Chris Haack, a two-time National Coach of the Year, and Nanci Bowen, an All-American and LPGA major winner, have been chosen for induction into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame, according to an announcement Tuesday by the Georgia State Golf Association.
The induction banquet will take place Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Joining Haack and Bowen in the Class of 2016 will be Stewart Maiden, James Mason and C. Layne Williams.
"I know I speak for Nanci and myself when I say that it is a tremendous honor for both of us," Haack said. "I'm proud that we can bring this type of recognition to our school and our program. It's humbling to enter a hall of fame, especially when you see the caliber of men and women already in there. Georgia Golf had a solid foundation built by men and women like Howell Hollis, Dick Copas, Liz Murphey and Beans Kelly, and I've just tried to be a good steward of it. We as coaches are only as successful as our players and I've been lucky enough to coach some pretty special guys. I just appreciate them bringing me along for the ride."
Haack has been the Bulldogs' head coach since the 1996-97 season and will be the first collegiate coach inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. He has led the Bulldogs to a school-record 56 tournament victories, including the 1999 and 2005 national championships and seven SEC titles.
Haack was chosen as the National Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2005 and earned SEC Coach of the Year honors in 1998, 2000, 2006 and 2010. He has produced 54 All-Americans and 13 Scholar All-Americans. Haack's golfers have earned 58 All-SEC certificates, including four SEC Players of the Year and seven SEC Freshmen of the Year.
Haack's former pupils include PGA Tour standouts Bubba Watson (the two-time Masters champion), Harris English, Brian Harman, Russell Henley, Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner, Brendon Todd, Erik Compton and Ryuji Imada. Last month, six of Haack's protégés played in the Masters -- Watson, Harman, Henley, Todd, Compton and Kirk.
In 2012, Haack added the position of UGA's Director of Golf. He serves as the liaison between the Athletic Association and the UGA Golf Course and he oversees the Boyd Center and the adjacent practice facilities.
Haack was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame in December of 2012, joining Georgia predecessors Hollis and Copas.
Haack will be the 14th man with connections to the Bulldogs' program to enter the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. He will join Tommy Barnes, Arnold Blum, David Boyd, Frank Eldridge, Jimmy Gabrielsen, George Hamer, Lyn Lott, Jack Lumpkin, Billy McWilliams, Peter Persons, Hugh Royer, Tim Simpson and Danny Yates.
Bowen played for Georgia from 1985-89 following a standout junior career. Born in Tifton, Bowen attended Tift County High School. She won the GSGA's Georgia Girls' Championships in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984.
"It's hard to believe," Bowen said. "I don't think it has really sunk in yet. I had good results in junior and college golf but winning that major is what really propelled me to the next level. I'm just thrilled to be mentioned in the same company with all of those other great golfers from the state of Georgia."
At Georgia, Bowen was a two-time All-America selection. In 1987, she was the individual runner-up at the SEC Championships, and in 1989, finished sixth at the NCAA Championships. Bowen helped Georgia claim the 1988 SEC Championship and finish second and sixth in the team field at the 1988 and 1989 NCAAs, respectively.
During her collegiate career, Bowen was a semifinalist at the 1987 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship and won the 1988 Trans-National Championship. Also as an amateur, she qualified for and competed in five U.S. Women's Open Championships.
Bowen turned professional and joined the LPGA Tour in 1990. She captured her first professional victory at the Nabisco Dinah Shore in 1995, one of the LPGA's major championships. Bowen crossed the $1 million mark in career earnings in 2002. She was a member of the LPGA Tour Player Executive Committee from 1999 to 2001 and served as Vice President in 2001.
Bowen currently resides in Travelers Rest, S.C., and is currently teaching golf in Greenville, S.C.
