California (871), San Diego State (871), Washington (872) and Oregon (873). Kent State and Florida State shared the eighth spot at 875 and will have a playoff on Thursday to determine which team moves on.

"We're disappointed about not being able to advance, but we definitely closed on a high note," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "We avoided some of the big pitfalls today. We played a little looser today and down the stretch we finished better, which is something we wanted them to do."

Sophomore Keith Mitchell paced the Bulldogs on Thursday, firing a 2-under 69. Sophomore Brian Carter added a 1-over 72, junior T.J. Mitchell had a 2-over 73, freshman Nicholas Reach signed for a 3-over 74 and sophomore Joey Garber posted a 4-over 75.

Keith Mitchell wound up as the top Bulldog in the field, coming in ninth at 1-over 214. T.J. Mitchell finished at 5-over 218, followed by Reach at 12-over 225, Carter at 13-over 226 and Garber at 14-over 227. Illinois' Thomas Pieters claimed NCAA medalist honors as he finished at 5-under 208.

And while the 2012 season may be over, the Bulldogs quickly turned their attention to the 2013 campaign.

"Being here was a great accomplishment for our team," Carter said. "It's a tremendous help not losing anybody. Next year, the NCAAs are in Atlanta, and if we keep growing up, we might have a really good shot at it."

"Before the round, we told the guys we wanted them to learn for the future," Haack said. "We wanted to stress what it takes to have a complete round and how valuable every shot is for all three rounds. As they look back, they'll find a couple of shots they'll wish they had saved. If they learn that, it will be helpful down the road."

Added Keith Mitchell, "If we stick to our game plan next year and play strong through the fall and spring, I think we'll be fine."

Bulldogs Slip To 19th At NCAA Championships



Junior T.J. Mitchell is one of two Bulldogs tied for 25th individually at the NCAA Championship



 After climbing into contention early in the second round, the Georgia men's golf team slipped further back at the NCAA Championships on Wednesday at The Riviera Club.

The 20th-seeded Bulldogs successfully navigated the front nine and vaulted from the middle of the pack into the top 10. That position was a critical one as the top eight teams after Thursday's third round will advance to match play while the other 22 teams will be eliminated.

However, on the back nine, the Bulldogs went 12-over par and wound up at 14-over 298 for the day. After two rounds, Georgia is in 19th place at 25-over 593 --- nine strokes behind current eighth-place teams California, Kent State, Florida, Southern Cal and Illinois (584). Alabama has the overall lead at 572.

"We know exactly what we need to do," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "We're nine shots back, and it's up to us to get them back. We can't expect or rely on anyone to give them to us. Nine shots is a reachable goal, but we've got to show that we want it. Our goal all season has been to make it to match play at the NCAAs. Thursday is a growing-up kind of day for us. We need to come out blazing and try to get ourselves into that top eight. We had some positives early on today, so we need to build off of those. We also had some negatives, and we need to learn from them. Every walk around this golf course is an opportunity to learn and to perform well."

The Bulldogs will tee off in 10-minute increments on Thursday from 10:30 to 11:10 a.m. EST. Georgia will be paired with Chattanooga and Texas A&M.

Sophomore Keith Mitchell paced the Bulldogs on Wednesday with a 1-over 72. Junior T.J. Mitchell signed for a 3-over 74, while sophomore Joey Garber had a 4-over 75, and sophomore Brian Carter and freshman Nicholas Reach each posted a 6-over 77.

The Mitchells (no relation) are tied for 25th in the individual race at 3-over 145. They are eight strokes behind leader Thomas Pieters of Illinois (137). Reach is at 9-over 151, followed by Garber at 10-over 152 and Carter at 12-over 154. The individual national champion will be crowned following Thursday's round.

"Hopefully, we can keep our noses down all the way through the round Thursday," Keith Mitchell said. "We need to fire on all cylinders. We've got nothing to lose now. We need to shoot at every pin and make every putt because it could be our last competitive round of the year."

"We've got to put it together for a complete round," Haack said. "We've got to play all 18 and keep it going because anything can happen out here. We've played both nines well and both nines bad. We need to remember the good stuff and do it again."

"We need a good round Thursday," T.J. Mitchell said. "We're nine down, but you never know what will happen. The course is tough, so we've just got to hang in there, let it go and see what happens."

Live results and tee times can be found at NCAA.com.

Bulldogs Open NCAAs With 11-Over 295

Led by veteran T.J. Mitchell, the Georgia men's golf team posted an 11-over-par 295 in the first round of the NCAA Championships on Tuesday at The Riviera Club.

All 30 teams in the field will play 54 holes, with the top eight advancing to match play beginning on Friday. The Bulldogs stand 15th in the tightly bunched team race that has Alabama in first place at 1-over 285, two teams at 4-over, two teams at 5-over and five teams at 6-over. The 6-over squads occupy what would be the eighth spot, and the 20th-seeded Bulldogs trail them by just five shots.

