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Monday, January 31, 2011

Bubba Wins Farmers Insurance Open

Bubba Watson claims victory number 2 on the PGA Tour
Former Bulldog, Bubba Watson picked up his second career victory on the PGA Tour Sunday by winning the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.  Watson grabbed the lead on the third hole in the final round and used his putter to hold off Phil Mickelson to win by a single stroke.  Bubba's final round 67 included an up and down for par on 17 and a birdie from a greenside bunker on 18.  


This was Bubba's second win in six months on the PGA Tour, after winning the Travelers Championship in June.  The winner's check of $1,044,000 vaulted Bubba to 2nd on the PGA Tour Money List and the 500 Fed-Ex points also puts him 2nd in Fed-Ex Cup point standings.  Thanks to this win, Bubba also moved up to 18 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
2011 Farmers Insurance Open Champion, Bubba Watson
Bubba also leaves the Farmers Insurance Open in sole possession of first place in the chase for the Kodak Challenge $1 million prize. His third-round eagle on the 570-yard par 5 Kodak Challenge hole No. 18 propelled him into the top spot.
After the win, Bubba added,  " I have showed I can do it. I've done it twice now. I'm only 50 behind Phil and about 80 behind Tiger. So they better watch out."

Friday, January 28, 2011

Bulldog Golf Story #1 in 2010: Russell Henley wins Fred Haskins Award

Russell Henley capped off one of the best seasons of any Bulldog Golfer by becoming the first ever Bulldog to receive the Fred Haskins Award.  Considered the Heisman Trophy of college golf, The Haskins Award is given annually to the most outstanding player in college golf.  Votes from college players and coaches, past recipients of the Haskins Award, and members of the National Golf Writers Association determine the recipient of the award. The Fred Haskins award is named in memory of the former head professional of the Country Club of Columbus in Columbus, GA.
Russell Henley receives the Haskins Award at Sanford Stadium
Henley's name now resides on the Haskins Award along side names like: Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Jay Haas, Bobby Clampett, Bob Tway, Brad Faxon, Scott Verplank, Phil Mickelson, Billy Mayfair, Bob Estes, David Duval, Stewart Cink, Justin Leonard, Hunter Mahan, Graeme McDowell, and Tiger Woods.

The award was first given out in 1971 to Ben Crenshaw.  Crenshaw won the award again in '72 and '73 and was the only three time recipient until Phil Mickelson won the award in '90, '91, and '92.  Tiger Woods was the recipient of the Haskins Award following his 1996 college season. Henley is only the second golfer from the SEC to receive the award, joining the 1976 winner, Phil Hancock from Florida.

Currently the Haskins Award is available for viewing at the Boyd Golf Center here in Athens until this spring when it will be returned to its home at the Country Club of Columbus.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Bulldog Golf Story # 2 in 2010: Dawgs Play in U.S. Open

This past June, "Go Dawgs!" was being heard all over the Pebble Beach Golf Links during the U.S. Open.  Current team members Hudson Swafford, Russell Henley, and former Bulldog All-American Erik Compton, qualified for the 110th playing of the U.S. Open be advancing through sectional qualifying.
Russell Henley, Coach Chris Haack, Erik Compton, and Hudson Swafford

Swafford at the 2010 U.S. Open
Hudson Swafford won both his local and sectional qualifiers for the Open.  The qualifiers represented his return to competitive golf after sitting out the 2009-'10 college season to have surgery to repair his torn cartilage in his shoulder.  Swafford's sectional qualifier was in Germantown, TN and also included numerous PGA Tour pros who were playing in the St. Jude Classic that same week in Memphis.  Hudson finished one shot clear of runners-up,  Mathias Gronberg and Paul Goydos after firing rounds of 67 and 65 to stand at 10 under.  Playing in his first round of a major championship, Hudson made quite a splash by being tied for the round one lead at one point during the day.

Henley on 18 at Pebble Beach

Russell Henley was also playing in his first major championship by virtue of him winning his sectional qualifier at Settindown Creek in Roswell, GA.  Henley finished 5 shots clear of the field thanks to a second round 64.  The 2010 College Player of the Year made the cut and tied for low amateur by finishing tied for 16th place.  During the final round, Henley was paired with Tom Watson in front of an overflowing gallery.  Coming up 18, Henley was greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd to recognize his play for the week.

Erik Compton


Erik Compton also made the field at the Open.  Erik continues to play golf competitively, despite having endured two heart transplants in his life.  During the first two rounds, Compton and Henley were paired together and were joined by Coach Haack in the gallery.  Compton has gained conditional status for the Nationwide Tour in 2011 and is scheduled to play here at UGA in the Stadion Athens Classic in May.


Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Bulldog Golf Story #3 in 2010: Dawgs Rule SEC

In 2010 the Bulldogs made it a clean sweep of the awards handed out by the SEC.  In April,  the Dawgs were able to successfully defend the SEC Championship on the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club, giving the program it's 28th conference crown.  The Bulldogs finished 5 shots ahead of Florida and Ole Miss, who tied for second. The 28th SEC title represents the most titles for any program in the SEC among all schools and all sports.
2010 SEC Champs!
2010 SEC Medalist and Golfer of the Year, Russell Henley
The Bulldogs were also able to bring the individual medalist trophy back to Athens thanks to Russell Henley.  Henley had to defeat South Carolina's George Bryan in a playoff after both players finished at 6 under 204.  The playoff took place on the 18th hole and both players made par on their first trip up 18 during the playoff.  In front of many Georgia fans wearing red and black, Henley made birdie on the second trip up 18 to give UGA their 15th SEC medalist in program history.  Henley was also chosen as the SEC Golfer of the Year, as well as being named to the All-SEC first team.
2010 SEC Freshman of the Year, Bryden Macpherson
Freshman Bryden Macpherson finished 8th individually at the championship after holding the first round individual lead with a 67.  Macpherson was awarded Freshman of the Year in the SEC, as well as being named to the SEC All-Freshmen Team and the All-SEC second team.
Harris English was named first team All-SEC
In addition to Golfer of the Year and Freshman of the Year, the Bulldogs were represented with another All-SEC member.  Harris English was named to the All-SEC first team.
2010 SEC Coach of the Year, Chris Haack
The 2010 SEC Coach of the Year honors went to Coach Haack for the fourth time in his career.  The SEC win was the 7th of his career and also represented the 44th team title in his tenure.  The Bulldogs are the only team to win multiple SEC titles from 2000 to 2010, winning a total of 6 team titles during those years.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Bulldog Golf Story #4 in 2010: Bubba Watson's Great Year

Former Bulldog, Bubba Watson enjoyed a career year on the golf course in 2010.  The former college All-American was able to get his first win on the PGA Tour, finish runner-up at the PGA Championship, and was named to the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
Former Bulldog All-American Bubba Watson
Watson earned a total of $3,198.998 in official PGA Tour events while finishing 8th in the FedEx Cup standings.  Bubba got off to a strong start in 2010 with a runner-up finish at the Bob Hope Classic and added another top 5 finish in March at the Transitions Championship.  Watson's big breakthrough came in June when he was able to overcome a 6 shot final round deficit at The Travelers Championship. Bubba would go on to defeat 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup Team Captain Corey Pavin, and tour veteran Scott Verplank, in a playoff to secure his first PGA Tour win.
Bubba continued his stellar play by shooting four sub-par rounds at the PGA Championship.  His four round total was good enough to finish tied for first and force a 3 hole aggregate playoff with Martin Kaymer.  Kaymer would defeat Bubba in the playoff, but his performance at the PGA helped him secure a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
Watson lettered for the Bulldogs in 2000 and 2001 and was named All-SEC and honorable mention All-American in 2000.
Tonight on the Golf Channel, Bubba will be a guest of Tim Rosaforte as the focus of his weekly interview series scheduled to air at 6:00 p.m.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Bulldog Golf Story #5 in 2010: Henley and English Invited to Walker Cup Practice Session

This past November, seniors Russell Henley and Harris English were named to a 16 member squad of amateurs who were invited to a three day practice session for potential 2011 Walker Cup team members.  The three-day session was recently held during the first week of January at Old Memorial Golf Club in Tampa, Fla.   The practice session allowed the team’s selectors to meet potential players, build team camaraderie and practice foursomes (alternate shot) play, a foreign format to many Americans. The team will be captained by Jim Holtgrieve, who was a member of three winning Walker Cup teams in 1979, 1981, and 1983.
Harris English had strong finishes in USGA events during 2010
Both English and Henley had impressive summers in 2010 that landed them on the radar of the USGA Walker Cup selection committee.  Harris English qualified for the U.S. Amateur and made it to the round of 16.  He also made it to the round of 8 in the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. English was also named Second Team All-American and First Team All-SEC while winning two tournaments during his Junior year.
Russell Henley had a busy summer by playing in the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Open and finished T16th as low amateur, and represented the U.S. on the victorious Palmer Cup team.  Henley was named First Team All-American, First Team All-SEC, as well as being named the recipient of the Fred Haskins Award, which is  given annually to the top player in college golf.  Russell also claimed four tournament titles during his Junior year as a Bulldog.
Henley was low Amateur at the 2010 U.S. Open

