McCoy Wins Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament

CHANDLER, Ariz. --- Georgia alum Lee McCoy won the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament on Sunday to earn fully exempt status for the 2018 Web.com Tour season.

McCoy, who completed his Georgia career in 2016, edged out South Korean Sung-Jae Im by two strokes. 

“I think it was Jack Nicklaus that was famous for saying that most of the tournaments he won, he didn’t really win, other guys lost,” McCoy told PGATour.com. “That was not the case today. I had to go out there and win. We had a great battle out there today. Every time I thought I had gotten far enough ahead and could start playing conservative, he would roll in a 20-footer and it was a little frustrating at times, but it’s nice to be able to push yourself that hard in a big spot and come out on top.”

The victory was the second win of the year for McCoy, who won the Freedom 55 Financial Open on the Mackenzie Tour in June. McCoy had a successful 2017 season in Canada, making 10 cuts in 12 events and finishing No. 6 on the Order of Merit.

A year ago, McCoy competed in the First Stage of Q-School in West Palm Beach, Fla., where a 9-under total landed him in a tie for third and allowed him to advance. The week before he was slated to compete in Second Stage, McCoy made his first professional cut at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He finished the week 41st and took a red-eye back to Florida to get in a practice round before competition. On his way to the Plantation Reserve Golf Club the following morning, McCoy was involved in a minor car accident, injuring his wrist in the process. The injury left him in a cast and forced him to withdraw from Second Stage.

“It was brutal,” he said of the injury. “I was in a cast for six or seven weeks. I took it off and I was fine, so it wasn’t a career-ender or life-threatening, but it was just the worst possible timing. It hurt even more because I was playing really well going into Second Stage. At some point, you just have to sit back and realize that sometimes you don’t have control over your life and sometimes it’s just part of the plan. If that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have ended up in Canada and I might not have the same guy on the bag, and I might not have even come here this week. Who knows what would’ve happened. It certainly worked out for the best in the end.”

Sunday’s victory takes a deal of pressure off McCoy heading into the 2018 season, as the Tour first-timer will be able to plan his entire schedule and won’t be subject to any reshuffles during the year.

“It kind of just goes along with my whole strategy for golf,” McCoy said, “which is just trying to take as much pressure off of myself as I can. I don’t really make goals for myself each day to try and hit a certain number and I’m not really trying to win. I kind of like to just let it happen by accident. So not having that added pressure of making the reshuffles and not knowing if I’ll be in the upcoming weeks, that’s huge. It definitely adds a level of comfort.”

Former Bulldog Joey Garber finished 30th at 15-under and will receive exempt Web.com Tour status for the first eight events of 2018.

QBE Shootout Features Five Bulldogs

• Lee McCoy and Joey Garber will begin play in the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament on Thursday. The tournament is being held at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz.

Garber was the co-medalist during the second stage in Plantation, Fla.

The winner will receive fully exempt Web.com Tour status for the 2018 Regular Season. Finishers 2-10 (and ties) will receive exempt Web.com Tour status for the first 12 events of 2018. Finishers 11-45 (and ties) will receive exempt Web.com Tour status for the first eight events of 2018. The remainder of the field will receive conditional Web.com Tour status in 2018.

• Five Bulldogs will be in action this weekend in the QBE Shootout, meaning nearly half of the two-persons teams field is made up of UGA alums. The event is celebrating its 29th year on the PGA Tour calendar and is the longest-running Tour-sanctioned post-season event.

The pairings include:
Russell Henley and Kyle Stanley
Brian Harman and Pat Perez
Kevin Kisner and Kevin Chappell
Bubba Watson and Brandt Snedeker
Harris English and Matt Kuchar

English and Kuchar have each earned $1,255,000 since joining forces in 2013. They finished first in 2013 and 2016 and second in 2014 and 2015. English and Kuchar will attempt to become the first team to win the QBE Shootout three times.

The order of formats is Scramble (Friday), Modified Alternate Shot (Saturday) and Better Ball (Sunday).

The Golf Channel will televise Friday and Saturday 1:30-4:30 p.m. and Sunday 1-2 p.m. with coverage shifting to NBC Sunday from 2-4 p.m.

Jones, Kahlstorf, Phillips Sign With Bulldogs

Braden Jones, Will Kahlstorf, and Trent Phillips have signed national letters of intent with the Georgia men’s golf team, according to an announcement Thursday by Coach Chris Haack.

Georgians Jones and Kahlstorf and South Carolinian Phillips will join the UGA program as freshmen for the 2018-19 season.

Jones is a native of Atlanta and attends The Marist School (which produced current Bulldogs Will Chandler, Jack Larkin Jr., and Bo Sikes). Jones recorded top-10 finishes in the American Junior Golf Association’s Dominican Junior Open in 2017 and Junior at
Owensboro in 2016. He posted six top-12 efforts on the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour, including second in the 2016 Georgia Club Junior Classic, third in the UGA Invitational, and fourth in the Sea Island Junior Classic. He has helped Marist win two state titles and three region championships and was the team MVP as a freshman.

Kahlstorf hails from Watkinsville and attends Prince Avenue Christian School. He was fourth in the AJGA’s 2015 Preseason Junior at Chateau Elan, 11th in the 2015 Evitt Foundation RTC Junior, and 18th in the 2016 Wells Fargo Junior Classic. Kahlstorf has posted six top-20s on the SJGT, highlighted by a second-place showing in the 2017 Callaway Gardens Junior Classic and sixth-place finishes in the 2017 Berkeley Hills Junior Classic and the 2016 UGA Invitational, UGA Golf Course Junior Classic, and Four-Ball. Kahlstorf won the Class A Private individual state golf title as a freshman and has been chosen All-State and as the Athens Banner-Herald’s Golfer of the Year three times.

Phillips is a native of Inman, S.C., and attends Boiling Springs High School. Phillips earned Rolex Junior All-America recognition in 2015 and 2017 and recently was named to the USA Today High School Sports All-USA Boys Golf Team. Phillips won the AJGA’s Haas Family Invitational in 2017 and the Bobby Chapman Junior Invitational in 2016. Phillips owns an additional 11 top-10s and seven top-20s in AJGA competition. He won the 2017 South Carolina Golf Association Junior Championship and the 2016 Palmetto Amateur (as the youngest player in the field). He represented the United States in the 2017 Junior Presidents Cup. Phillips is a three-time state medalist and has helped Boiling Springs win four straight team titles. He is the younger brother of current Bulldog Trevor Phillips.

“Braden, Will and Trent are excellent prospects,” Haack said. “They have the ability and the work ethic to make an immediate impact on our program. We are excited that they have chosen to be Bulldogs. We have been watching them play and improve the last few years, and we know we have added three talented players. The sky’s the limit for them. They can do great things together in Athens.”