Mitchell, the only Bulldog back from last year's NCAA finalist squad, paced Georgia on Tuesday with an even-par 71. The junior is 13th in the individual standings, with UCLA's Anton Arboleda leading at 4-under 67. Sophomore Keith Mitchell added a 2-over 73, while freshman Nicholas Reach signed for a 3-over 74, and sophomores Joey Garber and Brian Carter each had a 6-over 77.

"We had our chances," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "We played well in spurts, but we gave away a few at the beginning and a few at the end. We need to play better the next two rounds, and we'll see what happens. During the practice round, everybody hit it well. And they're all playing with confidence because I've seen it. We've just got to translate that into better scores This is a golf course that's known worldwide for being a great track, and you'd better respect it. You just can't give away shots. But the guys are learning. They're young and they're getting better."

"We kind of lost a few shots coming in, which is crucial because every shot counts," T.J. Mitchell said. "We've talked about that all year, making every shot count, especially at the Regionals and now at the NCAAs. We're in a good spot. We can get back in it by playing well the next two days. We seemed to settle in around the middle part of the course, and we need to remember that for Wednesday. We can't compound mistakes with other mistakes. We've got to stay in the present and try to have fun."

The Bulldogs will tee off in 10-minute increments between 3:40 and 4:20 EST in the second round on Wednesday. Thursday's third-round tee times will be determined by the 36-hole scores. Live results and pairings can be found at NCAA.com."If we can follow up with two good rounds, I think we'll be fine," Keith Mitchell said. "We need to get off to a great start, and if we're confident on the greens and stay with it, some putts will finally drop. It's a privilege to be out here, to play such a great course against such great competition. If we take it in and appreciate the opportunity we have, it will be a fun time."

Georgia Golfers Ready To Tee It Up At NCAAs

Georgia football coach Mark Richt has to replace three-fifths of his offensive line for the upcoming season. Bulldogs golf coach Chris Haack can relate.

Haack has gotten his Georgia men’s golf team back to the NCAA Championships despite saying goodbye to four members of the NCAA runner-up squad from a year ago (current professionals Harris English, Russell Henley, Bryden Macphersonand Hudson Swafford).

But as Haack noted after the Bulldogs qualified for the NCAAs, “I’d say it’s been a great year. No matter what happens, it’s been a great year.”

With that attitude in place, the Bulldogs will join 29 of the nation’s top teams at the Riviera Country Club (par-71, 7,292 yards) in Pacific Palisades, Calif., for the NCAAs, which will be held Tuesday through Sunday. The 30 teams are slated for 54 holes of stroke play, with the top eight then advancing to match play. The individual national champion also will be crowned after 54 holes.

Georgia is seeded 20th for the tournament and has been paired with Central Florida and Iowa for the first two rounds. Texas,  Alabama and California are the top three seeds for the NCAAs.

“The sky’s the limit for our team,” Haack said. “Our plan is to go out there, be relaxed and look at it as ‘why not us?’ If we play well, we can play with anybody else in the country. For these guys, this will be an invaluable experience to get to compete at this level, to feel that pressure and to see what it’s all about trying to win a championship.”

The Bulldogs will begin pursuit of the national title on Tuesday when they tee off in 10-minute increments from 10:20 to 11 a.m. Eastern. On Wednesday, Georgia will tee off from 3:40 to 4:20 p.m. The third-round tee times and pairings will be based on the 36-hole scores. Live scoring and tee times can be found at ncaa.com.

Georgia will use a lineup of junior T.J. Mitchell, sophomores Brian Carter, Joey Garber and Keith Mitchell, and freshman Nicholas Reach. T.J. Mitchell is the only Bulldog remaining from last year’s NCAA runner-up team; however, Garber played in 2011 for Michigan as it came in 10th. Carter, Keith Mitchell and Reach will be making their NCAA debuts.

Said T.J. Mitchell, the Bulldogs’ elder statesman, “Everything from here on is a plus. We’re looking forward to making it to the top eight, and then we’ll go from there. If you can get to match play, you never know what will happen.”

The Georgia quintet has been assembled for five additional events this season, highlighted by second-place efforts in the USF Invitational and the Linger Longer Invitational. With this lineup, the Bulldogs came in fourth in both the SEC Championship and the NCAA Athens Regional.

The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAAs for the 14th time in 16 seasons under Haack. Georgia won the 1999 and 2005 NCAA titles and came in second in 2007 and 2011.

“Making it to the NCAAs is a feeling that never gets old,” Haack said. “It’s an honor to be in the field, and that’s how we look at it. Without question, this is an elite field and we will have to play our best to be in the hunt. That said, our guys are excited about the opportunity and can’t wait for this challenge.”


Live scoring can be followed at www.golfstat.com

English Cards Course Record, Qualifies for British Open

Former Bulldog Harris English shot a course best and International Finals America qualifying record 60 to easily qualify for the British Open on Monday.

English shot a 63 in the afternoon in the par 70 Queens Course at Gleneagles Country Club, just outside of Dallas, for a 123 total, to snag one of the eight available spots for the Open from July 19-22 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in England.

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Darren Carroll/R&A/Getty ImagesHarris English plays a tee shot on the 18th hole during The Open Championship International Final Qualifying America.

