Bulldogs Finish Fourth at SEC Championship

The 25th-ranked Georgia men's golf team finished in fourth place at the SEC Championship on Sunday.

Playing Sea Island Golf Club's Seaside Course, the Bulldogs fired a 13-over 293 in the final round to wind up at 10-over 850. Team honors went to Alabama, which posted a final tally of 12-under 828.

Sophomore Keith Mitchell paced the Bulldogs on Sunday with a 1-over 71. Junior T.J. Mitchell signed for a 3-over 73, followed by sophomores Brian Carter and Joey Garber at 3-over 73 and 5-over 75, respectively. Freshman Nicholas Reach had the Bulldogs' non-counting score of 7-over 77.

Keith Mitchell came in 10th in the individual race, posting an even-par 210. Medalist honors went to Alabama's Justin Thomas at 7-under 203. Carter placed 13th at 2-over 212, while T.J. Mitchell was 15th at 3-over 213. Reach and Garber wound up at 7-over 217 and 14-over 224, respectively.

"I thought we got off to a good start today, but we couldn't keep the momentum going," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "Maybe youth finally caught up with us a little. But we'll learn from it and get better. We were in the hunt and we had a chance to place with a little pressure, so now we know what it takes, that you've got to keep playing and you can't expect these guys to give it to you. There were some good things, and we'll build on them."

Georgia will return to action May 17-19 when it hosts an NCAA Regional at the UGA Golf Course. In order to advance to the NCAA Championships May 29-June 3 in Pacific Palisades, Calif., the Bulldogs must finish in the top five at the regional.

Bulldogs Remain Second At SEC Championship

The 25th-ranked Georgia men's golf team remained in second place at the SEC Championship on Saturday yet saw its gap with the first-place team widen.

On Sea Island Golf Club's Seaside Course, the Bulldogs fired a 4-over-par 284 in the second round to move to 3-under 557 for the tournament. Alabama, on the strength of a 6-under 274, extended its lead over Georgia from one stroke to 11. Auburn is tied with the Bulldogs at 3-under 557.

Sophomore Brian Carter and freshman Nicholas Reach paced the Bulldogs in the second round as each signed for an even-par 70. Sophomore Keith Mitchell followed at 1-over 71, while junior T.J. Mitchell posted a 3-over 73. Sophomore Joey Garber had the Bulldogs' non-counting score of 6-over 76.

Carter is seventh individually at 2-under 138, four shots behind Alabama's Bobby Wyatt and Tennessee's Rick Lamb (134). Keith Mitchell is eighth at 1-under 139, followed by Reach and T.J. Mitchell in 13th at even-par 140 and Garber in 46th at 9-over 149.

"We didn't play as well as we did (Friday)," Carter said. "The conditions were playing a little tougher today. On a difficult course like this, you've got to have patience. Four-over's not awful out here today, but it's a good learning experience for us."

"The golf course played a little tougher and the pins were a little tougher," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "But I think all the guys played OK based on the scores. You have to give Alabama a lot of credit because they're playing extremely well. We know we have the ability to put up a good score down here, and that's going to be our goal on Sunday."

The final round of the SEC Championship will be played Sunday. Live scoring and tee times can be found at golfstat.com and secsports.com.

The weather forecast is for rain and thunderstorms overnight Saturday and throughout much of Sunday. Said Carter, "Tomorrow could be a grind-it-out kind of day. We'll put the layers on and tough it out and see how deep we can go."

Young Bulldogs Set Sights On SEC Championship

SEC Championship Notes 

A Georgia men's golf team that looks nothing like it did a year ago will join its league brethren this weekend for the Southeastern Conference Championship at Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island.
The 25th-ranked Bulldogs and the other 11 teams will compete Friday through Sunday on the par-70, 6,898-yard layout on the Seaside Course.

Georgia has been a dominant force at the SECs, winning a league-best 28 conference titles. Under Coach Chris Haack, the Bulldogs have secured seven SEC titles, including five of the 11 tournaments held at Sea Island.

But this year, Haack will be rolling out perhaps his most inexperienced squad ever. Junior T.J. Mitchell is the only Bulldog who has made the trek around Sea Island -- and he did so with the victorious Bulldogs in 2010. Sophomores Brian Carter, Joey Garber and Keith Mitchell and freshman Nicholas Reach all will be making their postseason debuts for Georgia.  A year ago, the SECs lineup included All-Americans Harris English, Russell Henley, Bryden Macpherson and Hudson Swafford -- all of whom are now playing professionally.