• The RSM Classic at Sea Island will feature a huge Georgia contingent with Brian Harman, Hudson Swafford, Bubba Watson, Keith Mitchell, Greyson Sigg, Harris English, Kevin Kisner and Chris Kirk. Harman, Swafford and Watson will be paired together in the first round on Thursday.

• Speaking of Mitchell, check out this piece on his ace in the OHL Mayakoba Classic.

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

The Georgia men’s golf team will conclude the fall portion of its schedule this weekend in the Ka'anapali Collegiate Classic in Maui, Hawaii.

The 54-hole tournament will take place Friday through Sunday on the Ka‘anapali Golf Course’s par-71, 6,700-yard layout.

Georgia will use a lineup of sophomores Will Chandler, Trevor Phillips and Spencer Ralston, and freshmen John Hilliard Catanzaro and Davis Thompson. Junior Matthew Beringer will compete as an individual.

Ralston and Phillips have played every round this season, and they lead the Bulldogs with scoring averages of 71.17 and 73.00, respectively.

Georgia and host Hawaii will be joined in the Ka'anapali Collegiate Classic by Air Force, Ball State, Boise State, Bowling Green, California, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Kent State, LSU, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Sacramento State, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The teams will have a shotgun start of 8:30 a.m. HST (2:30 p.m. EDT) each day. Georgia will be paired with Kent State, Boise State and Connecticut in the first round.

• Harris English, Chris Kirk, Keith Mitchell and Bubba Watson will be in action this week in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas.

Haack Chosen For Hall Of Fame Induction

Coach Chris Haack has been chosen for induction into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

Haack and the rest of the Class of 2018 will be inducted Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018, at the Macon City Auditorium. Tickets and sponsorships for the induction ceremony are available by calling (478) 752-1585.

Georgia women's golf standout Terri Moody Hancock also will be inducted. She is the daughter of Griffin Moody and sister of Griff Moody, each of whom played for and captained the Bulldogs. The other members of the Class of 2018 are Champ Bailey, Arthur Blank, Tom Cousins, Tracy Rocker, Angelo Taylor and Kenny "Sky" Walker.

Haack is in his 22nd season as the Bulldogs’ head coach for golf. He has guided Georgia to a school-record 60 tournament titles, including two national and eight SEC championships. Haack is a 2-time National and a 5-time SEC Coach of the Year. He has produced 60 All-Americans, many of whom currently are starring on the PGA Tour. Haack previously was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America and the Georgia State Golf Association halls of fame.

• Harris English, Chris Kirk and Keith Mitchell will be in action this week in the Safeway Open in California. Mitchell is making his first start as a member of the PGA Tour.

• The Bulldogs placed 14th in the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon. Trevor Phillips paced the Bulldogs in the final round with a 5-under 66 to land in 14th at 5-under 208. The sophomore's place, third-round score and overall tally marked career bests. The Bulldogs will return to action Oct. 16-17 in the Crooked Stick Intercollegiate in Carmel, Ind.

Bulldogs Set To Play In Nike Invite

The Georgia men's golf team will continue the fall portion of its schedule as the Bulldogs play in the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational.

The 54-hole tournament will run Sunday through Tuesday at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Ore.

Georgia will use a lineup of sophomores Will Chandler, Spencer Ralston and Trevor Phillips, and freshmen John Hilliard Catanzaro and Davis Thompson. Thompson has the team's lowest scoring average at 70.67, followed by Ralston at 71.00.

The Bulldogs and host Oregon will be joined at Pumpkin Ridge by Stanford, Southern Cal, Arizona, Oklahoma, Duke, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida, Texas, Vanderbilt, TCU and Ohio State.

"Our team has very high expectations this season, including challenging for SEC and national championships," Georgia head coach Chris Haack said. "We have not been pleased with our first two tournaments and we're hoping to turn things around in Oregon.  This field has 10 of the top 25 teams in the country, so we'll have to be at our best to be in the hunt."

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

• Kevin Kisner will represent the United States in the Presidents Cup this weekend at Liberty National in New Jersey. Thursday's action will feature five foursomes matches, with Kisner and Phil Mickelson battling Marc Leishman and Jason Day.

"Phil and I play a lot of golf together, and we have a good relationship on the trash-talking. So we thought it would be a good matchup with that," Kisner said. "I love the way he always grinds it out and gets it together, and he lives for these moments, so that brings out the best in him."

There will be five four-ball matches on Friday, followed by four foursomes and four four-ball matches Saturday, and 12 singles matches on Sunday.  All matches are worth one point each, for a total of 30 points. There are no playoffs, with each side receiving a half point if a match is tied after 18 holes.

• Keith Mitchell and Sepp Straka will be in action this week in the Web.com Tour Championship at Atlantic Beach Country Club in Florida. Mitchell already has secured his first PGA Tour card for next season as he enters the weekend No. 6 on the money list.

• Congratulations to Russell Henley, who was inducted into the Stratford Athletic Hall of Fame at his high school in Macon. Henley earned his third career win at the Houston Open in April and had five top-10 finishes with 22 cuts made in 27 events. He finished third in the Tour Championship on Sunday to end up 13th in the FedEx Cup standings. "I think in golf, you always want a little more, and that’s what has kept me improving," Henley told The Macon Telegraph. "I see a lot of areas in my game that I can keep getting better at and that I’m constantly getting better at, really believing in myself. This year was really good. It was a nice end to the season for me, and I think as a golfer you always want to be a little more consistent. So overall, if you’d asked me at the start of the year, 'Would you take a win, play all four majors, play well in the Masters, third in the Tour Championship and 13th in the FedEx?' I would have said, 'Sure.'”

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

• The season-ending TOUR Championship is set for this week at East Lake Country Club and will feature Russell Henley, Brian Harman and Kevin Kisner.

• The DAP Championship in the Web.com Tour Finals in Ohio will include Keith Mitchell and Sepp Straka.

• On the Mackenzie Tour, Lee McCoy earned an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School, while Greyson Sigg earned an exemption into the second stage.

• Scott Parel will be playing in the Champions Tour's PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach.

•  The Bulldogs will return to action Oct. 1-3 in the Nike Invitational in Portland, Ore. Spencer Ralston posted the fourth top-10 finish of his career in the Golfweek Collegiate Challenge. As a squad, the No. 25 Bulldogs wound up 14th at 26-over 890.

• We are looking forward to the Lettermen Tournament Friday, followed by the Bulldog Open on Oct. 13.

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

The No. 25-ranked Georgia men’s golf team will continue the fall portion of its schedule next week in the Golfweek Conference Challenge.

Georgia will play Sunday through Tuesday at Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Country Club, which has been set up as a par-72 covering 7,212 yards.