Additional information can be read at golfweek.com:  http://www.golfweek.com/news/2010/nov/19/usga-selects-16-players-walker-practice-session/

Friday, January 21, 2011

Bulldog Golf Story #6 in 2010: Kirk, Kisner, and McQuillan Get PGA Tour Cards

This year the PGA Tour welcomes three former Bulldogs as rookie members.  Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner, and Matt McQuillan will tee it up along side the best golfers in the world in 2011.
2011 PGA Tour Rookie and former Bulldog All-American, Chris Kirk
Kirk gained his PGA Tour card by finishing 2nd on the 2010 Nationwide Tour money list earning $411,206 for his stellar play.  He won twice on the Nationwide Tour in 2010, taking the titles at the Fort Smith Classic and the Knoxville Open.  Kirk was a member of the golf team from 2004-2007, winning 7 times as an individual in his career while being a member of the 2005 National Championship Team.  During the 05-06 season, Kirk set the record for lowest season scoring average as a Bulldog at 70.90.  Following that season, he was honored with the Ben Hogan Award for 2006, which is given annually to an amateur golfer based on their performance in amateur and college tournaments.  Kirk's name is solidly written in the Bulldog record books by finishing his time as a Bulldog 3rd in career scoring average (71.89), tied for first for top-10 finishes in a season (10), and 2nd in top-10 finishes in a career (24).
4 time All-American, Kevin Kisner 
Kevin Kisner locked up his PGA Tour card by finishing 11th on the 2010 Nationwide Tour money list earning $279,292 for the season.  Kisner had one victory at the Mylan Classic to go along with 6 top-10's.  As a freshman on the golf team, Kevin made an immediate impact by earning Freshman of the Year honors in the SEC. Kisner was great all four years here in Athens and left the program as the first four time All-American in Georgia Golf history.  Kevin was a member of the 2005 National Championship team.  His first round of 65 at Caves Valley lead the Bulldogs out to a lead they would never relinquish as they ran away from a field that included rival Georgia Tech at runner-up.  Kisner ranks 11th all time among Bulldogs in career top-10 finishes (14) and 17th in career stroke average (72.97).
Former Bulldog, Matt MaQuillan
Matt McQuillan played for the Bulldogs during the 2002-03 season after transferring from Oklahoma State.  The native of Canada earned his PGA Tour card by advancing through all 3 stages of the PGA Tour Qualifying School.  MaQuillan finished 16th in the final stage of q school at 11 under par.  This will be MaQuillan's 9th season as a professional as he competes on golf's biggest stage.  In his one year as a Bulldog, he helped the team win the 2002 Tennessee Tournament of Champions and finished with the second best stroke average on the team.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Bulldog Golf Story #7 in 2010: The Stadion Athens Classic and The Tee-Off Village


This past May, The Nationwide Tour came back to Athens with a new name and a new twist. The Stadion Athens Classic was played on the UGA Golf Course as the course played host to the Nationwide Tour for the first time.  The Robert Trent Jones layout was in perfect condition during tournament week and drew rave reviews from the players who started nicknaming the 7,240 yard course the "Nationwide's Augusta".
Spectators watching the action on #17

 The Athens and UGA communities came out in strong numbers to support the event, with all proceeds from ticket sales going to local charities through a program named Tickets FORE Charity.  The tournament distributed $88,000 to 37 local charities, in the first year of the event.
Martin Piller won the tournament at 12 under 272, one better than Daniel Summerhays.  Nine current and former Bulldogs played in the event with Kevin Kisner having the best showing in tying for 10th.
 Because the event is held on the home course of the Georgia Bulldog Golf Team, the Stadion Athens Classic invites two current members of the men's golf team to play along side the professionals and compete in the tournament.  The two players who receive the sponsor invitation's are the two individuals on the team who have the lowest stroke averages over the course of the current season.  This past year those invitations went to Russell Henley and Harris English.
Russell Henley competing in The Stadion Athens Classic
Harris English tied for 27th in the Stadion Athens Classic


BulldogsScoresFinish
Justin Bolli74-69-7273--288T60
Paul Claxton72-69-71-75--287T56
Harris English(a)68-73-70-71--282T27
Brian Harmon73-70-66-72--281T18
Russell Henley(a)73-70-73-67--283T35
Chris Kirk69-73-68-73--283T35
Kevin Kisner73-65-72-70--280T10
Matt Peterson71-76--147(+5)m/c
Brendon Todd76-74--150(+8)m/c