"We know the guys we have now are extremely talented. The only thing that's really missing is experience," Haack said. "But unlike football or basketball where you go head-to-head against someone else, our sport is you against the golf course. If our guys can take care of the mental part of the game, then we'll be fine.  All the guys have done really good things at different points this year. The key is getting them to do it on a consistent basis. If we get that, if they all play to their potential at the same time, it will be fun."

The SEC is as strong as ever with No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Auburn, No. 10 Arkansas, No. 21 LSU and No. 23 Florida joining the Bulldogs in the national rankings. And in discussing the SEC, Haack was quick to reference one of Georgia golf's favorite sons, Bubba Watson.

"Our league is very strong, but that's the way it should be," Haack said. "There's a lot of pride in winning your conference tournament, and it shouldn't be easy to do. If you win this league, you've definitely earned it. Before the Masters, everybody was picking the experienced guys like Phil (Mickelson) and Tiger (Woods). Nobody was picking Bubba. I think people are looking at favorites for the SECs and I don't think anybody's picking us, so we hope we can be this week's Bubba down there."

The Bulldogs will tee off Friday in 10-minute increments between 8 and 8:40 a.m. with their counterparts from Alabama and Arkansas on the 10th hole. The Saturday and Sunday tee times will be based on the standings. Live results and tee times can be found here.

English Records First Top 10 of Season, Swafford Ties for 16th on Nationwide

English Finishes Tied for 8th at Heritage

Harris English recorded the first top 10 of his rookie season at the RBC Heritage played at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, SC by finishing in a tie for 8th place.  The top 10 finish also represented Harris' biggest pay day so far this year on tour by bringing home $153,900.  The trip to Hilton Head represented English's first trip ever to Harbour Town for the rookie who was tied for 2nd going in to the weekend. 
Fellow Rookie, Brian Harman had a good week as well but struggled on Sunday to finish in a tie for 70th at the Heritage. 
Both English and Harman will be in the field this week at the Valero Texas Open played at TPC San Antonio.  They will be joined by fellow Bulldogs Erik Compton, Kevin Kisner, Brendon Todd, Matt McQuillan, and Ryuji Imada

Swafford Ties for 16th on Nationwide Tour

Hudson Swafford finished in a tie for 16th place at the TPC Stonebrae Championship on the Nationwide Tour.  Swafford finished the event at 4 under par in the second Nationwide event played in California in as many weeks. 
Fellow Bulldog Richard Scott finished in a tie for 23rd at 3 under par, Russell Henley finished in a tie for 42nd at 2 over par, and Paul Claxton tied for 54th at 4 over.
The Nationwide Tour takes a week off this week before returning to Georgia for the South Georgia Classic followed by the Stadion Classic played here at UGA May 3-6th.

English a Single Shot Off Lead at RBC Heritage

Former Bulldog and PGA Tour rookie, Harris English, is a shot off the lead at the RBC Heritage.  His first round of 3 under par 68 included only 25 putts and one bogey.  Live scoring can be followed at http://www.pgatour.com/.

Video Conversation With Bubba

After his Masters win, Bubba sat down with Tom Rinaldi of ESPN for a Sunday Conversation video segment.  Click below to veiw the video.

Bubba Watson Hooks Masters Win, Green Jacket

Watson Wins Masters, First Bulldog To Claim A Major  Watson moves to number 4 in the World Golf ranking, becoming the highest ranked American golfer.



Bubba hits approach to the 10th green in playoff

 Bubba Watson hit a miraculous hook shot from the pine straw on the 10th hole Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club and made par on the second playoff hole to beat Louis Oosthuizen and win the Masters.

The former Bulldog earned his first major championship title with a two-putt par on the par-4 10th hole after Oosthuizen missed a lengthy par putt that could have sent the two to a third playoff hole. Watson immediately began weeping in the arms of his caddie and later those of his mother on the 10th green. A few of his contemporaries on the PGA Tour greeted him minutes after the winning putt.

(click here for an article by Chip Towers of the AJC on Coach Haack's reaction to Bubba's win)

"I never really got this far in my dreams," said Watson, who lost a major in a playoff to Martin Kaymer at Whistling Straits in the 2010 PGA Championship. With the Masters victory, Watson becomes the first Bulldog to win one of golf's major championships.  Watson had a final-round 4-under-par 68 and finished the tournament at 10-under. Oosthuizen shot a 69 in the final round.

Four players : Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar and Peter Hanson  finished two shots out of the playoff.  Those four lost hope of winning when Watson drained four straight birdies on the second nine with the run culminating in his short birdie putt on No. 16 to forge a tie with Oosthuizen, who made just the fourth double-eagle in Masters history earlier in the final round.

But Watson's second shot on the 10th hole in the playoff might be the one woven into Masters lore.  The left-hander sliced his tee shot on the second playoff hole into the trees lining the fairway. He had hit the shot in a similar spot earlier Sunday, and he said he had an idea of what he would need to pull off to land the ball on the green.  "The first time I ever worked with my caddie, (Ted Scott), six years ago, I told him, I said, 'If I have a swing, I've got a shot,' " Watson said. "So I'm used to the woods. I'm used to the rough."  Watson noticed the gap in the trees that he'd need to pierce as he walked toward the gallery that had already cut a path to the 10th green. Bunkers guard the front and right side of the hole named Camellia, and  Watson needed to hook his wedge shot about 40 feet from left to right to get it to the hole. He had hit a shot from the pine straw on No. 17 earlier in the round, sending the ball sky high over the trees to a spot on the 17th green. He lipped out for birdie from about 30 feet away there.  Oosthuizen also found the trees right on No. 10, but he got a favorable bounce with the ball coming out onto the second cut of rough. He was more than 200 yards away from the uphill green, and he missed short.  Watson found no such problems, cutting his wedge through the air to about 12 feet from the cup.
"Where I stood when the ball came out, it looked like a curveball going to the right," Oosthuizen said. "So I knew he had to hit a big hook. An unbelievable shot. ... That shot he hit definitely won him the tournament."
Oosthuizen chipped past the hole and just missed his par putt coming back.
Watson hit his birdie putt to less than a foot, but he paused and motioned for the crowd to settle down before stepping to the putt. He said he thought of I.K. Kim, who missed a 1-foot putt on the final hole that cost her a LPGA major a week ago Sunday, and he took his time to make sure he measured the short putt and then tapped it in for the win.

Bubba Tied for 4th at Masters, Bolli in 2nd on Nationwide

Bubba Tied for 4th at Augusta

Bubba Watson posted his best opening round in four appearances at the Masters on Thursday by posting a 3 under 69.  When the wind picked up late in the day, Watson was steady and played the final five holes 1 under par.  Bubba is 2 shots back of the lead held by Lee Westwood.

Bubba was joined in the Masters field by former Bulldog, Bryden Macpherson, who is playing as an amateur.  Macpherson carded a 5 over 77 on his first round in the Masters Tournament.  Macpherson earned an invitation to the Masters by winning the 2011 British Amateur.

Live scoring of the Masters can be followed at http://www.masters.com/


Bolli Tied for 2nd on Nationwide

Former Bulldog, Justin Bolli is tied for second on the Nationwide Tour at the Soboba Golf Classic in San Jacinto, CA.  Bolli fired a first round 2 under par 69 and is 2 strokes back of the lead.  Bolli is joined in the top 10 of the leaderboard by former Bulldog Paul Claxton, who is tied for 10th.

Former Bulldog Scott Parel is currently tied for 45th at 1 over, Russell Henley is tied for 83rd at 3 over, Hudson Swafford is tied for 99th at 4 over, and matt McQuillan is tied for 169th at 7 over par.

live scoring can be followed at http://www.pgatour.com/

Bulldogs Play Well at Azalea Invitational

The Azalea Invitational had a very Bulldog feel to it as there were five Bulldogs finishing in the top 25 of the 72 hole event held at The Country Club of Charleston.   Keith Mitchell was the low Bulldogs as he finished 3rd at 10 under par.  Mitchell posted a final round 65 to finish 4 back of the winner.  Nick Reach and Michael Cromie each tied for 9th at 6 under par.  Cromie held a share of the 54 hole lead, but fell to 9th with a final round 74.  Reach's week was highlighted by a second round 64.
Brian Carter finished in 16th place at 1 under par for 72 holes and Joey Garber tied for 25th at 2 over par.  Former Bulldogs Jack Larkin finished 44th at 8 over par and Jack Hall finished tied for 46th at 9 over par.

The UGA Golf Team will return to action on April 20-22 at Sea Island for the SEC Championship.