The Bulldogs will use a lineup of senior Zach Healy, juniors Jack Larkin Jr. and David Mackey, sophomore Spencer Ralston and freshman John Hilliard Catanzaro. Larkin and Catanzaro will be making their season and collegiate debut, respectively. 

Georgia will be joined in the Golfweek Conference Challenge by Campbell, Eastern Michigan, Furman, Iowa, Lipscomb, Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State, North Carolina State, Sacramento State, San Francisco, San Jose State, Southern Illinois, UNC-Wilmington and Washington State.

The Bulldogs will be paired with Iowa and Lipscomb on Sunday and they will tee off in 10-minute increments starting at 10:30 a.m.

The Bulldogs opened the 2017-18 season with a seventh-place finish in The Carmel Cup. Healy paced Georgia as he came in 15th individually.

• Russell Henley, Kevin Kisner, Brian Harman and Hudson Swafford will continue the FedExCup Playoffs this week in the BMW Championship at Conway Farms.

• The Web.com Tour Finals will continue this week with the Albertsons Boise Open at Hillcrest Country Club. Keith Mitchell and Sepp Straka are in the field.

• The Mackenzie Tour's Freedom 55 Financial Championship at Highland Country Club in Ontario will include Lee McCoy and Greyson Sigg.

• Scott Parel will be in action in the Champions Tour's Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship at Bear Mountain Resort.

• Important upcoming dates: The Lettermen Tournament will be held Sept. 22, followed by the
Bulldog Open on Oct. 13. Mail-outs are on the way, but for more information, contact Denise at dsaliba@sports.uga.edu.

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

• Lee McCoy and Greyson Sigg will be in action this week in the Mackenzie Tour's Ontario Championship.

• Scott Parel is playing in the Champions Tour's Japan Airlines Championship.

• Important upcoming dates: The Lettermen Tournament will be held Sept. 22, followed by the
Bulldog Open on Oct. 13. Mail-outs are on the way, but for more information, contact Denise at dsaliba@sports.uga.edu.

Bulldogs Opening Season In The Carmel Cup

The No. 25-ranked Georgia men’s golf team will open its 2017-18 season this week in The Carmel Cup in Pebble Beach, Calif.

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. Georgia's players will tee off in 10-minute increments beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday.

The Bulldogs will use a lineup of senior Zach Healy, junior David Mackey, sophomores Will Chandler, Trevor Phillips and Spencer Ralston, and freshman Davis Thompson. Ralston has the lowest average among the returning players as he ranked second on the team a year ago at 71.56. The tournament format consists of six players with five counting (as opposed to the typical five players with four counting).

Joining the Bulldogs in The Carmel Cup will be Ohio State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Arkansas and Oklahoma.  Georgia will be paired on Friday with Ohio State, TCU and Oklahoma State.

Georgia won The Carmel Cup in 2014 and finished second last season. Healy, Chandler and Ralston were in the lineup at Pebble Beach a year ago.

“It’s always exciting to get a new year under way,” said Coach Chris Haack, who is beginning his 22nd season. “The fall events give us a chance to knock off some rust and start learning our team’s identity. We’ve got some young guys in the lineup, so I’m looking forward to watching them compete and develop. It also doesn’t hurt that we’re opening at one of the most iconic and famous facilities in golf. Pebble Beach will definitely provide a real test.”

Haack's squad will have five fall tournaments. After The Carmel Cup, the Bulldogs will play in the Golfweek Challenge Sept. 17-19 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; the Nike Invitational Oct. 1-3 in Portland, Ore.; the Crooked Stick Intercollegiate Oct. 16-17 in Carmel, Ind.; and the Ka'anapali Collegiate Classic Nov. 3-5 in Maui, Hawaii.​

• Bubba Watson, Brian Harman, Hudson Swafford, Kevin Kisner, Russell Henley and Chris Kirk will continue the FedExCup Playoffs this week in the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston.

• Scott Parel will be in action in the Shaw Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows on the Champions Tour.

• Keith Mitchell and Sepp Straka are playing in the Web.com Tour's Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship at Ohio State's Scarlet Course.

• On the Mackenzie Tour, Lee McCoy and Greyson Sigg are playing in the Cape Breton Open in Nova Scotia.

Seven Bulldogs Begin FedExCup Playoffs

• The FedExCup Playoffs begin Thursday with THE NORTHERN TRUST. The Bulldogs in the playoffs include Kevin Kisner, Russell Henley, Bubba Watson, Harris English, Hudson Swafford, Brian Harman and Chris Kirk.

• Scott Parel will be in action in the Champions Tour's Boeing Classic in Washington.

• The Web.com Tour stop this week is the WinCo Foods Portland Open, featuring Erik Compton, Sepp Straka and Keith Mitchell.

• Georgia football letterman Billy Payne retired Wednesday as chairman of Augusta National and the Masters Tournament. Payne, 69, took on the role in 2006 and presided over 11 Masters. Said Payne, "The privilege I experienced serving as Chairman of Augusta National and the Masters was far greater than I could have ever imagined. Just as nothing can prepare you for the unique responsibilities and important decisions that come with this position, it is equally impossible to anticipate the many joys and, most importantly, the wonderful friendships that are the ultimate reward of service."

• Important upcoming dates: The Lettermen Tournament will be held Sept. 22, followed by the
Bulldog Open on Oct. 13. Mail-outs are on the way, but for more information, contact Denise at dsaliba@sports.uga.edu.

• The Bulldogs will open the 2017-18 season Sept. 1-3 in The Carmel Cup in California.

News and Notes About The Bulldogs

• Harris English and Kevin Kisner are playing in the Wyndham Championship this week in North Carolina.

• Scott Parel will be in action in the Champions Tour's DICK'S Sporting Goods Open in New York.

• Keith Mitchell, Sepp Straka, Erik Compton and Joey Garber are in the field for the Web.com Tour's News Sentinel Open in Tennessee.

• The Mackenzie Tour stop is the National Capital Open To Support Our Troops and features Lee McCoy and Greyson Sigg.

• Important upcoming dates: The Lettermen Tournament will be held Sept. 22, followed by the
Bulldog Open on Oct. 13. Mail-outs are on the way, but for more information, contact Denise at dsaliba@sports.uga.edu.

• The Bulldogs will open the 2017-18 season Sept. 1-3 in The Carmel Cup in California.

• At age 49, Paul Claxton won the Georgia Open title earlier this month. Claxton, who will compete later this year at Champions Tour Q-School, posted a 4-shot win at Savannah’s Ford Plantation, finishing at 13-under 275.

• Matthew Beringer has been pretty popular around Athens recently. Read all about it in the Athens and Atlanta newspapers.

Seven Bulldogs To Play For PGA Championship

Seven Georgia Bulldogs will compete in the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C., this week.

