Reach and T.J. Mitchell Advance to Match Play at U.S. Amateur

Two Bulldogs have advanced to match play at The U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club.  Sophomore Nick Reach tied for 13th and Senior T.J. Mitchell tied for 51st after the two rounds of stroke play qualifying. 

T.J. Mitchell had to survive a morning playoff to gab a spot in the match play field of 64.  There were 17 players tied for 51st and Mitchell made it through the playoff thanks to a birdie on the first hole to grab the first of the 14 available spots.

Nick Reach, who shot a 36 hole total of 2 under par, will be seeded 13th for match play and face Patrick Duncan or Rancho Santa Fe, CA in the round of 64.

T.J. Mitchell, who had a 36 hole total of 2 over par, will be seeded 51st and face Taylor Gooch of Midwest City, OK in the first round.

Reach is on the top half of the match play bracket and Mitchell is on the bottom half, so they would not face each other until the final match should they advance that far.

Three current Bulldogs and one former Bulldog did not advance on to the field of 64.  Junior Joey Garber tied for 120th at 6 over par, junior Keith Mitchell tied for 162nd at 8 over par,  former Bulldog, Jack Larkin, tied for 222 at 11 over, and Sophomore Sepp Straka tied for 239th at 12 over par.

Live scoring of the matches involving Reach and Mitchell can be followed live at www.usga.org

Five Bulldogs To Tee It Up In U.S. Amateur

Five members of the Georgia men’s golf team will be in action this week in the 2012 U.S. Amateur in Aurora, Colo.

Senior T.J. Mitchell, juniors Joey Garber and Keith Mitchell, and sophomores Nicholas Reach and Sepp Straka will be a part of the 312-player field.

The participants will go through 18 holes of stroke play Monday and Tuesday, after which the field will be cut to the low 64 scores. Six rounds of match play will follow, with the champion being crowned in a 36-hole match on Sunday.

The U.S. Amateur will be played at the par-71, 7,409-yard Cherry Hills Country Club and the par-70, 7,378-yard CommonGround Golf Course.

On Monday, Reach will tee off at 9:40 a.m., T.J. Mitchell at 9:50 a.m., Garber at 10:20 a.m., Keith Mitchell at 2:35 p.m. and Straka at 2:55 p.m. Eastern.

“This is the biggest amateur event in the world, so we’re excited,” T.J. Mitchell said. “Playing this tournament before the school tournaments will be a great warm-up. We are looking forward to seeing how our games compare to all the other great players that will be there.”

“This is a great opportunity for our guys,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “We’re very proud of the five of them for making it to the U.S. Am. I know they will go out there and represent us well. To get someone to the winner’s circle would be icing on the cake.”
Live scoring can be followed at www.usga.org

Five Bulldogs Qualify for U.S. Amateur

Current members of the Men's Golf Team have had success in the qualifying rounds for the U.S. Amateur.  So far five Bulldogs have played their way into the USGA championship to be played August 13-19 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado.

Four of the five Bulldogs were medalists at their respective sites.

Nick Reach was medalist at Blue Ridge Country Club in Harrisburg, PA with a 36 hole score of 135.

Sepp Straka was runner-up at Piedmont Driving Club with a 36 hole score of 133.

Keith Mitchell was medalist at Willow Creek Golf Club in Knoxville, TN with a 36 hole score of 136.

T.J. Mitchell was medalist at Saugahatchee Country Club in Opelika, AL with a 36 hole score of 133.

Joey Garber was medalist at Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby, OH with a 36 hole score of 139.

Three Dawgs Qualify for U.S. Amateur

So far there have been three current members of the Men's Golf Team qualify for the U.S. Amateur.  Not only did all three qualify, but all three were also the low medalist at their qualifying sites.

T.J. Mitchell was the medalist at Saugahatchee Country Club in Opelika, Al with a 36 hole score of 136.

Keith Mitchell was medalist at Willow Creek Golf Club in Knoxville, TN with a 36 hole score of 136.

Joey Grarber was medalist at Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby, OH with a 36 hole score of 139.

The 2012 U.S. Amateur will be played August 13-19 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado.

Georgia Golfers Finish 17th At NCAA Championships

Sophomore, Keith Mitchell, was the low Bulldog at the NCAA Championship tying for 9th individually

The Georgia men's golf team saved its best for last on Thursday at the NCAA Championships.