Bowen is just the second Georgia women's golfer inducted in the hall of fame, joining 2012 inductee Vicki Goetze-Ackerman.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
DeMoss, Reach, Strakas To Graduate May 8
With the spring semester ending on Monday, Georgia's players are now focused on their final exams. On Friday, May 8, Mookie DeMoss, Nicholas Reach, and Sam and Sepp Straka will be participating in graduation exercises.
• Next Monday evening, the Bulldogs will learn their destination for an NCAA Regional that will be held at one of six sites May 14-16. The top five schools from each regional will advance to the NCAA Championships May 29-June 3 in Bradenton, Fla.
• Erik Compton and Hudson Swafford came in 12th in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Kevin Kisner placed 28th at 14-under and Harris English missed the cut.
• The World Golf Championships-Cadillac Match Play is on tap this week in San Francisco. Chris Kirk, Russell Henley, Harris English, Brendon Todd and Bubba Watson are slated to play.
• Next Monday evening, the Bulldogs will learn their destination for an NCAA Regional that will be held at one of six sites May 14-16. The top five schools from each regional will advance to the NCAA Championships May 29-June 3 in Bradenton, Fla.
• Erik Compton and Hudson Swafford came in 12th in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Kevin Kisner placed 28th at 14-under and Harris English missed the cut.
• The World Golf Championships-Cadillac Match Play is on tap this week in San Francisco. Chris Kirk, Russell Henley, Harris English, Brendon Todd and Bubba Watson are slated to play.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Bulldogs Finish Seventh In SEC Championship
The Georgia men’s golf team finished in a tie for seventh at the Southeastern Conference Championship on Sea
Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course.
The Bulldogs shot a final-round 3-over 283 to land at 2-over
842, the same score as Florida. Team honors went to LSU at 13-under 827,
followed by South Carolina and Vanderbilt at 10-under 830, and Auburn and
Alabama at 7-under 833.
Zach Healy wound up 11th individually at 2-under 208, South
Carolina’s Matthew NeSmith took medalist honors at 14-under 196, followed by
Auburn’s Ben Schlottman at 8-under 202.
Lee McCoy followed Healy at 1-under 209 for 17th, while Greyson Sigg finished
at 1-over 211, Mookie DeMoss came in at 6-over 216 and SeppStraka wound up at 8-over 218.
• On May 5, the Bulldogs will learn their destination for an
NCAA Regional that will be held at one of six sites May 14-16. The top five
schools from each regional will advance to the NCAA Championships May 29-June 3
in Bradenton, Fla.
• Lee McCoy has been chosen as a member of the United States Palmer Cup Team. The Americans will play their collegiate European counterparts in a Ryder Cup-style competition June 12-14 at Rich Harvest Farms outside Sugar Grove, Ill.
• Jim Furyk won the RBC Heritage on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title in five years, making birdies on both playoff holes to outlast Kevin Kisner. Furyk was ahead by a stroke when Kisner birdied the 72nd hole to force the playoff, the fourth in the last six tournaments at Harbour Town.
On the first extra hole, Kisner rolled in a second straight birdie putt on the 18th. But Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, answered with a birdie to keep the playoff going. After Kisner missed his birdie try on No. 17, Furyk sank a 12-foot putt for his 17th career PGA Tour win.
Brian Harman and Hudson Swafford came in 44th at 4-under, while Chris Kirk was 69th at 2-over and Russell Henley missed the cut.
• The PGA Tour stop this week is the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Kevin Kisner, Erik Compton, Harris English and Hudson Swafford are in the field.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Bulldogs Set Their Sights On SEC Championship
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. --- The Georgia men’s golf team will join its fellow league members this weekend in the Southeastern Conference Championship at the Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island.
The second-seeded Bulldogs will play Friday through Sunday on the par-70, 7,055-yard layout on the Seaside Course. Georgia is ranked No. 29 by Golfweek and No. 34 by Golfstat in this week's polls.
Georgia will use a lineup of senior Mookie DeMoss, juniors Lee McCoy and Sepp Straka, sophomore Greyson Sigg and freshman Zach Healy. This will be McCoy’s third and Sigg’s second conference tournament, while DeMoss, Straka and Healy will be making their SECs debut.
