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| Seniors Jaime Lopez Rivarola (left) and Greyson Sigg will lead the Bulldogs this season. |
The Bulldogs are slated to play 54 holes Friday through Sunday at Pebble Beach Golf Links. The course has been set up as a par-72 covering 6,828 yards.
Haack will use a lineup of seniors Jaime Lopez Rivarola and Greyson Sigg, junior Zach Healy, sophomore Tye Waller, and freshmen Will Chandler and Spencer Ralston. The tournament format consists of six players with five counting (as opposed to the typical five players with four counting). Sigg had three individual wins and Healy one a year ago as they were the only Bulldogs to see action in every tournament.
The Bulldogs, who won The Carmel Cup in 2014, are ranked No. 9 in the first Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll of the season. Joining the Bulldogs in the tournament will be No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 5 Vanderbilt, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 20 Arkansas, Texas Tech, Ohio State and TCU.
“We’re very excited to get the season under way,” said Coach Chris Haack, who begins his 21st season overseeing the Bulldogs. “The fall tournaments give us the opportunity to knock off some rust, see where our games are, and start finding out what our team’s identity will be. And that’s not even mentioning how honored we are to playing at Pebble Beach, one of the most famous facilities in golf. It’s going to be a real test for our guys.”
Haack’s 21st squad will have five fall tournaments. After The Carmel Cup, the Bulldogs will play in The Franklin American Mortgage Intercollegiate at The Grove Sept. 18-20 in Nashville, Tenn.; the Nike Invitational Oct. 2-4 in Fort Worth, Texas; the Cypress Point Classic Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Monterey, Calif.; and the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic Nov. 4-6 in Maui, Hawaii.
• Seven Bulldogs will be in action this week in the Deutsche Bank Championship as the playoffs leading to the Tour Championship in Atlanta in September continue.
Kevin Kisner enters the Deutsche Bank Championship as the highest-rated Bulldog in the FedExCup Standings at No. 12. Bubba Watson is No. 19, followed by No. 41 Harris English, No. 67 Brian Harman, No. 75 Chris Kirk, No. 78 Russell Henley and No. 82 Hudson Swafford.
The top 70 after this weekend will advance to the BMW Championship, and 30 players will tee it up at the Tour Championship. The top five at the season finale control their own destiny. They can clinch the FedExCup with a victory at East Lake Golf Club.
• The 18th annual Bulldog Open at the UGA Golf Course will take place Friday, Sept. 30. The cost for a four-man team is $1,300. For more information, contact Denise at dsaliba@sports.uga.edu or 706-369-6066.