The Bulldogs carded a 4-over-par 288 at The Riviera Club, seven shots better than their first round and 10 strokes better than their second round. Thursday's loop gave Georgia a three-day total of 29-over 881.

The Bulldogs, however, fell short of their goal of a top-8 finish to advance to match play. Georgia wound up in 17th place, six shots behind eighth. The teams advancing to match play starting on Friday were Alabama (859), UCLA (861), Texas (869), California (871), San Diego State (871), Washington (872) and Oregon (873). Kent State and Florida State shared the eighth spot at 875 and will have a playoff on Thursday to determine which team moves on.

"We're disappointed about not being able to advance, but we definitely closed on a high note," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "We avoided some of the big pitfalls today. We played a little looser today and down the stretch we finished better, which is something we wanted them to do."

Sophomore Keith Mitchell paced the Bulldogs on Thursday, firing a 2-under 69. Sophomore Brian Carter added a 1-over 72, junior T.J. Mitchell had a 2-over 73, freshman Nicholas Reach signed for a 3-over 74 and sophomore Joey Garber posted a 4-over 75.

Keith Mitchell wound up as the top Bulldog in the field, coming in ninth at 1-over 214. T.J. Mitchell finished at 5-over 218, followed by Reach at 12-over 225, Carter at 13-over 226 and Garber at 14-over 227. Illinois' Thomas Pieters claimed NCAA medalist honors as he finished at 5-under 208.

And while the 2012 season may be over, the Bulldogs quickly turned their attention to the 2013 campaign.

"Being here was a great accomplishment for our team," Carter said. "It's a tremendous help not losing anybody. Next year, the NCAAs are in Atlanta, and if we keep growing up, we might have a really good shot at it."

"Before the round, we told the guys we wanted them to learn for the future," Haack said. "We wanted to stress what it takes to have a complete round and how valuable every shot is for all three rounds. As they look back, they'll find a couple of shots they'll wish they had saved. If they learn that, it will be helpful down the road."

Added Keith Mitchell, "If we stick to our game plan next year and play strong through the fall and spring, I think we'll be fine."

Bulldogs Slip To 19th At NCAA Championships



Junior T.J. Mitchell is one of two Bulldogs tied for 25th individually at the NCAA Championship



 After climbing into contention early in the second round, the Georgia men's golf team slipped further back at the NCAA Championships on Wednesday at The Riviera Club.

The 20th-seeded Bulldogs successfully navigated the front nine and vaulted from the middle of the pack into the top 10. That position was a critical one as the top eight teams after Thursday's third round will advance to match play while the other 22 teams will be eliminated.

However, on the back nine, the Bulldogs went 12-over par and wound up at 14-over 298 for the day. After two rounds, Georgia is in 19th place at 25-over 593 --- nine strokes behind current eighth-place teams California, Kent State, Florida, Southern Cal and Illinois (584). Alabama has the overall lead at 572.

"We know exactly what we need to do," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "We're nine shots back, and it's up to us to get them back. We can't expect or rely on anyone to give them to us. Nine shots is a reachable goal, but we've got to show that we want it. Our goal all season has been to make it to match play at the NCAAs. Thursday is a growing-up kind of day for us. We need to come out blazing and try to get ourselves into that top eight. We had some positives early on today, so we need to build off of those. We also had some negatives, and we need to learn from them. Every walk around this golf course is an opportunity to learn and to perform well."

The Bulldogs will tee off in 10-minute increments on Thursday from 10:30 to 11:10 a.m. EST. Georgia will be paired with Chattanooga and Texas A&M.

Sophomore Keith Mitchell paced the Bulldogs on Wednesday with a 1-over 72. Junior T.J. Mitchell signed for a 3-over 74, while sophomore Joey Garber had a 4-over 75, and sophomore Brian Carter and freshman Nicholas Reach each posted a 6-over 77.

The Mitchells (no relation) are tied for 25th in the individual race at 3-over 145. They are eight strokes behind leader Thomas Pieters of Illinois (137). Reach is at 9-over 151, followed by Garber at 10-over 152 and Carter at 12-over 154. The individual national champion will be crowned following Thursday's round.

"Hopefully, we can keep our noses down all the way through the round Thursday," Keith Mitchell said. "We need to fire on all cylinders. We've got nothing to lose now. We need to shoot at every pin and make every putt because it could be our last competitive round of the year."

"We've got to put it together for a complete round," Haack said. "We've got to play all 18 and keep it going because anything can happen out here. We've played both nines well and both nines bad. We need to remember the good stuff and do it again."

"We need a good round Thursday," T.J. Mitchell said. "We're nine down, but you never know what will happen. The course is tough, so we've just got to hang in there, let it go and see what happens."

Live results and tee times can be found at NCAA.com.

Georgia Golfers Ready To Tee It Up At NCAAs

Georgia football coach Mark Richt has to replace three-fifths of his offensive line for the upcoming season. Bulldogs golf coach Chris Haack can relate.

Haack has gotten his Georgia men’s golf team back to the NCAA Championships despite saying goodbye to four members of the NCAA runner-up squad from a year ago (current professionals Harris English, Russell Henley, Bryden Macphersonand Hudson Swafford).

But as Haack noted after the Bulldogs qualified for the NCAAs, “I’d say it’s been a great year. No matter what happens, it’s been a great year.”

With that attitude in place, the Bulldogs will join 29 of the nation’s top teams at the Riviera Country Club (par-71, 7,292 yards) in Pacific Palisades, Calif., for the NCAAs, which will be held Tuesday through Sunday. The 30 teams are slated for 54 holes of stroke play, with the top eight then advancing to match play. The individual national champion also will be crowned after 54 holes.

Georgia is seeded 20th for the tournament and has been paired with Central Florida and Iowa for the first two rounds. Texas,  Alabama and California are the top three seeds for the NCAAs.

“The sky’s the limit for our team,” Haack said. “Our plan is to go out there, be relaxed and look at it as ‘why not us?’ If we play well, we can play with anybody else in the country. For these guys, this will be an invaluable experience to get to compete at this level, to feel that pressure and to see what it’s all about trying to win a championship.”

The Bulldogs will begin pursuit of the national title on Tuesday when they tee off in 10-minute increments from 10:20 to 11 a.m. Eastern. On Wednesday, Georgia will tee off from 3:40 to 4:20 p.m. The third-round tee times and pairings will be based on the 36-hole scores. Live scoring and tee times can be found at ncaa.com.

Georgia will use a lineup of junior T.J. Mitchell, sophomores Brian Carter, Joey Garber and Keith Mitchell, and freshman Nicholas Reach. T.J. Mitchell is the only Bulldog remaining from last year’s NCAA runner-up team; however, Garber played in 2011 for Michigan as it came in 10th. Carter, Keith Mitchell and Reach will be making their NCAA debuts.

Said T.J. Mitchell, the Bulldogs’ elder statesman, “Everything from here on is a plus. We’re looking forward to making it to the top eight, and then we’ll go from there. If you can get to match play, you never know what will happen.”

The Georgia quintet has been assembled for five additional events this season, highlighted by second-place efforts in the USF Invitational and the Linger Longer Invitational. With this lineup, the Bulldogs came in fourth in both the SEC Championship and the NCAA Athens Regional.

The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAAs for the 14th time in 16 seasons under Haack. Georgia won the 1999 and 2005 NCAA titles and came in second in 2007 and 2011.

“Making it to the NCAAs is a feeling that never gets old,” Haack said. “It’s an honor to be in the field, and that’s how we look at it. Without question, this is an elite field and we will have to play our best to be in the hunt. That said, our guys are excited about the opportunity and can’t wait for this challenge.”


Live scoring can be followed at www.golfstat.com

Dawgs Advance to NCAA Championship

Needing a top-5 finish, the 24th-ranked Georgia men's golf team secured a berth in the NCAA Championships with a fourth-place effort on Saturday in the Athens Regional at the UGA Golf Course.

The Bulldogs finished at 12-over 864 with a 12-over 296 in the final round and next will play in the NCAAs May 30-June 3 at the Rivera Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Also advancing from the Athens Regional were Alabama (828), East Carolina (853), North Florida (858) and Iowa (866). Long Beach State's Philip Chian (210) claimed the regional's individual berth.

"At the beginning of the year, knowing all the new faces we were going to put in the lineup, I didn't even know if we'd have a chance to make it to the regionals," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "To be able to not only make it but finish fourth and move on, I'd say it's been a great year. No matter what happens, it's been a great year."

"Luckily we had enough clutch pars to get it done," sophomore Joey Garber said. "Whether you're first or fifth you're going, so we're happy about that."