The Bulldogs will be paired with Florida and Texas A&M in the first round on Friday. The players will tee off in 10-minute increments between 9:10-9:50 a.m. Live results and tee times can be found at Golfstat.com and SECSports.com.
It’s been something of an up-and-down season for the Bulldogs. They have won three tournaments and finished in the top five in eight of 11 events. But Georgia also has come in 10th, 14th and 15th this year. Over the last month, however, the Bulldogs have won once, finished second twice and taken third once.
“We’re playing better right now,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “We’ve been more consistent the back half of the spring, so hopefully we’re peaking at the right time. It’s been a weird year. When we’ve been good, we’ve been really good. But we had a couple of tournaments where we didn’t show up. Luckily, the last half of the season, we’ve gotten better and we’ve been competing pretty well against some of the best teams in the country. We know we can compete; we just have to do it on a more consistent basis.”
McCoy currently is rated third in the World Amateur Golf Rankings as well as in the Golfweek/Sagarin and GolfStat polls. He has won each of the Bulldogs’ last three tournaments, becoming the first Georgia player to accomplish that feat. McCoy has four wins overall this season, tying the school record set by Chris Kirk in 2006-07 and matched by Russell Henley in 2009-10.
“We have mixed emotions about the year,” McCoy said. “We wish we had a couple of them back. We weren’t happy with how we played at all ion them. But when we’ve put up the good numbers, a lot of good things have happened for us. We’re getting to the part of the season that really matters and hopefully we can all put it together on the same day.”
The SEC is as strong as ever with three schools ranked in the top 10 and two others in the top 25.
“I think this tournament is as wide open as I’ve ever seen it, so anything can happen,” Haack said. “Our league is really tough, top to bottom, and I don’t know that there’s a clear-cut favorite. I think it’s going to be an exciting championship. It’s anybody’s ballgame and that really shows the strength of our conference.”
The Bulldogs will be wearing the initials “DM” on their caps this week in honor of David Miller, the All-American and All-SEC performer for the Bulldogs who passed away last month at the age of 36.
“David was one of my first signees and he helped us win our first SEC title (in 1998),” Haack said. “We are wearing his initials because he remains in our thoughts and hopefully he can look down and help guide us to another one.”
Georgia has been a dominant force at the SECs, winning a league-best 28 conference titles. Under Haack, the Bulldogs have secured seven SEC titles, including five of the tournaments held at Sea Island. Georgia also boasts 15 SEC medalists, including Haack protégés Bryant Odom (2001), Brendon Todd (2004) and Henley (2010).
The second-seeded Bulldogs will play Friday through Sunday on the par-70, 7,055-yard layout on the Seaside Course. Georgia is ranked No. 29 by Golfweek and No. 34 by Golfstat in this week's polls.
Georgia will use a lineup of senior Mookie DeMoss, juniors Lee McCoy and Sepp Straka, sophomore Greyson Sigg and freshman Zach Healy. This will be McCoy’s third and Sigg’s second conference tournament, while DeMoss, Straka and Healy will be making their SECs debut.
The Bulldogs will be paired with Florida and Texas A&M in the first round on Friday. The players will tee off in 10-minute increments between 9:10-9:50 a.m. Live results and tee times can be found at Golfstat.com and SECSports.com.
It’s been something of an up-and-down season for the Bulldogs. They have won three tournaments and finished in the top five in eight of 11 events. But Georgia also has come in 10th, 14th and 15th this year. Over the last month, however, the Bulldogs have won once, finished second twice and taken third once.
“We’re playing better right now,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “We’ve been more consistent the back half of the spring, so hopefully we’re peaking at the right time. It’s been a weird year. When we’ve been good, we’ve been really good. But we had a couple of tournaments where we didn’t show up. Luckily, the last half of the season, we’ve gotten better and we’ve been competing pretty well against some of the best teams in the country. We know we can compete; we just have to do it on a more consistent basis.”
