Bulldogs Set To Begin 2013-14 Season

Senior Joey Garber will serve as the Bulldogs' team captain this season.

The 11th-ranked Georgia men's golf team will open its 2013-14 season this weekend in the 25th annual Carpet Capital Collegiate.

The Bulldogs will join 13 other schools (including four from the Southeastern Conference) at The Farm in Rocky Face, Ga., Friday through Sunday. The teams will play 54 holes on the par-72, 7,012-yard layout.

The Bulldogs will use a lineup of seniors Michael Cromie and Joey Garber, junior Nicholas Reach, sophomore Lee McCoy and freshman Greyson Sigg. Garber, the Bulldogs' captain for 2013-14, paced Georgia a year ago with a 71.93 scoring average. Junior Sam Straka will play as an individual, meaning he can compete for medalist honors but his scores cannot count toward the team total. 

"Every time you start a new season, there's excitement and there's anticipation," said Georgia coach Chris Haack, who is entering his 18th year at the helm. "We're anxious to tee it up and watch this team build its own unique identity. I think we have a team that will compete hard and will not be satisfied with just being close. These guys want to win. They worked hard this summer and went through some tough qualifying rounds. We're looking forward to getting started at The Farm."

Joining the Bulldogs and tournament host Georgia Tech will be Auburn, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Texas, Middle Tennessee State, Kennesaw State, North Florida and Chattanooga.

For scoring and tee times, click here.

Four Bulldogs Advance In FedExCup Playoffs

Four former Bulldogs advanced in the FedExCup Playoffs on Monday following the Deutsche Bank Championship.

The top 70 advanced to this week's BMW Championship in Lake Forest, Ill., and the field will include No. 28 Harris English, No. 37 Chris Kirk, No. 40 Bubba Watson and No. 43 Russell Henley. No. 94 Brian Harman and No. 99 Erik Compton were eliminated from the playoffs.

The top 30 after BMW Championship will play in Atlanta in the TOUR Championship.

Kirk paced the former Bulldogs at the Deutsche Bank Championship as he came in 16th at 13-under. English was 27th at 10-under, Henley was 62nd at 5-under and Watson was 67th at 3-under. Harman and Compton missed the cut.

• After one round of the Web.com Tour Finals, Kevin Kisner stands third, Brendon Todd is 15th and Scott Parel is 60th. Kisner shot 18-under at the Hotel Fitness Championship to pocket $58,000. Todd won 17,000 at 14-under and Parel earned $2,900 at 5-under. Justin Bolli and Hudson Swafford missed the cut.

Kisner and Todd already have secured their PGA TOUR cards for next season by finishing the regular season in the top 25 of the Web.com Tour's money leaders. The top 25 money leaders after the Web.com Tour Finals also will secure TOUR cards.

The field for this week's Chiquita Classic in Davidson, N.C., includes Bolli, Kisner, Parel, Swafford and Todd.

The Web.com Tour Finals, a competition featuring the top 70 money winners for the 2013 Web.com Tour regular season and Nos. 126-200 on the PGA TOUR's 2013 FedExCup standings, is contested over four events. The 25 players who have already locked up cards won't count against the 25 additional cards that will be awarded during the Finals.

• Chip Beck came in 77th in the Champions Tour's Shaw Charity Classic at 5-over. He is scheduled to play this week in the Montreal Championship.

• The Bulldogs will open the 2013-14 schedule Friday through Sunday in the Carpet Capital Collegiate in Rocky Face, Ga. Check back later in the week for a full preview.

• Just a reminder that the 2013 Bulldog Open is slated for Friday at the UGA Golf Course.

• A reminder that this is YOUR blog. If you have any news you want to share, please do so by emailing Denise Saliba (dsaliba@sports.uga.edu).

Six Bulldogs Advance In FedExCup Playoffs; Kisner, Todd Secure PGA TOUR Cards For 2014

Bubba Watson came in 13th at The Barclays last week.

The six former Bulldogs in the FedExCup Playoffs advanced among the Top 100 following The Barclays, highlighted by Erik Compton's leap to No. 94.

Compton, a two-time heart transplant recipient, was 117th at the beginning of the week. On Sunday, he sank a 5-foot, 9-inch putt on the final hole to cap a 1-under 70 to tie for 43rd and move to 94th in the FedExCup Playoffs.

