Bulldogs Begin Quest for Third National Championship

The Men's Golf Team will begin play in the 2011 NCAA Championship today in Stillwater Oklahoma.

The Bulldogs will join 29 of the nation’s top teams at Oklahoma State’s Karsten Creek Golf Club (par 72, 7,416 yards). Georgia is guaranteed of playing Tuesday through Thursday in the stroke play portion of the tournament. After Thursday’s round, the tournament medalist will be recognized and the top eight teams will advance to the match play bracket, with four matches on Friday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday to determine the national champion.

“Our mindset is that we have a chance to win this golf tournament,” said Coach Chris Haack, who led the Bulldogs to NCAA titles in 1999 and 2005. “That’s the only way to go into the nationals.”

Haack will use a lineup of seniors Harris English, Russell Henley and Hudson Swafford, and sophomores Bryden Macpherson and T.J. Mitchell. Swafford and English have appeared in two NCAAs each, while Henley has played twice with his teammates and last year as an individual when the Bulldogs’ 12-year run of consecutive berths was snapped. Macpherson and Mitchell will be making their NCAAs debuts.

Georgia’s players will tee off in 10-minute increments between 2:30 and 3:10 p.m. on Tuesday and between 9:10 and 9:50 a.m. on Wednesday. The Bulldogs are the tournament’s No. 12 seed and will be paired with 10th-seeded LSU and 11th-seeded Texas in the first two rounds. Oklahoma State, UCLA and Alabama are the tournament’s Nos. 1-3 seeds.

Prior to their arrival in Stillwater, the Bulldogs held a players-and-coaches-only retreat to get prepared.

Asked what his message was, Haack recounted it almost in Rockne-esque terms: “When we’re playing at the nationals, it’s not just for you, it’s for all of us. If you’re on the golf course and things go bad, don’t panic. You’ve got teammates you can depend on. Remember that we’re doing this as a team. It’s not an individual thing. If we bond together and pull for one another, great things can happen. This is our chance, our time, our moment.”

Georgia got a look at Karsten Creek last September in the PING/Golfweek Preview. The Bulldogs came in third, just five shots behind home-standing Oklahoma State. Swafford finished second, while Henley came in 10th and English placed 16th.

“Every course is different, and a team feels most comfortable when a course sets up well for it. That’s how we feel about Karsten Creek,” Haack said. “Having played well there in the fall makes a huge difference. When guys love a golf course, that’s a good thing. It beats the alternative of having negative vibes about a place.”

Live scoring can be found at golfstat.com and on the NCAA Championship homepage.  

Imada Finishes 3rd at Byron Nelson

Former Bulldog All-American, Ryuji Imada, recorded his best finish of the 2011 season on the PGA Tour this past weekend at the HP Byron Nelson Championship in Irving Texas.  Imada began the final round in third place and held the lead by himself late on the back nine Sunday, but fell to third with bogeys on his last two holes.  Ryuji finished a shot back of a playoff between eventual winner and PGA Tour rookie Keegan Bradley and Ryan Palmer.  For the week, Imada collected $377,000 and moved to 75th on the PGA Tour money list.

Georgia Golfers Qualify For NCAA Championship

The 12th-ranked Georgia men’s golf team punched its ticket to the NCAA Championship by placing fourth in the NCAA Colorado Regional on Saturday.

Georgia and Arizona State finished tied for fourth, meaning those teams snagged the final spots from the regional for the NCAAs, which will be held May 31-June 5 in Stillwater, Okla. Also advancing from the regional were Oklahoma State, Colorado State and Northwestern.  Georgia and Arizona State finished one stroke ahead of TCU.

“I’ve always said this is the most nerve-racking tournament we play, and this result shows why,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “You had nine teams with a legitimate shot at the five spots, and there was no room for error. I am proud of the way our guys got up off the mat after the first day and got us back to the NCAAs. We are excited about the opportunity to play again for the national championship.”

On Saturday, the Bulldogs carded a 1-under 287 to finish at 7-under 857. Georgia’s critical round came on Friday when it posted a 12-under 276, an 18-stroke improvement over the first day. Top-ranked and top-seeded Oklahoma State won the regional at 31-under 833.

Senior Harris English paced the Bulldogs in the final round with a 4-under 68 as he wound up at 6-under 210. English came in fourth, four shots behind Oklahoma State’s Kevin Tway.

Seniors Russell Henley and Hudson Swafford each shot an even-par 72 on Saturday, followed by sophomore T.J. Mitchell at 3-over 75 and sophomore Bryden Macpherson at 4-over 76. Mitchell came in ninth at 4-under 212, Henley placed 15th at 2-under 214, Swafford closed at 5-over 221 and Macpherson finished at 11-over 227.