Paul Claxton (1988-91), Brian Harman (2006-09), Russell Henley (2008-11), Chris Kirk (2004-07), Kevin Kisner (2003-06), Hudson Swafford (2007-09, 2011) and Bubba Watson (2000-01) will be representing Georgia in the field. Georgia and Texas each have seven alums in the field.

The 49-year-old Claxton will be making first appearance in the PGA Championship after qualifying via a top-5 finish in the PGA Professional Championship. Since capping his career on the PGA and Web.com Tours, Claxton has been working as the club professional at Hawk's Point Golf Club in his hometown of Vidalia. Said Claxton, "I'm looking forward to the PGA Championship. That was my goal coming out (to the PPC), so I'm very pleased that I was able to do that. I've never played in one, so I'm looking forward to it."

The PGA Championship can be viewed from 1-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday on TNT,  11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on TNT, and 2-7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on CBS.

Tee Times for Thursday and Friday
8:15 a.m./1:25 p.m.: Bubba Watson
8:50 a.m./2:00 p.m.: Hudson Swafford
12:50 p.m./7:40 a.m.: Paul Claxton, Russell Henley
1:40 p.m./8:30 a.m.: Brian Harman
1:45 p.m./8:35 a.m.: Chris Kirk
1:55 p.m./8:45 a.m.: Kevin Kisner

• Here's a nice piece on Harman produced by our friends at PGATour.com.

• Sepp Straka and Erik Compton will be in action in the Web.com Tour's Price Cutter Championship.

• Lee McCoy and Greyson Sigg are playing in the Mackenzie Tour's ATB Financial Classic.

• Important upcoming dates: The Lettermen Tournament will be held Sept. 22, followed by the
Bulldog Open on Oct. 13. Mail-outs are on the way, but for more information, contact Denise at dsaliba@sports.uga.edu.

• The Bulldogs will open the 2017-18 season Sept. 1-3 in The Carmel Cup in California. A complete schedule will be announced soon.

• One last reminder that Coach Chris Haack will be speaking at the The Georgia Bulldog Club's Dawg Days event in Columbus on Thursday. The event will be held at the Convention and Trade Center with a reception at 5 p.m. followed by a program at 6 p.m. Scott Howard, the radio voice of the Bulldogs, will emcee the program and panelists will include Haack, men’s basketball coach Mark Fox, Mike Cavan, special assistant to the head football coach, and women’s basketball coach Joni Taylor. The event will be open to the public and will focus on allowing current Bulldog Club members the chance to interact with UGA staff members and educate UGA fans who are not involved on how to support UGA Athletics.

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

• Congratulations to Jaime Lopez Rivarola (pictured at right) on being chosen as a Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar for the second straight season. Lopez Rivarola graduated in May.

• Congrats to Spencer Ralston and John Hilliard Catanzaro on qualifying for the United States Amateur, which will be held Aug. 14-20 at Riviera Country Club in California. Ralston is a rising sophomore, while Catanzaro is an incoming freshman.

• Kevin Kisner, Brian Harman, Bubba Watson, Hudson Swafford and Russell Henley will be playing in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, while Brendon Todd, Chris Kirk and Harris English will be in action in the Barracuda Championship.

• Erik Compton, Keith Mitchell and Sepp Straka are playing in the Web.com Tour's Ellie Mace Classic at TPC Stonebrae.

• The Mackenzie Tour stop this week is the Syncrude Oil Country Championship, which will feature Greyson Sigg and Lee McCoy.

• Important upcoming dates: The Lettermen Tournament will be held Sept. 22, followed by the
Bulldog Open on Oct. 13. Mail-outs are on the way, but for more information, contact Denise at dsaliba@sports.uga.edu.

• The Bulldogs will open the 2017-18 season Sept. 1-3 in The Carmel Cup in California. A complete schedule will be announced soon.

• Coach Chris Haack will be speaking at the The Georgia Bulldog Club's Dawg Days event in Columbus on Thursday, Aug. 10. The event will be held at the Convention and Trade Center with a reception at 5 p.m. followed by a program at 6 p.m. Scott Howard, the radio voice of the Bulldogs, will emcee the program and panelists will include Haack, men’s basketball coach Mark Fox, Mike Cavan, special assistant to the head football coach, and women’s basketball coach Joni Taylor. The events will be open to the public and focus on allowing current Bulldog Club members the chance to interact with UGA staff members and educate UGA fans who are not involved on how to support UGA Athletics.

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

• Hudson Swafford, Bubba Watson, Lee McCoy, Chris Kirk and Harris English will be in action this week in the RBC Canadian Open.

• Sepp Straka, Erik Compton and Keith Mitchell are playing in the Web.com Tour's Digital Ally Open.

• Coach Chris Haack will be speaking at the The Georgia Bulldog Club's Dawg Days event in Columbus on Thursday, Aug. 10. The event will be held at the Convention and Trade Center with a reception at 5 p.m. followed by a program at 6 p.m. Scott Howard, the radio voice of the Bulldogs, will emcee the program and panelists will include Haack, men’s basketball coach Mark Fox, Mike Cavan, special assistant to the head football coach, and women’s basketball coach Joni Taylor. The events will be open to the public and focus on allowing current Bulldog Club members the chance to interact with UGA staff members and educate UGA fans who are not involved on how to support UGA Athletics.

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

• Congratulations to Coach Chris Haack and the former Ronda Livesay on their recent marriage!

• Haack will be speaking at the The Georgia Bulldog Club's Dawg Days event in Columbus on Thursday, Aug. 10. The event will be held at the Convention and Trade Center with a reception at 5 p.m. followed by a program at 6 p.m. Scott Howard, the radio voice of the Bulldogs, will emcee the program and panelists will include Haack, men’s basketball coach Mark Fox, Mike Cavan, special assistant to the head football coach, and women’s basketball coach Joni Taylor. The events will be open to the public and focus on allowing current Bulldog Club members the chance to interact with UGA staff members and educate UGA fans who are not involved on how to support UGA Athletics.

• Russell Henley, Brian Harman, Kevin Kisner and Bubba Watson will be playing in The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale this week.

• Brendon Todd will be playing in the Barbasol Championship in Alabama.

The field for the Web.com Tour's Pinnacle Bank Championship will include Erik Compton, Sepp Straka, Keith Mitchel and Joey Garber.

• Former Georgia assistant coach Jason Payne has been named the head coach at Charleston Southern University.

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldog Club will be taking selected Georgia coaches, including men's golf coach Chris Haack, on the road next month for an outreach program named “Dawg Days.”

These events will be open to the public and focus on allowing current Bulldog Club members the chance to interact with UGA staff members and educate UGA fans who are not involved on how to support UGA Athletics. The two events this year will be held in Valdosta on Wednesday, Aug. 9, followed by Columbus on Thursday, Aug. 10.