McCoy currently is rated third in the World Amateur Golf Rankings as well as in the Golfweek/Sagarin and GolfStat polls. He has won each of the Bulldogs’ last three tournaments, becoming the first Georgia player to accomplish that feat. McCoy has four wins overall this season, tying the school record set by Chris Kirk in 2006-07 and matched by Russell Henley in 2009-10.
“We have mixed emotions about the year,” McCoy said. “We wish we had a couple of them back. We weren’t happy with how we played at all ion them. But when we’ve put up the good numbers, a lot of good things have happened for us. We’re getting to the part of the season that really matters and hopefully we can all put it together on the same day.”
The SEC is as strong as ever with three schools ranked in the top 10 and two others in the top 25.
“I think this tournament is as wide open as I’ve ever seen it, so anything can happen,” Haack said. “Our league is really tough, top to bottom, and I don’t know that there’s a clear-cut favorite. I think it’s going to be an exciting championship. It’s anybody’s ballgame and that really shows the strength of our conference.”
The Bulldogs will be wearing the initials “DM” on their caps this week in honor of David Miller, the All-American and All-SEC performer for the Bulldogs who passed away last month at the age of 36.
“David was one of my first signees and he helped us win our first SEC title (in 1998),” Haack said. “We are wearing his initials because he remains in our thoughts and hopefully he can look down and help guide us to another one.”
Georgia has been a dominant force at the SECs, winning a league-best 28 conference titles. Under Haack, the Bulldogs have secured seven SEC titles, including five of the tournaments held at Sea Island. Georgia also boasts 15 SEC medalists, including Haack protégés Bryant Odom (2001), Brendon Todd (2004) and Henley (2010).
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Bulldogs At The Masters
 |
| Erik Compton, Bubba Watson, Brendon Todd, Billy Payne, Chris Kirk, Brian Harman and Russell Henley at Augusta National on Wednesday. Photo by Augusta National/Rusty Jarrett |
Compton makes cut at Masters, then discovers his wife on crutches
Kirk bounces back from tough start in second round at the Masters
Henley overcomes triple-bogey for solid round
Harman, Todd gain experience, miss the cut at the Masters
Henley, Watson lead UGA’s Masters contingent
Russell Henley post-round Masters news conference
Georgia Bulldogs Have Large Masters Contingent
Now a two-time Masters champion, Bubba Watson using his 'platform the right way'
Compton’s story keeps UGA in Masters limelight
Bubba Watson reveals Champions Dinner menu
20 Masters rookies look to make a splash
Augusta National 'course suits' former UGA golfer Kirk's game
Todd readies for Masters after breakthrough win at 2014 Byron Nelson Championship
Many more Dawgs in the Masters
 |
| Bubba Watson, right, speaks with Billy Payne, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, during the practice round Monday. Watson and Payne are UGA alums. |
Monday, April 6, 2015
McCoy Makes History With Third Straight Win
AUGUSTA, Ga. --- Georgia’s Lee McCoy made school history on Sunday as he claimed medalist honors in the 3M Augusta Invitational at Forest Hills Golf Club.
McCoy won his third consecutive tournament, becoming the first Bulldog to accomplish that feat. The junior has won four times overall this year, matching the single-season school record set by Chris Kirk in 2006-07.
McCoy fired a final-round 8-under 64 to finish at 16-under 200. The 8-under and 16-under totals are the second-lowest round and tournament figures, respectively, in school history. McCoy’s season average now stands at 69.54.
“Lee is playing with a tremendous amount of confidence right now,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “He is finding out just how good he can be, and it’s resulting in one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen at Georgia.”