The UGA Tee-Off Village
One of the highlights of the week was the Tee-Off Club Village, which was located behind the #17 green.  The Village, a full service hospitality area,  allowed viewing of multiple areas on the golf course.  Admission to the Village was reserved for members of the UGA Tee-Off Club and allowed the members to come out and cheer both the former Bulldogs and the current Bulldogs.  Both English and Henley were fresh off winning the program's 28th SEC Championship, with Henley taking the individual title at the SEC Championship.
The UGA Tee-Off Club will again have The Village on the grounds of the UGA Golf Course during the Stadion Athens Classic again this May.  Make plans to come cheer the Dawgs on the golf course May 5-8.  Additional information can be found at www.stadionathensclassic.uga.edu.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Bulldog Golf Story #8 in 2010: Peter Persons Inducted Into The Georgia Golf Hall of Fame

This Saturday night at The Atlanta Athletic Club, Peter Persons, one of the all time great Bulldog golfers, will formally be inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.  Persons was a member of the UGA Golf Team from 1983-86 while being part of a SEC Championship Team in 1983 and winning the SEC individual title in 1985.
Persons 1985-86 Media Guide Picture
Peter Persons has been successful as a competitive golfer at every level of play, from junior to professional, and his accomplishments over that period of time earned him entry into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.

Persons became the first player to win both the Georgia Junior Championship and the Georgia Amateur Championship, a feat that has since been matched by Bulldogs Brian Harman and Russell Henley.   He was invited to play in the 1986 Masters Tournament following a runner-up finish in the 1985 U.S. Amateur. He subsequently had a successful run on the PGA Tour, winning one title and having three exempt seasons on the Tour.

Persons won the 1980 Georgia Junior by seven strokes at Houston Lake CC in Perry against a field that included fellow future tour players Davis Love III and Gene Sauers.

His Georgia Amateur victory came in 1984 at Sheraton Savannah Resort (now Wilmington Island Club) in a sudden death playoff over UGA teammate Louis Brown, where he became the first  to win the Amateur and Junior.

In his college career, he was part of Georgia’s SEC championship 1982-83 team and he finished fifth individually in the NCAA championship. In the ‘83-84 season, he set a school competitive record round in relation to par with a nine-under 63. In ‘84-85, he won the SEC individual title, was fourth in the NCAA, was named first team all-SEC and second team all-American. In his senior year of ‘85-86, he was elected captain of the team, won two titles, finished third individually in the NCAA and was a first team SEC and all-American selection. His season scoring average of 70.97 was the lowest in school history up to that point and his career average of 71.79 shares the lowest with Eric Compton.

His 1985 runner-up finish to Sam Randolph in the U.S. Amateur at Montclair Golf Club in New Jersey was as significant for sportsmanship as the golf play. Randolph fell ill during the early stages of the match and the USGA allowed him a few minutes to recover. Persons was gracious in permitting his opponent the time to gather himself, and the match continued without further incident, with Randolph winning, 2 and 1.

In his Masters experience, Persons scored 153 and missed the cut, but had the fourth lowest score of the 10 amateurs to participate that year.

 As a member of the PGA Tour, he won the 1990 Chattanooga Classic with a 20-under-par total of 260, the lowest 72-hole total of that year. He finished 56th in earnings that year and remained an exempt player on the tour for the following two seasons.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Bulldog Golf Story #9 in 2010: The Signing of Nick Reach, Sam and Sepp Straka

The #9 event in Bulldog Golf for 2010 was the signing of the freshman class who will step foot on campus in Athens this fall.  The class consists of Nick Reach from Moscow, PA and twin brothers, Sam and Sepp Straka from Valdosta, GA.
Reach attends Montverde Academy in Howey-in-the-Hills, FL after transferring from Scranton Prep so he could  focus on his golf while attending the Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy.  
Nick Reach of Moscow, PA
During his junior career, Reach recorded nine top-20 finishes in American Junior Golf Association events, including four top-6 efforts. Reach was a semi finalist at the 2009 U.S. Junior Championship.  He also earned Rolex Junior All-America honors and was a member of the 2010 Canon Cup Team, joining former Bulldogs Ryuji Imada, Erik Compton, Bubba Watson, Ryan Hybl, Christo Greyling, Michael Green, Brendon Todd, Brian Harman, and Chris Kirk as past participants of a Cannon Cup Team.  In 2008, Reach became the fourth-youngest participant (16 years, three months, nine days) in a Nationwide Tour event. He has competed in the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic in Scranton twice.
"Nick is a talented young man, and we are excited about having him join the program," Haack said. "He's a great prospect with solid golf skills. We feel like he will be able to come in and compete right away for playing time. He will be a great addition to our program both academically and athletically."