The Valdosta event will be held at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center beginning with a reception at 5 p.m. followed by a program at 6 p.m. Featured will be a panel discussion with emcee Scott Howard, the radio voice of the Bulldogs.  Panelists include men’s basketball coach Mark Fox, gymnastics coach Courtney Kupets Carter, baseball coach Scott Stricklin, and Mike Cavan, special assistant to the head football coach.

The Columbus event will be held at the Convention and Trade Center with a reception at 5 p.m. followed by a program at 6 p.m. Howard will also emcee the program and panelists will include Haack, Fox, Cavan and women’s basketball coach Joni Taylor.

Additional information may be obtained from The Georgia Bulldog Club at  877-423-2947.

• Brian Harman, Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner, Bubba Watson and Brendon Todd will be in action this week in the John Deere Classic in Illinois.

• The Web.com Tour event is the Utah Championship and will feature Erik Compton, Keith Mitchell and Sepp Straka.

• Lee McCoy and Greyson Sigg are in the field for the Mackenzie Tour's Staal Foundation Open in Ontario.

• Scott Parel will be vying for the title in the Constellation Senior Players Championship in Maryland.

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

• Russel Henley, Hudson Swafford, Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner, Bubba Watson and Harris English will be in action this week in the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.

• Sepp Straka is in the field for the Web.com Tour's LECOM Health Challenge in New York.

• Lee McCoy and Greyson Sigg will be playing in the Mackenzie Tour's Players Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

• Chris Kirk, Russell Henley, Hudson Swafford and Harris English are playing in the Quicken Loans National this week.

• Sepp Straka, Erik Compton and Keith Mitchell are playing in the Web.com Tour's Nashville Golf Open Benefiting the Snedeker Foundation.

• Several Bulldogs are in action this week in the Dogwood Invitational --  Davis Thompson, Spencer Ralston, David Mackey, Will Chandler, Trevor Phillips and Jaime Lopez Rivarola.

Sigg Chosen As A Third-Team All-American

Georgia’s Greyson Sigg has been chosen as a Third-Team All-American by both the Golf Coaches Association of America and Golfweek Magazine.

Sigg, also a Third-Team by each outlet in 2016, finished the season with a scoring average of 70.50, which ranks third in the Georgia record book. The Augusta native wound up with six top-10s and eight top-20s in 11 stroke-play events, including a victory in the Linger Longer Invitational. Sigg was a First-Team All-SEC pick as determined by the league’s coaches.

Sigg is the 60th All-American in Coach Chris Haack’s 21 seasons at Georgia.

Sigg completed his collegiate eligibility in May and is currently playing on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada.

• Paul Claxton qualified for his first PGA Championship by finishing third in the PGA Professional Championship in Oregon. Claxton played on both the PGA and Web.com tours and he currently is PGA Director of Golf at Hawk’s Point Golf Club in Vidalia, Ga. The PGA Championship is slated for Aug. 10-13 at Quail Hollow.

"I'm looking forward to the PGA Championship," he said. "That was my goal coming out here, so I'm very pleased that I was able to do that. I've never played in one, so I'm looking forward to it. I've been working in a shop for two years, so I was leaking a little oil coming in. I need to work on my game a little bit before I head to Quail Hollow. It was fun to get in the hunt and feel a little pressure. It lets me know that I have some work to do and that's OK. I enjoy practicing and hopefully I'll get to do some more of it."

• Hudson Swafford, Brian Harman, Harris English and Bubba Watson will be in action this week in the Travelers Championship.

• Sepp Straka and Keith Mitchell are playing in the Web.com Tour's Lincoln Land Charity Championship.

• Scott Parel will be competing in the American Family Insurance Championship on the Champions Tour.

Harman Takes Second In The U.S. Open

ERIN, Wis. (AP) — Brian Harman's chance to become the first left-hander to win the U.S. Open slipped away early on the back nine.

He bogeyed the 12th and 13th holes. In the group ahead leader Brooks Koepka didn't slip up.

The leader going into the final round Sunday, Harman finished with an even-par 72 tie for second with Hideki Matsuyama at 12 under, four shots behind Koepka.

Harman dropped back on the back nine after going bogey-free on the final nine holes over his first three rounds.

"You've got to tip your cap. He went and won the golf tournament on the back nine," Harman said.

He said that he didn't believe in moral victories. Still, this was a pretty good weekend for the 30-year-old Harman, who was playing in just his eighth major. It was just the third time he made the cut.

A guy considered a short-hitter made quite an impression on the longest course in U.S. Open history. The 5-foot-7 Harman said he thrives on playing with what he calls a proverbial chip on his shoulder that dates to when he was a kid playing football.

"Yeah, I've never been a big, big man in any sport I've played," he said. "Yeah, it's definitely something I draw upon."

He showed spunk after holding off Dustin Johnson at the Wells Fargo Championship in May, a victory that secured Harman a spot at Erin Hills.

True to form, Harman didn't wither away on Sunday. either.

He birdied two of the next three holes following his bogeys on Nos. 12 and 13.

"I made the birdie right there at 14 ... then (Koepka) birdied 14, 15, 16," Harman said, "and that was kind of lights out."

Trailing by three shots at the 17th hole, Harman desperately needed to make a long birdie putt to keep alive his faint championship hopes. Up ahead, fans were cheering on Koepka.

Harman's 26-foot attempt from the edge of the green strayed left. He had to settle for par.

His tee shot at the 18th hole landed in a bunker. He looked dejected at times as he made his way up to the green, with Koepka's victory already assured. Harman ended up closing with a bogey.

"Good job," his wife, Kelly, said as she greeted her husband with a kiss.

Harman won the 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur. On Sunday, he picked up his sixth top-10 finish and third top-3 finish since joining the PGA Tour in 2012.

A couple fewer mistakes on the back nine might have given Harman a better chance at a major breakthrough.

"Yeah, if you had told me I was going to shoot 12 under this year at a U.S. Open and not win," he said, "I would have taken the bet for sure."

English Joins 4 Other Dogs In U.S. Open Field

Harris English hits a shot during the U.S. Open
sectional event in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday.

There will be five Bulldogs in the field for the U.S. Open next week at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.

Harris English advanced on Monday from the sectional qualifying tournament in Memphis, Tenn. English finished second with a two-round score of 9-under.

English will join earlier exempt Bulldogs Bubba Watson, Kevin Kisner, Brian Harman and Russell Henley.

In Memphis, the cutoff for the nine players advancing turned out to be 7-under. Brendon Todd wound up at 5-under, followed by Spencer Ralston at 1-under.

At Hawks Ridge in Ball Ground, Nicholas Reach shot 5-under but was two shy of the 7-under scores put up the lone two advancers. Joey Garber shot 1-under and Michael Cromie was even.