The 60 was the lowest 18-hole qualifying score since the R&A began holding qualifying in the United States in 2004. Records were incomplete if it was the lowest 18-hole score ever shot in British Open qualifying.
"It was a very relaxing round. I just lost track on what I was doing," said English, whose best PGA Tour finish was a tie for 8th at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, earlier in the year. "It's pretty amazing."

He had eight birdies and one eagle on the par-5 10th hole in his record morning round, plus seven birdies in the afternoon.

Fred Couples' 62 in 2005 was the previous course record.

English, 22, said he was unaware of his record score until his caddy told him after making another birdie, his seventh, on his closing hole with a 20-foot birdie putt.

"It certainly was a nice surprise," English said.

Dawgs Advance to NCAA Championship

Needing a top-5 finish, the 24th-ranked Georgia men's golf team secured a berth in the NCAA Championships with a fourth-place effort on Saturday in the Athens Regional at the UGA Golf Course.

The Bulldogs finished at 12-over 864 with a 12-over 296 in the final round and next will play in the NCAAs May 30-June 3 at the Rivera Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Also advancing from the Athens Regional were Alabama (828), East Carolina (853), North Florida (858) and Iowa (866). Long Beach State's Philip Chian (210) claimed the regional's individual berth.

"At the beginning of the year, knowing all the new faces we were going to put in the lineup, I didn't even know if we'd have a chance to make it to the regionals," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "To be able to not only make it but finish fourth and move on, I'd say it's been a great year. No matter what happens, it's been a great year."

"Luckily we had enough clutch pars to get it done," sophomore Joey Garber said. "Whether you're first or fifth you're going, so we're happy about that."

The Bulldogs, sporting a lineup of one junior, three sophomores and a freshman, advanced to the NCAAs for the 14th time in 16 seasons under Haack. Georgia won the 1999 and 2005 NCAA titles and came in second in 2007 and 2011.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs got a 2-over 73 from junior T.J. Mitchell, 3-over 74s from Garber and freshman Nicholas Reach, and a 4-over 75 from sophomore Brian Carter. Sophomore Keith Mitchell had the Bulldogs' non-counting score of 7-over 78.

T.J. Mitchell came in seventh individually at 2-under 211, seven shots behind medalist Justin Thomas of Alabama (204). Carter placed 18th at 3-over 216, Garber finished 29th at 6-over 219, Reach came in 45th at 8-over 221 and Keith Mitchell placed 51st at 9-over 222.

"My heart lost a few years again and I'll probably have a few more gray hairs," said Haack, whose 2010 Bulldogs lost in a regional playoff and whose 2011 squad advanced by one stroke. "It is such a stressful week. To be able to get through it and make it, that's all we needed to do. We probably made it a little tighter than we needed to make it, but the guys came through. We're all excited, we'll have some fun and get ready for nationals. ... This is a great learning experience for these guys and it will pay dividends down the road."

Bulldogs Remain Fourth In NCAA Athens Regional

The 24th-ranked Georgia men's golf team remained fourth on Friday in the second round of the NCAA Athens Regional being held at the UGA Golf Course.
The Bulldogs shot a 4-over 288 on the par-71 layout on Friday to move to even-par 568 for the tournament.
 
The top five teams after Saturday's final round will advance to the NCAA Championships May 30-June 3 in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Georgia is seven shots ahead of fifth-place New Mexico and nine shots better than sixth-place North Carolina-Wilmington.
"We're still in good shape," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "We've got to go out and play solid tomorrow and not worry about what else is going on. That's what we'll preach to the guys: Don't worry about the leaderboard. It's a game; just go out and play."
 
Alabama has the overall team lead at 23-under 545, including an 8-under 276 on Friday. East Carolina is second at 11-under 557 and North Florida is third at 6-under 562.
Junior T.J. Mitchell paced the Bulldogs on Friday with a 1-under 70. Mitchell began the day with a double bogey and two bogeys on his first three holes, but responded with six birdies over 13 holes. Even with a bogey on No. 18, Mitchell was pleased with his round.
 
"I tried to stay mentally tough," Mitchell said. "I knew there were birdies to be made, so I just hung in there and tried to stay as mentally tough as I could and fight it out. I didn't get off to the start I wanted to, but I knew I could come around. I stayed confident even though the scores weren't as good at the beginning."
"To start off the way he did and to get under par is outstanding," Haack said. "It was probably the key to our round, having him make a comeback like that."
Sophomore Brian Carter added a 1-over 72, while sophomores Joey Garber and Keith Mitchell and freshman Nicholas Reach all signed for 2-over 73s.
 
T.J. Mitchell is sixth in the individual race at 4-under 138, five shots behind Alabama's Bobby Wyatt (133). Carter is 12th at 1-under 141, followed by Keith Mitchell in 26th at 2-over 144, Garber in 30th at 3-over 145 and Reach in 51st at 5-over 147.
The Bulldogs will tee on Saturday in 10-minute increments from 7:50 to 8:30 a.m. Georgia will be paired with New Mexico and UNC-Wilmington.
 
Live results and tee times for the Athens Regional can be found at golfstat.com. There is no charge for admission or parking for the event.