The NCAAs will begin on Tuesday, May 31, in Stillwater, Okla. The 30 teams in the field will play 54 holes of stroke play, which will determine the individual champion. The top eight teams then will move on to match play to ultimately crown the team champion. Georgia won national titles in 1999 and 2005.

Future Bulldog Nicholas Reach To Be Featured on CBS Special This Sunday

Future Bulldog, Nicholas Reach

This past April, Georgia Golf signee Nicholas Reach, was victorious in the inaugural Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.  The Junior Invitational brought together the top junior players from around the world to compete in a three round tournament at Sage Valley Golf Club in Graniteville, SC.  Reach went on to win the event by 8 strokes as he recorded a course record 62 in the first round.  This Sunday, May 22nd, CBS will air a special on the event at 2 pm.  The special will air precede the final round coverage of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.  To read more about the event and watch a preview of the special, click here:
http://www.pgatour.com/2011/company/05/16/junior/

Dawgs Start Slow, Complete Round 1 at NCAA Regionals

The 12th-ranked Georgia men’s golf team fired a 6-over-par 294 to open play Thursday in the NCAA Colorado Regional.

The Bulldogs were one of six teams to complete Thursday’s opening round, which twice was delayed by inclement weather. The other seven teams will finish their loops on Friday before the second round begins.

Oklahoma State, the regional’s top seed, shot a 12-under 276 to grab the first-round lead. Needing a fifth-place or better finish in the regional to advance to the NCAA Championships, the second-seeded Bulldogs are sixth among the teams that completed the first round and are 11th factoring in the entire field.

“We left ourselves work to do,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “For whatever reason, we’ve been a slow-starting team this year – and we did it again today. We know what we’ve got to do over the next two days, so we just have to go out and do it.”

Sophomore T.J. Mitchell paced the Bulldogs with a 3-under 69, including closing birdies on Nos. 17 and 18. Mitchell is fourth individually, four shots behind Colorado State’s Zahkai Brown, who still has two holes to play.

Senior Harris English signed for an even-par 72, followed by senior Russell Henley at 2-over 74, and senior Hudson Swafford and sophomore Bryden Macpherson each at 7-over 79.

Conclusion of the first round will take place at 10 a.m., with the start of the second round set for 12:30 p.m. Live scoring can be found at golfstat.com.

Bulldogs Set to Begin Plan in NCAA Regional

The No. 12-ranked Georgia men's golf team will return to action today at the NCAA Colorado Regional in an attempt to qualify for the NCAA Championship.

The Bulldogs will play 54 holes, concluding Saturday at the Colorado National Golf Club. Georgia must finish fifth or better in the regional to advance to the NCAAs, which will be held May 31-June 5 in Stillwater, Okla.

Georgia is making its 22nd appearance since the NCAA went to the Regionals format for the 1989 season, and the Bulldogs have advanced to the NCAAs 15 times. A year ago, the Bulldogs finished tied for fifth in the NCAA South Central Regional, only to lose in a playoff for a spot in the NCAAs. That snapped a streak of 12 straight berths for Georgia, which won NCAA titles in 1999 and 2005.

"It's really not something that we've talked about or dwelled on," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "And we certainly haven't done anything different to prepare. Last year was just one of those things. We were really close, but we got beat - and that's golf. I want our team to just go play, to do what we've prepared to do. If we play well, things will take care of themselves."

Haack will use a lineup of seniors Harris English, Russell Henley and Hudson Swafford, and sophomores Bryden Macpherson and T.J. Mitchell at the NCAA Colorado Regional. Mitchell bolstered his chance for a place in the lineup with a 61 at Athens Country Club during team qualifying.

The second-seeded Bulldogs will join a field that includes Oklahoma State, Auburn, Arizona State, Clemson, Chattanooga, TCU, North Florida, New Mexico State, Northwestern, Colorado State, San Jose State and Denver. Oklahoma State is the nation's No. 1 team, while Auburn is ninth.

"You do look at the field, but when it comes down to it, you've got to go out and get the job done," Mitchell said. "We know we've got to be in the top five to make it back to nationals, but our focus is to go out and win the tournament."

The other five regionals are being hosted by Virginia Tech, Florida, Indiana, Arizona and San Diego. The field for the NCAAs will be made up of 30 teams, five coming from each of the six regionals.

In today's opening round of the NCAA Colorado Regional, Georgia's players will tee off in 10-minute increments between 10 and 10:40 a.m. with their counterparts from Oklahoma State and Auburn. Live scoring can be found at golfstat.com.

Georgia Golfers To Play In NCAA Regional In Colorado

The No. 12-ranked Georgia men's golf team will compete in the Erie (Colo.) Regional May 19-21 in an attempt to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

The Erie Regional, one of six across the country, will take place at Colorado National Golf Club. The top five teams from each of the six regionals will advance to the NCAAs May 31-June 5 in Stillwater, Okla.