Erik Compton was even in Columbus, Ohio, where the cutoff was 8-under. Lee McCoy was 7-over in Tacoma, Wash., which had a cutoff of 1-under. McCoy was playing one day after winning his first professional tournament in the Mackenzie Tour’s Freedom 55 Financial Open in Vancouver, British Columbia.

• The Bulldogs have pulled ahead in the latest Rivals Cup standings with more than $13.2 million in earnings this year. Arizona State is second with $12.98 million.

• English, Henley, Hudson Swafford and Chris Kirk will be in action this week in the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

• Compton and Keith Mitchell are scheduled to play in the Web.com Tour's Rust-Oleum Championship in Illinois.

• McCoy and Greyson Sigg will be competing in the Mackenzie Tour's Bayview Place Cardtronics Open in Victoria, British Columbia.

McCoy 1st, Sigg 8th In Mackenzie Tour Event

Lee McCoy

VANCOUVER, British Columbia --- Former Georgia All-American Lee McCoy claimed the first professional victory of his career as he won the Mackenzie Tour’s Freedom 55 Financial Open on Sunday at Point Grey Golf and Country Club.

McCoy, making his first appearance on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada, finished at 20-under 268 with rounds of 66, 69, 67 and 66. He was eight shots clear of Hunter Stewart and Jordan Niebrugge. That is the largest margin of victory ever in a Mackenzie Tour event.

McCoy’s former Bulldog teammate, Greyson Sigg, who capped his collegiate career last month, finished eighth in his professional debut. Sigg was 10-under, including a third-round 68.

“This is certainly one of the most memorable weeks in my life,” said McCoy. “To play in front of a crowd and with this many good players is certainly special. I knew nobody was going to lay down out there, and to get away by as many as I did was something I could have never predicted.

“People don’t understand how good the players are on this Tour. There’s so many good players in this field, and I knew I had a tall task today with Scott in my group, and Niebrugge and Jake (Knapp) right behind me. Those guys have so much firepower and they’re all very accomplished players."

For McCoy, the win represents a sharp turnaround in his fortunes from the end of 2016, when he broke his wrist in two places in a car accident before the Second Stage of Web.com Tour Q-School. Now, he’s one step closer to earning Web.com Tour status for 2018.

“It sure beats sitting on my couch, I can tell you that,” said McCoy with a laugh. “My goal is to try to simply win as much as I can. I’m 1-for-1 I guess, but you certainly can’t win every week with this many good players, but I’m going to try to win as many times as I can.”

McCoy was making his first career start on the Mackenzie Tour after earning status at the USA East #1 Q-School in April. McCoy becomes the first player to win in his first Mackenzie Tour start since Drew Weaver won the 2015 Freedom 55 Financial Open.

McCoy becomes the fourth straight player to make the Freedom 55 Financial Open his first win on the Mackenzie Tour, joining Joel Dahmen (2014), Drew Weaver (2015) and Dan McCarthy (2016).

McCoy’s 20-under total of 268 represents the lowest score in the history of the Freedom 55 Financial Open.

As part of his win, McCoy earns seven free coupons for a daily rental car from AVIS.

News & Notes About The Bulldogs

Lee McCoy and Greyson Sigg

• Hudson Swafford, Bubba Watson, Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner and Brian Harman will be in action this week in the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide in Ohio.

• Keith Mitchell, Sepp Straka and Erik Compton are playing in the Web.com Tour's Rex Hospital Open in North Carolina.

• Greyson Sigg will make his professional debut and will be joined by Lee McCoy in the McKenzie Tour's Freedom 55 Financial Open in Vancouver. Earlier this week, Sigg was named to the All-Southeast Region Team by the GCAA.

• Nine Bulldogs will be involved in U.S. Open sectional tournaments on Monday: Joey Garber, Nicholas Reach and Michael Cromie at Hawks Ridge in Ball Ground, Ga.; Spencer Ralston, Brendon Todd, Harris English and Hudson Swafford in Germantown, Tenn.; McCoy in Tacoma, Wash.; and Compton in Columbus, Ohio. Watson, Kisner, Harman and Russell Henley already have qualified for the U.S. Open, which will be held June 12-18 at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.

• Georgia Golf mourns the loss of Harold Spears, who passed away recently at the age of 87 in Lakeland, Fla. Spears played for the Bulldogs from 1948-50 and captained the team his junior and senior seasons. He claimed medalist honors at the 1949 SEC Championship and helped Georgia win the team title in 1950. A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church in Lakeland on Friday at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First United Methodist Church or First UMC Children's Clothes Closet.

Kisner Holds On To Win Colonial By Stroke

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Kevin Kisner birdied the first three holes on the back nine to take the lead and held on to win at Colonial despite a Sunday charge by defending champion Jordan Spieth.

Kisner shot a 4-under 66 to finish at 10-under 270, including a clutch par save on the 18th hole after a wayward tee shot and an approach that was off the back side of the green and well below the hole. He finished a stroke ahead of Spieth, Sean O'Hair and Jon Rahm.

Spieth shot a bogey-free 65, and was standing on a chair to see over the crowd at the 18th green when Kisner putted up the mound to 5 feet of the cup and then made the winning putt. That came right after Rahm's 10-foot birdie chance skirted just to the left of the hole.

The 33-year-old Kisner got his second PGA Tour victory in 148 starts since his debut in 2011, and a check for just more than $1.2 million. He was a runner-up twice this year, and six times over past three seasons.

Kisner had a three-stroke lead at the turn on the final day of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March before finishing a stroke behind Marc Leishman. Kisner made a nearly 95-foot chip-in for eagle to get him and fellow Aiken, South Carolina, resident Scott Brown into playoff at the Zurich Classic's new team format before losing on the fourth playoff hole to duo of Australia's Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt of Sweden.

After a 14-foot birdie at the 420-yard 15th hole at Hogan's Alley, Kisner had a two-stroke lead. That at the same hole where Spieth, playing two groups ahead of him, punctuated an 11-foot birdie putt with a fist pump.

But about the same time Kisner made a bogey at the par-3 16th, Spieth was hitting his drive way right at the 18th hole and went on to save par after a chip to 5 feet. Kisner hit a similar drive, and also saved par.

Denham Wins Georgia Mid Am Title

David Denham

David Denham began the final round with the lead and never relinquished it as he went on to win the Georgia Mid-Amateur Championship at Cartersville Country Club on Sunday. Denham's 54-hole total of 14-under-par 202 (67-66-69) ended up two strokes better than David Noll Jr's 12-under-par 204 (67-69-68) mark. Denham also won the Georgia Amateur Championship in 2004. Denham was a member of the Bulldogs' 2005 national championship squad.

• Five Bulldogs have advanced from local qualifiers to sectional events for the U.S. Open Championship, which will be held June 12-18 at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. Set to play in sectionals on June 5 are Joey Garber, Michael Cromie, David Mackey, Lee McCoy and Nicholas Reach. (Bryden Macpherson and Spencer Ralston were alternates in their locals.)

• Kevin Kisner, Chris Kirk, Brian Harman and Harris English are in action in the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational.

• Chip Beck and Scott Parel are playing in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

News And Notes About The Bulldogs

The Georgia men’s golf team’s season came to an end on Wednesday as the Bulldogs finished 10th in the NCAA College Grove Regional at The Grove Club.

The Bulldogs finished the 54-hole event at 23-over 887, including a final-round 13-over 301. Georgia needed a top-5 finish to advance to the NCAA Championships May 26-31 in Sugar Grove, Ill.

“We knew if we played really well and got it under par early we might be able to gain some momentum,” Georgia head coach Chris Haack said. “We got off to a decent start and got it under par for awhile. But we knew when we made the turn, looking at the scores, we had to try to do something and make some things happen so we took a few gambles we didn’t need to take. But at the same time, we were trying to get to the top 5. We weren’t worried about finishing sixth or seventh.  We wanted to make it all the way. I’m still proud of these guys. They went out and gave it their best.”

Freshman Trevor Phillips paced the Bulldogs on Wednesday as he shot a 1-over 73. Sophomore Tye Waller added a 2-over 74, followed by freshman Spencer Ralston at 3-over 75. Seniors Jaime Lopez Rivarola and Greyson Sigg each signed for a 7-over 79.

Sigg finished 17th at 4-over 220 for the tournament, followed by Ralston at 6-over 222, Lopez Rivarola at 9-over 225, and Waller and Phillips each at 11-over 227.

Sigg, a First-Team All-SEC pick, wound up second in tournament total (16-under), third in single-season scoring average (70.50), sixth in career wins (four) and average (71.93), and ninth in career top-10 finishes (17) and low round (7-under) in the Georgia record book.

Said Haack, “Greyson had such a stellar career. He’s been a good leader and a great player and it’s going to be hard to replace him in the lineup. Jaime is one of the nicest, finest kids you could ever have in a program. They’ll both be sorely missed.”

• Brendon Todd, Russell Henley, Harris English and Hudson Swafford will compete this week in the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Four Seasons in Dallas, Texas.

• The Web.com Tour's BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation in Greer, S.C., will feature Bryden Macpherson, Keith Mitchell, Sepp Straka and Erik Compton.

• Scott Parel will be in action in the Champions Tour's Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Ala. Georgia football coach Kirby Smart is slated to participate in Wednesday's Pro-Am.

• We stumbled across this interesting article on Bubba Watson and his foray into fashion.

Bulldogs Ready For College Grove Regional

The No. 23-ranked Georgia men’s golf team will compete Monday through Wednesday in the NCAA College Grove (Tenn.) Regional.

The lone way to advance to the NCAA Championships May 26-31 in Sugar Grove, Ill., is to finish fifth or higher in the 13-team Regional at The Grove Club. The Bulldogs are seeded fourth.

“The field is a tough one, but that’s the way it is in all the Regionals,” Georgia head coach Chris Haack said. “We’ve played against just about everyone in the field this year and we know how good they are. But our focus is on Georgia. We know we’ve got to play well in order to survive and advance. That’s our goal. We’ll be aggressive and play as well as we can and do what it takes to move on.”

Joining the Bulldogs and host Middle Tennessee State in the Regional will be Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Clemson, Missouri, Lipscomb, Kennesaw State, UCF, TCU, Troy, ETSU and Harvard.

The Bulldogs will be paired with Missouri and Lipscomb in the first round on Monday. Tee times are slated for 11-minute increments beginning at 9:20 a.m. and ending at 10:04 a.m. Live scores can be found at Golfstat.com.

Haack will use a lineup of seniors Jaime Lopez Rivarola and Greyson Sigg, sophomore Tye Waller, and freshmen Trevor Phillips and Spencer Ralston in the Regional. Lopez Rivarola, Sigg, Waller and Ralston were in the lineup when the Bulldogs placed fifth in the Franklin American Mortgage Intercollegiate at The Grove in September. Ralston led the Bulldogs as he came in seventh, followed by Sigg in ninth and Waller in 13th.

“It’s a hard golf course,” Haack said, “so we’re fortunate that we got to play it in the fall.”

The Bulldogs were invited to an NCAA Regional for the 22nd straight year and for the 28th time in 29 seasons since the format was introduced in 1988-89. The Bulldogs have advanced from the Regional to the NCAAs 21 times. The Bulldogs have been invited to an NCAA Regional in all 21 of Haack’s seasons and have moved onto the NCAAs in 18 of the previous 20 campaigns. Haack led the Bulldogs to the 1999 and 2005 national titles, to runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2011, and to the “Final Fore” in 2015.

The five other Regional sites are Aldarra Golf Club in Sammamish, Wash.; the University of Texas Club in Austin, Texas; Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif.; the Kampen Course in West Lafayette, Ind.; and the University Club in Baton Rouge, La.

Seven Bulldogs In THE PLAYERS

Seven Bulldogs are playing this week in THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.: Brian Harman, Hudson Swafford, Harris English, Chris Kirk, Bubba Watson, Russell Henley and Kevin Kisner.

• Just a reminder that the Bulldogs will be back in action Monday through Wednesday in the NCAA Regional in College Grove, Tenn. The top five teams after three rounds will advance to the NCAA Championship.  The Bulldogs will use a lineup of seniors Jaime Lopez Rivarola and Greyson Sigg, sophomore Tye Waller, and freshmen Trevor Phillips and Spencer Ralston.

• Following Harman's win in the Wells Fargo Championship, Coach Chris Haack was interviewed by our friends at the Atlanta Journal Constitution and 960 The Ref.

Harman Wins Wells Fargo Championship

Brian Harman

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Dustin Johnson was in the clubhouse, tied for the lead and poised for a chance to join an elite class with a fourth straight PGA Tour victory. Brian Harman was on the last tee, knowing a birdie on the par-5 18th would be enough to win the Wells Fargo Championship.

Harman could have drawn it up differently, but not any better.

Switching from a 5-wood to a 3-wood for his 271-yard shot in the 18th, he went so long that he needed relief from a corporate chalet. His chip became harder because of tree limbs that made him go low, and his chip came out soft and barely got onto the green.

And then he rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt for a 4-under 68 and a one-shot victory Sunday over Johnson and Pat Perez.

"I didn't hit a great chip. It didn't turn out very good," Harman said. "But I guess it went where it was supposed to."

The greens at Eagle Point were so pure that Harman knew it was good when the ball was 5 feet from the cup. He turned and pumped his arms in a wild celebration that ended in a hug with his caddie, Scott Tway, for a victory that was a long time coming.

Harman won for the first time in nearly three years.