The Bulldogs, sporting a lineup of one junior, three sophomores and a freshman, advanced to the NCAAs for the 14th time in 16 seasons under Haack. Georgia won the 1999 and 2005 NCAA titles and came in second in 2007 and 2011.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs got a 2-over 73 from junior T.J. Mitchell, 3-over 74s from Garber and freshman Nicholas Reach, and a 4-over 75 from sophomore Brian Carter. Sophomore Keith Mitchell had the Bulldogs' non-counting score of 7-over 78.

T.J. Mitchell came in seventh individually at 2-under 211, seven shots behind medalist Justin Thomas of Alabama (204). Carter placed 18th at 3-over 216, Garber finished 29th at 6-over 219, Reach came in 45th at 8-over 221 and Keith Mitchell placed 51st at 9-over 222.

"My heart lost a few years again and I'll probably have a few more gray hairs," said Haack, whose 2010 Bulldogs lost in a regional playoff and whose 2011 squad advanced by one stroke. "It is such a stressful week. To be able to get through it and make it, that's all we needed to do. We probably made it a little tighter than we needed to make it, but the guys came through. We're all excited, we'll have some fun and get ready for nationals. ... This is a great learning experience for these guys and it will pay dividends down the road."

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.

Georgia Golfers Second At Linger Longer



Freshman Nick Reach finished runner-up at The Linger Longer Invitational

Georgia's Nick Reach finished second individually in dramatic fashion at the Linger Longer Invitational at the Great Waters Course at Reynolds Plantation on Sunday. Reach, a freshman from Moscow, Pa., birdied the final two holes of regulation to force a playoff with Alabama's Cory Whitsett. Both golfers birdied No. 18 on the first three holes of the playoff. Reach then birdied No. 18 again, but an eagle by Whitsett gave him the victory.

The No. 25-ranked Bulldogs placed second in the team field, closing with a 5-under 283 to finish the 54-hole event at 12-under 852. No. 7 Alabama won the team title at 26-under 838.
"There are signs we're getting better," head coach Chris Haack said. "We put ourselves behind the eight ball with a bad first nine holes yesterday, but I was pleased with the way that they battled back and turned this into a solid performance in the end. There are still some youthful mistakes but there are also signs of improvement."

Reach shot 4-under 68 on Sunday. He fell to 1-over on the day following his only bogey of his Sunday loop at No. 3. He rallied to turn at 1-under after birdies at No. 6 and No. 9 and moved further into red numbers with another birdie at No. 11. Reach posted a quartet of pars before back-to-back birdies at No. 17 and No. 18.
In addition to Reach's 68, the Bulldogs also counted 71 from sophomore Joey Garber and a pair of 72s from sophomore Keith Mitchell and junior T.J. Mitchell.
Garber and sophomore Brian Carter, who shot 74 on Sunday, also posted top-10 finishes, tying for sixth at 4-under 212 and 10th at 2-under 214, respectively.

In addition, Sam Straka, who competed as an individual, finished 22nd at 218; Michael Cromie, also competing individually, tied for 23rd at 219; T.J. Mitchell tied for 26th at 220; Keith Mitchell tied for 31st at 222; and Sepp Straka, UGA's third individual competitor, tied for 43rd at 227.

The Bulldogs will enjoy a four-week break from competition before opening play at the SEC Championships on Friday, April 20.

Bulldogs Set To Play In Furman Intercollegiate

The 21st-ranked Georgia men's golf team will continue the spring portion of its schedule this weekend in the 43rd annual Furman Intercollegiate.

The tournament will take place Friday through Sunday at the Furman University Golf Club, which is a par-72, 6,994-yard course.

Joining the Bulldogs and the host Paladins will be Charleston Southern, No. 13 Clemson, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State, Elon, Francis Marion, Gardner-Webb, Georgia State, Marshall, Michigan, Presbyterian, Purdue, Samford, Temple, Troy, Virginia Tech, Western Carolina, Winthrop and Wofford.

The Bulldogs will use a lineup of junior T.J. Mitchell, sophomores Brian Carter, Joey Garber and Keith Mitchell, and freshman Nicholas Reach. Freshman Sepp Straka will play as an individual, meaning his scores will not count toward the team total.

"As hard as it is to believe, we're getting down to it with this season," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "After Furman, we've got Linger Longer (March 24-25) and then the SECs (April 20-22 on St. Simons Island). We need to keep improving and make sure we're hitting our stride when we get to the championship part of the schedule. That's why Furman is a big tournament for us. We need to keep playing well, building momentum and gaining more confidence."