The Straka brothers, Sam and Sepp, have never been far apart and that will continue to be true during their college years as Bulldogs.  The Lowndes High standouts have signed National Letters of Intent and will attend UGA together.  The two brothers are among the top junior golfers in the country and have played tournaments all over the U.S. as well as Austria. Both brothers are members of the Austrian national golf team.  Their father is from Austria and their mother is from Moultrie. They lived in Austria until they were 14, when they moved to Valdosta.
Sepp and Sam signing their NLI's at Lowndes High
Sam won the United States Junior Amateur Qualifier in Kennesaw by four shots this past summer, and tied for 17th at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has earned five victories on the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour, including the 2008 Tournament of Champions.
Sam Straka
Sepp has won the Austrian Junior Championship each of the past two years. He also has one victory on the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour, and has 10 top-5 finishes in addition to a runner-up finish at the prestigious Donald Ross Junior.
Sepp Straka
“We are excited about having Sam and Sepp join our program,” said Haack.  “They are excellent young prospects. They have a lot of potential, and I think they will have the opportunity to come in and play right away.” 



Friday, January 14, 2011

Bulldog Golf Story #10 in 2010: The Golf Letterman's Four Ball

Louis Brown and Clark Spratlin hoisting the Oliver Trophy

The #10 event in Bulldog Golf for 2010 was a reunion of over 60 former members of the golf team.  On Friday, November 5th,  former lettermen of the golf team came back to Athens to participate in the Golf Letterman's Four Ball.  The two man teams competed for the Oliver Trophy, which is the oldest piece of Bulldog Golf history dating back to 1924, when William Oliver was the first name inscribed on the trophy.
The team of Bill Adams and Boog Layton took low Net with a score of 63 and there was a 5-way tie for low Gross between the teams of Rob Butler/ David Potts, David Denham/ Richard Scott, Bryant Odom/ Nick Cassini, Louis Brown/ Clark Spratlin, and Tim Simpson/ Jim Becker  at (-3) 68.  Those five teams competed in a chip-off from the grass behind the clubhouse hitting a downhill chip over the cart-path to a back right pin position on the 9th green.  The team of Louis Brown and Clark Spratlin was officially declared the winning team because of Brown’s chip in the chip-off.  


In case any of you need a fishing partner in the near future, please call Carter Smith and Russ Dunaway, who each took home a fishing pole as prizes for having the highest score in the Gross division.


Plans are currently in the works to have another reunion/golf tournament again this fall, here in Athens.  
Pictures from the day can be viewed here: 

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Welcome to 2011 and UGATEEOFF.COM

Dear Bulldog Golf Fans,


With the new year here bringing us some snow and ice, it also brings us a new way to keep you informed of all things happening in the world of Bulldog Golf.  Welcome to  UGATEEOFF.COM, the internet home of the UGA Tee-Off Club!  This website will allow the Tee-Off Club to keep you informed of newsworthy events and stories in a timely manner like never before.  All scores and results from every golf team event, as well as news about all things relating to Bulldog Golf, will be available here at ugateeoff.com.

Team Prepares for Spring Season and SEC Championship

2011 is setting up to be another exciting year for the golf team as they get ready to start the spring portion of their season. With high aspirations, they will strive to win the program's 29th overall SEC Championship, which would also be the third in a row for the 'Dawgs.  The spring season begins in Puerto Rico at the Puerto Rico Classic on February 20th.


Follow Former Dawgs at the Sony Open

Starting today on the PGA Tour, 3 former Bulldogs begin their rookie seasons at the Sony Open in Hawaii.  Kevin Kisner, Chris Kirk, and Matt McQuillan tee off against 141 other golfers, including former Bulldog, Ryuji Imada at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, HI.  McQuillan tees off at 1:30 eastern time right in front of Kirk, who tees off at 1:40, with Imada starting off on #1 at 4:50 and Kisner following off the back side at 5:00.  All the action can be followed live at PGATour.com and on the Golf Channel beginning at 2:00 pm.

Kisner makes his PGA Tour debut in the Sony Open
Scott Michaux of the Augusta Chronicle, wrote an article featuring Kevin Kisner and his path to the PGA Tour.  Click on the link to read the article.

Vote for Dawgs in Online Poll
2011 is a Walker Cup year and GolfWeek.com has an online poll where fans can vote to see who they think should be on the 2011 Walker Cup Team.  You can vote for current Bulldogs: Russell Henley, Harris English, and Hudson Swafford in the poll by clicking on the link.  Go Dawgs!

Tomorrow we will begin counting down the Top 10 events in Bulldog Golf in 2010.  Check back tomorrow to see number 10.

Go Dawgs,
Jason Payne