For Johnson, playing for the first time since a freak accident knocked him out of the Masters, it was the first time in nearly three months that he left a PGA Tour event without the trophy. It wasn't from a lack of trying. Johnson made the cut on the number, and then went 67-67 on the weekend, including a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole, to nearly pull out another victory.

"I didn't have a lot of time off, so I didn't really know what to expect this week because I didn't really get to practice leading into this tournament, either," Johnson said. "Not much has changed. The first couple days I didn't play that great, but really played nicely on Saturday and Sunday and so I'm happy with where the game is going into next week."

Perez did his part, bouncing back from a double bogey on the 14th hole that took him out of the lead by making birdies on the 16th and 18th holes for a 68 that he thought might be good enough for a playoff with Johnson, the world's No. 1 player, and Harman.

"Hell of an up-and-down from back there," Perez said. "He deserves it. He played great."

Perez moves to No. 42 in the world ranking, which makes him a lock to be exempt from U.S. Open qualifying. Harman gets back to the Masters, and he doesn't mind having to wait 11 months for a return to Augusta National.

Jon Rahm of Spain was in the mix, too. Rahm, one of five players who had at least a share of the lead on the back nine, watched from the 18th fairway as the crowd that surrounded the hole and filled all three levels of a hospitality chalet erupted in cheers. He knew he needed an eagle — just like the one he made at Torrey Pines for his first PGA Tour victory — to force a playoff. He was posing. And it sailed over the green, leading to par and a 71 to finish alone in fourth.

Lost in Harman's long birdie putt for the victory were two shots that led to that moment — an 8-iron from 176 yards to 3 feet on the 14th for a tap-in birdie, and the pitching wedge from 137 yards on the 17th hole to 4 feet that put him in position for the victory.

In between was a three-putt from the par-3 15th that he thought would cost him.

"Knew it was going to be tough to birdie those last couple," Harman said. "But I stuck to my game plan and just did it. Did the best I could."

And it was just enough.

Johnson was playing for the first time in six weeks because of his slip down the stairs the day before the Masters that led to him pulling out. A quick start allowed him to lurk behind the leaders all day, and he holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th that gave him a share of the lead.

Then, he was alone in the lead when others started to stumble — Perez with a double bogey on No. 14, Harman with the three-putt bogey on the 15th and Patrick Reed, the 54-hole leader who made four bogeys in a six-hole stretch on the back nine.

Reed shot 40 on the back nine for a 75 and fell out of the top 10. He played in the final group with Alex Noren of Sweden, who closed with a 77.

Johnson was trying to join Byron Nelson, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan and Jack Burke Jr. as the only players with at least four straight PGA Tour victories. He was hurt slightly by his mishap at the Masters, when he suffered a deep bruise on his lower back from the tumble down the stairs while still wearing only socks. This was his first time playing in six weeks, and while there were signs of rust, he looked like the same old Johnson over the weekend as he tried to make up ground and almost did. 

Bulldogs Assigned To College Grove Regional

The 23rd-ranked Georgia men’s golf team will begin its quest for another national championship May 15-17 at the NCAA Regional hosted by Middle Tennessee State, according to an announcement Thursday by the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Committee.

The Bulldogs are seeded fourth in the College Grove Regional, which will be played at The Grove Club. Georgia placed fifth in the Franklin American Mortgage Intercollegiate at The Grove in September. Thirteen teams will compete in the College Grove Regional, with the top five teams advancing to the NCAA Championships May 26-31 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill.

Joining the Bulldogs and host Middle Tennessee State in the College Grove Regional will be Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Clemson, Missouri, Lipscomb, Kennesaw State, UCF, TCU, Troy, ETSU and Harvard.

“We’re excited to be back in a Regional and for the chance to play again at The Grove,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “Our Regional is a talented one, top to bottom. We know it’s going to be extremely competitive, but that’s what you expect this time of year. We’ll have to be at our best to be one of the teams to advance. As always, there’s no margin for error at this time of the season.”

Haack is expected to use a lineup of seniors Jaime Lopez Rivarola and Greyson Sigg, sophomore Tye Waller, and freshmen Trevor Phillips and Spencer Ralston in the Regional. Lopez Rivarola, Sigg, Waller and Ralston were in the lineup when the Bulldogs placed fifth in the FAMC at The Grove. Ralston led the Bulldogs as he came in seventh, followed by Sigg in ninth and Waller in 13th. Said Haack, “Four of our five guys got in four rounds at The Grove in the fall. That should be extremely helpful to us.”

The Bulldogs were invited to an NCAA Regional for the 22nd straight year and for the 28th time in 29 seasons since the format was introduced in 1988-89. The Bulldogs have advanced from the Regional to the NCAAs 21 times. The Bulldogs have been invited to an NCAA Regional in all 21 of Haack’s seasons and have moved onto the NCAAs in 18 of the previous 20 campaigns. Haack led the Bulldogs to the 1999 and 2005 national titles, to runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2011, and to the “Final Fore” in 2015.

The five other Regional sites are Aldarra Golf Club in Sammamish, Wash.; the University of Texas Club in Austin, Texas; Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif.; the Kampen Course in West Lafayette, Ind.; and the University Club in Baton Rouge, La.

• Wright Waddell has been chosen for induction into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame, according to an announcement Monday by the Georgia State Golf Association.

Wright Waddell

The Georgia Golf Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Ceremony will take place on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek.

A native of Columbus, Waddell was a member of Southeastern Conference Championship teams in 1982 and 1983 and competed in four NCAA Championships. Waddell was an All-American in 1983 and a three-time All-SEC selection. He served as the Bulldogs' team captain in 1984.

Waddell is a four-time winner of the Southeastern Amateur Championship and earned runner-up honors four additional times. Waddell won the Georgia Mid-Amateur Championship twice and was a two-time runner-up in the Georgia Amateur Championship. Four times, he won the Georgia Four-Ball Championship with partner Carter Mize.

Waddell has qualified for and competed in 15 USGA championships — seven U.S. Amateurs, seven U.S. Mid-Amateurs and one U.S. Junior Amateur. He has won the club championship eight times at Green Island Country Club in Columbus and once at the Country Club of Columbus.

Waddell has given back to the game by serving on the Board of Directors of the First Tee of Columbus, American Cancer Society and the Columbus YMCA.

• Please join Coach Chris Haack in support of courses nationwide by bidding on rounds of golf at Rounds4Research.com. Watch Coach Haack's video here.

• The Wells Fargo Championship field this week includes Brendon Todd, Harris English, Kevin Kisner, Chris Kirk, Hudson Swafford and Brian Harman.

• Erik Compton and Sepp Straka are teeing it up in the Web.com Tour's Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship.

• Scott Parel is playing in the Champions Tour's Insperity Inspirational.