McCoy led the Bulldogs’ second- and third-round surges up the leaderboard in Augusta. Georgia ended up third at 22-under 842, including a 10-under 278 on Sunday after a second-round 11-under 277 Saturday. New Mexico took team honors at 26-under 838, followed by Illinois at 23-under 841, Georgia, Texas at 20-under 844 and Houston at 17-under 847.
Senior Mookie DeMoss placed 13th at 4-under 212, followed by sophomore Jaime Lopez Rivarola at 2-under 214, and junior Sepp Straka and freshman Zach Healy both at 2-over 218.
Playing as an individual, sophomore Greyson Sigg – an Augusta native – placed 13th at 4-under 212.
The Bulldogs will return to action April 17-19 at the SEC Championship on St. Simons Island.
• At the Shell Houston Open, Russell Henley was the top Bulldog as he came in fourth at 14-under. Erik Compton placed 55th at 4-under, while Kevin Kisner, Hudson Swafford and Brian Harman missed the cut.
• Six Bulldogs -- defending champion Bubba Watson, Russell Henley, Brian Harman, Erik Compton, Chris Kirk and Brendon Todd -- will be playing in the Masters and we'll have more on the blog throughout the week so please check back.
• Georgia mourns the passing of Frank Eldridge. Born in Valdosta in 1937, Eldridge was a member of the Bulldogs' SEC championship teams of 1957, 1958 and 1959. Eldridge enjoyed a successful amateur career, including winning the 1959 Southeastern Am, and he later served on the Georgia State Golf Association’s Board of Directors during the 1960s and 70s. He was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 2014.
• At the Shell Houston Open, Russell Henley was the top Bulldog as he came in fourth at 14-under. Erik Compton placed 55th at 4-under, while Kevin Kisner, Hudson Swafford and Brian Harman missed the cut.
• Six Bulldogs -- defending champion Bubba Watson, Russell Henley, Brian Harman, Erik Compton, Chris Kirk and Brendon Todd -- will be playing in the Masters and we'll have more on the blog throughout the week so please check back.
• Georgia mourns the passing of Frank Eldridge. Born in Valdosta in 1937, Eldridge was a member of the Bulldogs' SEC championship teams of 1957, 1958 and 1959. Eldridge enjoyed a successful amateur career, including winning the 1959 Southeastern Am, and he later served on the Georgia State Golf Association’s Board of Directors during the 1960s and 70s. He was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 2014.
Friday, April 3, 2015
Bulldogs Concluding Regular Season In Augusta
The Georgia men’s golf team will wrap up the regular-season portion of its schedule this weekend in the 3M Augusta Invitational.
The Bulldogs will compete Saturday and Sunday at Forest Hills Golf Club. The teams will play 36 holes on Saturday and 18 on Sunday on the par-72, 7,005-yard course.
Georgia will use a lineup of senior Mookie DeMoss, juniors Lee McCoy and Sepp Straka, sophomore Jaime Lopez Rivarola and freshman Zach Healy. Sophomore Greyson Sigg, an Augusta native, will compete as an individual.
McCoy leads the Bulldogs and ranks third in the SEC with a scoring average of 69.91. He has won two consecutive tournaments and three overall this season. McCoy is ranked fourth by GolfStat and sixth by Golfweek/Sagarin.
Straka is second on the team with a 72.3 scoring average, while DeMoss and Healy are coming off third-place showings at the Seahawk Intercollegiate in Wilmington, N.C.
Joining the Bulldogs and host GRU Augusta this weekend will be Texas, Illinois, Oklahoma State, New Mexico, Houston, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Purdue, Tennessee, Central Florida, Coastal Carolina, Middle Tennessee State and USC-Aiken.
The Bulldogs will be paired with GRU Augusta and Oklahoma State on Saturday. The first round will open with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. There is no cost for admission.
Next up for the Bulldogs will be the SEC Championship April 17-19 on St. Simons Island. That will be followed by an NCAA Regional May 14-16 at one of six sites, while the NCAA Championships will take place May 29-June 3 in Bradenton, Fla.