The first round will tee off at 8 a.m. on Friday. Live scoring can be found at golfstat.com.

Bulldogs Come In Second In USF Invitational

The 22nd-ranked Georgia men's golf team finished second on Tuesday in the USF Invitational at Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club.

The Bulldogs fired a 3-under 285 in the final round to wind up at 4-under 860. No. 16 Central Florida opened the day with a 6-shot lead over the Bulldogs and maintained its advantage by also shooting a 3-under 285 to finish at 10-under 854.

Joey Garber and Nicholas Reach paced the Bulldogs on Tuesday as each signed for a 2-under 70. Keith Mitchell followed at even-par 72, while Brian Carter signed for a 1-over 73 and T.J. Mitchell had a 2-over 74.

T.J. Mitchell came in fifth individually at 2-under 214, three shots behind Louisville's Justin Dorward and Arkansas State's Chris Pledger. Garber and Reach were fifth at 1-under 215, while Keith Mitchell was 12th at 1-over 217 and Carter wound up at 4-over 220. Playing as an individual, Sepp Straka shot a 6-over 78 Tuesday to finish at 9-over 225.

"We would liked to have won this golf tournament of course, but we can leave here with our heads held high," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "We played pretty solid golf for three days, and having a spirited head-to-head competition today with UCF was good for our guys. I think we grew up a lot at this tournament. There were a lot of positives that we can build on as we move forward."

The Bulldogs will return to action Monday in Montecito, Calif., in The Maestro -- a match-play event against Southern Cal. Georgia's next stroke-play event will be the Furman Intercollegiate March 16-18.

Bulldogs Improve To Second In USF Invitational

T.J. Mitchell is fourth individually at the USF Invitational

The 22nd-ranked Georgia men's golf team moved up one spot and gained one shot on the leader on Monday in the USF Invitational at Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club.

In the second round on Monday, the Bulldogs carded a 4-under 284 --- the lowest loop of the day --- to move into second place at 1-under 575. Georgia trails No. 16 Central Florida by six strokes heading into Tuesday's final round.

T.J. Mitchell and Nicholas Reach each fired a 2-under 70 on Monday to pace the Bulldogs. Keith Mitchell, Joey Garber and Brian Carter all signed for an even-par 72.

T.J. Mitchell is now fourth in the individual race at 4-under 140, three shots behind Louisville's Justin Dorward (137). Keith Mitchell, Garber and Reach are 17th at 1-over 145, followed by Carter at 3-over 147. Playing as an individual, Sepp Straka shot a second-round 3-under 69 to go to 3-over 147.
The Bulldogs received a little inspiration as former Bulldog and Tampa resident, Ryuji Imada,  came out to watch the team compete on Monday.  The team also had the privilege of having dinner with the PGA Tour member at one of Imada's favorite local restaurant.

"As a coach, it's easy to be pleased with a day like this," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "T.J. stayed under par, and everyone else improved on his first-round score. That's the kind of improvement we've been talking about. Hopefully, we can see that improvement one more time on Tuesday."

The final round of the USF Invitational will be played Tuesday. Live results can be found at golfstat.com.

The No. 22 Georgia men’s golf team will continue its spring schedule at the USF Invitational in Dade City, Fla., Sunday through Tuesday.
The Bulldogs are coming off a ninth-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic, where they were paced by Keith Mitchell who finished 14th in the individual race.
Georgia will feature a lineup of junior T.J. Mitchell, sophomores Brian Carter, Joey Garber and Keith Mitchell and freshman Nicholas Reach. Reach leads the Bulldogs with a scoring average of 72.46, followed by T.J. Mitchell at 72.75. Keith Mitchell, Garber and Carter have played less than 10 rounds each and are averaging 70.17, 72.00 and 72.57, respectively. Sepp Straka, who is averaging 74.60, will play as an individual.
“I can’t recall ever having a team this young, but it’s been fun,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “It’s been a fun challenge. Everywhere we go, it’s something new for these guys. It’s been enjoyable watching them get better week-to-week and helping them overcome the pitfalls and focus on the things we need to work on.
“All in all, it’s been good. Week to week, you don’t what you’re going to get. But I do know we’ll get a group that’s willing to play hard and lay it on the line. The more experience they get, the more tournament-ready they will be. We’ve had our ups and downs, but as long as we’re getting better, it’s going to be fine in the long run.”
Joining the Bulldogs and host South Florida will be No. 16 UCF, No. 18 Florida State, Arkansas State, Cincinnati, DePaul, Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Middle Tennessee State, North Carolina, Troy and Villanova.
Live scoring and tee times can be found here.