The Bulldogs will join a field that includes Oklahoma State, Auburn, Arizona State, Clemson, Chattanooga, TCU, North Florida, New Mexico State, Northwestern, Colorado State, San Jose State and Denver. Oklahoma State is the nation's No. 1 team, while Auburn is ninth.

Georgia will be making its 22nd appearance since the NCAA went to the Regionals format for the 1989 season, and the Bulldogs have advanced to the NCAAs 15 times in that span. Last year, however, Georgia did not advance after placing sixth in the South Central Regional, snapping a streak of 12 straight berths in the NCAAs.

"To me, this has always been the most stressful tournament of the year," said Georgia coach Chris Haack, who led the Bulldogs to NCAA titles in 1999 and 2005. "There is no margin for error, and we saw that firsthand last year. That was not much fun to go through last year, but it grabbed our attention and will be a catalyst for this year. We have a team that's seasoned at the top of the lineup and those guys know what's at stake. We are looking forward to this tournament and getting ourselves back to the NCAAs. But it won't be easy. We'll be facing some really tough teams in Colorado."

The Bulldogs are riding the momentum created by Russell Henley at the Nationwide Tour's Stadion Classic at UGA this past weekend. Henley became just the second amateur to win a Nationwide Tour event as he posted a two-shot victory on Sunday. Fellow senior Harris English came in 18th in the event.

The other five regionals are being hosted by Virginia Tech, Florida, Indiana, Arizona and San Diego.  Live results will be available on Golfstat.com.

Henley to Appear of Golf Channel

Russell Henley will appear on the Golf Channel show, Morning Drive on Tuesday morning.  Henley is scheduled to be live on air at 7:40 am.

Following the TV appearance, Henley will be an in studio guest of The Morning Show on Athens Radio, 960 The Ref.

Video of Henley's Nationwide Win

G-TV has footage of Russell Henley coming up #18 of the final round of the Stadion Classic at UGA.  Click here to access the footage on Georgiadogs.com.

Henley Wins Stadion Classic at UGA

Russell Henley makes birdie on #15 Sunday in route to his victory.

Russell Henley made it a very memorable Mother's Day for his mother and gave all the Bulldog fans in the gallery plenty to cheer about on his way to winning the Stadion Classic at UGA Sunday.  Henley shot a final round 68 to win by two strokes while becoming just the second amateur to win on the Nationwide Tour in the tour's 21 year history.  By winning the tournament as an amateur, Henley won't collect the $99,000 first place check. That will go to Troy Kelly, who finished as runner-up.

Henley, who was playing on a sponsors exemption, becomes the second Bulldog to win on a major professional tour in the past two weeks, joining Bubba Watson who won the Zurich Classic last week on the PGA Tour.

2011 Stadion Classic Champion

A large gallery followed Henley all day and provided many booming cheers as he pulled away from the field on the back nine.  With the win, Russell, who plans to stay an amateur through the summer amateur season, will have playing status on the Nationwide Tour in 2012.

Henley goes up 18 during the final round.

 
Complete coverage of Russell's win can be found here.

Stadion Classic at UGA Round 1 Begins Thursday

The UGA Tee-Off Club Village

After a successful first year, the Stadion Classic will kick off it's second year of play at The University of Georgia Golf Course on Thursday.    Play begins on both #1 and #10 tees starting at 7:15 am.
There will be a total of six former Bulldogs in the field as well as two current members of the team, bringing the total to 8 Dawgs competing in the 156 player field.  The former Bulldogs include, Justin Bolli, Brendon Todd, Paul Claxton, Matt McQuillan, Brian Harman, and Erik Compton.  Current team members Russell Henley and Harris English, who both played and made the cut last year, are busy finishing up their senior year and are able to use this opportunity to play and keep their game sharp as they prepare for the NCAA post season.

The UGA Tee-Off Club will again for the Tee-Off Village located behind the #17 green.  All members will have access for all four days of the tournament.  The Village offers the best viewing opportunities on the course as well as a full offering of food and beverages as well as air conditioned restrooms.  We look forward to seeing you come out and take in the action.  Go Dawgs!

Bubba Captures Second Win of Season in New Orleans

Bubba Watson captures the Zurich Classic

Former Georgia Bulldog, Bubba Watson, captured his second win of the PGA Tour season on Sunday in a playoff over Webb Simpson.  Watson fired a 3 under 69 on Sunday to finish at 15 under at TPC Louisiana and takes home the winner's check of $1,152,000 for the win at the Zurich Classic.    

With the win, Bubba moves up to number 10 in the world golf rankings and he also moves to the top of the Fed-Ex Cup Standings.  

click here for full coverage of Bubba's win.

Bubba will be in Athens today through tomorrow morning to take part in kicking off this year's Stadion Classic at UGA.  He will compete this week in the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte.