Bulldogs Move Up To Fourth In Puerto Rico

Sophomore Sam Straka fired a 6 under 66 on Monday

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico --- The ninth-ranked Georgia men's golf team had a 10-stroke turnaround on Monday and moved up to fourth place in the Puerto Rico Classic.

On Monday on the Rio Mar Country's Club River Course, the Bulldogs fired an 8-under-par 280 to move to 6-under 570 after two rounds. Alabama and Oklahoma are the co-leaders at 19-under 557.

Sophomore Sam Straka rebounded from a first-round 12-over 84 to post a 6-under-par 66 on Monday. Sophomore Nicholas Reach followed with a 5-under 67. Juniors Keith Mitchell and Michael Cromie signed for a 1-over 73 and a 2-over 74, respectively. Senior T.J. Mitchell had the Bulldogs' non-counting score of 3-over 75.

Reach vaulted to ninth in the individual race at 3-under 141. Co-leaders Mikey Moyers of Virginia Tech and Eduardo Castillo of Oklahoma stand at 7-under 137.

Cromie moved to 1-over 145, followed by Keith Mitchell at 2-over 146, T.J. Mitchell at 3-over 147 and Straka at 6-over 150.

"I was pleased with the way we bounced back today," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "Sam and Nick each went deep and really led us. If we can get all five guys playing well at the same time, we've got a lot of potential. I am looking for a strong finish on Tuesday."

The Puerto Rico Classic will conclude on Tuesday with a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start. Pairings and live results can be found here.

Men's Golf Practice Golf Report

Georgiadogs.com talks with team members T.J. Mitchell and Michael Cromie along with coach Jim Douglas as they prepare to head to the first event of the spring in Puerto Rico.

To view the video interview, click on the link here:
http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-golf/spec-rel/021313aaa.html

Kirk Comes In Second In Pebble Beach

Chris Kirk

Former Georgia All-American Chris Kirk notched a second-place finish on Sunday in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Kirk closed with a 66 to finish alone in second, though he was never closer than two shots of eventual winner Brant Snedeker on the back nine and finished with a birdie. Kirk finished on 269, a score that would have been good enough to win all but four times at Pebble Beach since this tournament began in 1937.

“We’ve had a lot of tournaments like that on tour this year where somebody has really just kind of blitzed the field,” Kirk said. “I felt like I played well enough to win a golf tournament and came up a little bit short.”

Other Bulldog finishes:

Ryuji Imada, T-40

Brian Harman, T-50

Justin Bolli, cut

Erik Compton, cut

Brendon Todd, cut

Harris English, cut

Imada Off to Good Start at Pebble Beach

Ryuji Imada  during the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

Ryuji Imada is off to a good start after the first round of the AA&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am thanks to a 5 under par 65.  The 65 was good enough to put him in a tie for third, just one shot off the lead.
Former Bulldogs joining Imada in the field at the AT&T National Pro-Am, are Brian Harman, Chris Kirk, Justin Bolli, Erik Compton, and Harris English.
Harman fired a first round 68 and is in a tie for 35th, Kirk is tied for 57th at 1 under, Bolli is tied for 79th at even par, Compton is tied for 95th ad 1 over, and English is tied for 145th at 5 over par.

The second round will be played today with television coverage beginning at 3:00 on The Golf Channel.  Live scoring can be followed at www.pgatour.com

5 Bulldogs at Waste Management Phoenix Open

The 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale during the Waste Management Phoenix Open

There will be five Bulldogs in the field this week in Scottsdale, AZ for the Waste Management Phoenix Open.  Bubba Watson , Russell Henley, Harris English, Chris Kirk, and Brian Harman begin play today at TPC Scottsdale, home of the famous 16th hole, where 20,000 spectators gather to watch in a stadium like atmosphere.

Bubba Watson and Russell Henley will be paired together for the first two rounds, as Bubba makes his first appearance in a full field event in 2013.

Television coverage can be viewed on The Golf Channel beginning at 4:00 and live scoring can be followed at www.pgatour.com.

Farmers Insurance Open Results

Erik Compton tied for 15th at The Farmers Insurance Open

The real story of the day at The Farmers Insurance Open was Tiger Woods cruising to a 4 shot win to mark the 75th win of his career and eighth win at Torrey Pines.  Erik Compton was the top finisher by the Bulldogs in the field as he posted a 6 under total that put him in a tie for 15th.  Brian Harman tied for 44th at 1 under, Justin Bolli tied for 51st at even par, and Harris English tied for 73rd at 3 over par.

Harman carded the best round of the four Bulldogs on the final day with a 1 over 73 to make his first cut of the season.

Brian Harman and Harris English now head to Scottsdale, AZ for the Waste Management Phoenix Open where they will be joined by fellow Bulldogs Russell Henley, Chris Kirk, and Bubba Watson.

Monday Finish for PGA Tour at Torrey Pines

Erik Compton is currently in 5th place at The Farmers Insurance Open

With Tiger Woods holding a six shot lead, the Farmers Insurance Open will finish today with the final group still having 11 holes to play.  The top Bulldog is currently Erik Compton, who sits in a tie for 5th.  If Compton stays in the top 10, he will record his best career finish on the PGA Tour.
Compton is followed by Justin Bolli who is in a tie for 34th, Brian Harman who is tied for 51st, and Harris English who is tied for 62nd.

Play for today will resume at 2:00 eastern and television coverage will be on The Golf Channel beginning at 2:00 and then switching over to CBS at 4:00.  Live scoring can also be followed at www.pgatour.com