Bulldogs Come In Ninth In Puerto Rico Classic

The Georgia men’s golf team finished in ninth place in the Puerto Rico Classic on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs fired a final-round 4-over-par 292 to wind up at 5-over 869 in their first tournament of the spring portion of their schedule. Team honors went to Alabama, which finished at 834 and coasted to an 18-shot victory.

Nicholas Reach paced the Bulldogs on Tuesday as he signed for a 2-under 70. Keith Mitchell added an even-par 72, followed by Joey Garber at 2-over 74 and Sam Straka at 4-over 76. T.J. Mitchell had Georgia’s non-counting score of 5-over 77.

Keith Mitchell finished 14th in the individual race at 1-under 215, nine strokes behind medalist Justin Thomas of Alabama. Garber, making his Georgia debut since transferring from Michigan, came in 19th at even-par 216. Reach wound up at 2-over 218, with T.J. Mitchell and Straka at 9-over 225.

“We didn’t close as well as I would have liked,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “But the good news is I saw a lot of positives during this tournament. We’ll get back home, correct some things and keep working hard. I really think this team will get better and better as we move forward.”

The Bulldogs will return to action March 4-6 at the USF Invitational in Dade City, Fla.

Bulldogs Move To Fifth In Puerto Rico Classic

 The Georgia men’s golf team moved up one position on Monday in the second round of the Puerto Rico Classic.

After entering the day tied for sixth, the Bulldogs fired an even-par 288 to move to 1-over 577 and into fifth. Alabama has the team lead at 21-under 555.

Joey Garber, competing for the first time as a Bulldog since transferring from Michigan, paced the Bulldogs in the second round with a 2-under 70. Sam Straka added an even-par 72, while Keith Mitchell and T.J. Mitchell each signed for a 1-over 73. Nick Reach had the Bulldogs’ non-counting score of 4-over 76.

Garber moved into eighth in the individual race at 2-under 144, six shots behind Georgia Tech’s James White. Keith Mitchell is 14th at 1-under 143, followed by T.J. Mitchell and Reach at 4-over 148 and Straka at 5-over 149.

“Our guys really battled hard today, and that always make a coach proud,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “As competitors, you want to give it everything you’ve got whenever you’re on the course. Our young team will grow more and more experienced as we go forward. We want to make progress with every round, and I think we did that today.”

The Puerto Rico Classic, the Bulldogs’ first event of the spring, will conclude today.  Live scoring can be followed at http://www.golfstat.com/.

Bulldogs Sixth After One Round In Puerto Rico

The Georgia men's golf team opened the spring portion of its schedule on Sunday by shooting a 1-over-par 289 in the first round of the Puerto Rico Classic.

The Bulldogs are tied for sixth place with tournament host Purdue, 13 strokes behind Alabama.
Keith Mitchell paced the Bulldogs on Sunday as he shot a 2-under 70. Mitchell is sixth in the individual race, trailing Alabama's Justin Thomas, who opened with a 5-under 67.
Joey Garber, making his Bulldogs debut after transferring from Michigan, and Nicholas Reach followed with even-par 72s. T.J. Mitchell signed for a 3-over 75. Sam Straka had the Bulldogs' non-counting score of 5-over 77.

"This tournament has always given us a chance to knock the rust off coming off the fall and winter," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "Our guys have been working hard, and all that was missing was the tournament aspect of things. Now that we've got a competitive round under our belts, we can keep focusing on getting better and playing more consistently."

The Puerto Rico Classic will resume on Monday and will conclude on Tuesday.  Live scoring is available at http://www.golfstat.com/

Golfers Head to Puerto Rico

The Men's Golf team will begin their spring portion of their schedule as they head to the Puerto Rico Shootout in Rio Mar, Puerto Rico.  The five golfer line up will include senior T.J. Mitchell, sophomores Keith Mitchell and Joey Garber, and freshmen Nick Reach and Sam Straka. 
The 54 hole event begins on Sunday and will conclude on Tuesday.  Live scoring can be followed at http://www.golfstat.com/

A video preview of The Puerto Rico Shootout on G-TV can be viewed by clicking here:
http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-golf/spec-rel/021312aaa.html