The five other Bulldogs already were within the Top 100 and were able to maintain that status. Following the Barclays, their standings are now: No. 26 Harris English, No. 27 Bubba Watson, No. 33 Russell Henley, No. 47 Chris Kirk, No. 88 Brian Harman and No. 94 Compton.

Following this week's Deutsche Bank Championship (which will run Friday through Monday) in Norton, Mass., the top 70 will move onto the BMW Championship in Lake Forest, Ill. The top 30 after that event will play in Atlanta in the TOUR Championship.

Watson came in 13th at The Barclays at 7-under, while Compton was 43rd at even-par 284. English, Henley, Kirk and Harman missed the cut.

• Former Bulldogs Kevin Kisner and Brendon Todd secured PGA TOUR cards for next season by finishing the regular season in the Top 25 of the Web.com Tour's money leaders. Kisner came in 13th and Todd, who won the Stadion Classic at UGA earlier this year, placed 20th following play in the Cox Classic.

The Top 25 will move onto the four-tournament Web.com Tour Finals, where they will be joined by the PGA TOUR players who finished 126-200 in the FedExCup standings.  Another 25 cards will go to those players who earn the most cumulative money in the four Finals events.

A Web.com Tour Finals money list reflecting earnings in the four Finals' events will be in effect, with all players starting with $0. For those in the Finals, a player's finish on the Finals' money list will determine his position within the PGA TOUR priority ranking, which is used to form fields for TOUR events, with two exceptions. The Web.com Tour's leading money winner during the regular season and the player who earns the most money during the Web.com Tour Finals will be fully exempt, meaning each is guaranteed a spot in PGA TOUR events the following season (excluding invitationals). Both will earn invitations to THE PLAYERS. The 48 remaining players will be slotted next in priority after the top 125 off the FedExCup points list.

The Finals will begin this week with the Hotel Fitness Championship in Fort Wayne, Ind. Justin Bolli (who was 150th in the FedExCup standings), Kisner, Todd, Scott Parel and Hudson Swafford are in the field.

Parel. who came in 31st on the money list, placed 33rd at the Cox Classic. Kisner, Ryuji Imada, Paul Claxton and Richard Scott missed the cut and Swafford withdrew.

• The Champions Tour continues with the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary. Chip Beck is slated to participate.

• The Bulldogs will open their 2013-14 season Sept. 6-8 at the Carpet Capital Collegiate in Rocky Face, Ga.

• The 2013 Bulldog Open is slated for Friday, Sept. 6, at the UGA Golf Course. Call (706) 369-6066 for information on fielding a team and/or becoming a sponsor.

• Congratulations to David Boyd, who has been chosen as the recipient of the Bill Hartman Award. Boyd was the SEC medalist in 1962 and has been one of Georgia Golf's greatest supporters. He will be recognized at the Georgia-LSU football game Sept. 28. Named for Georgia's long-time kicking coach and chairman of the Georgia Student Educational Fund, the award has been given annually since 1992 and recognizes former Georgia student-athletes who have demonstrated excellence in their profession and/or in service to others by 20 or more years of superior performance after graduation. Only former varsity athletes who have received a baccalaureate degree from Georgia can be considered for the award. 

• A reminder that this is YOUR blog. If you have any news you want to share, please do so by emailing Denise Saliba (dsaliba@sports.uga.edu).

Six Bulldogs Advance To FedExCup Playoffs

Brian Harman is one of the six Bulldogs in the FedExCup Playoffs.

The seventh edition of the PGA TOUR's FedExCup Playoffs will begin this week after the top 125 players in points — including six former Bulldogs — were determined following Sunday's final round of the Wyndham Championship.

Erik Compton, Harris English, Brian Harman, Russell Henley, Chris Kirk and Bubba Watson will be playing this week at The Barclays at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. Watson has appeared in all seven FedExCup Playoffs.

Harman will tee off at noon on Thursday, followed by English and Watson at 12:44 p.m., Kirk at 12:55 p.m., Henley at 1:06 p.m. and Compton at 1:39 p.m.

While there is no specific threshold of points that are needed to reach and advance in the FedExCup Playoffs, the following is a best-guess template to follow:
• The top 125 in points make The Barclays.
• The top 100 in points advance to the Deutsche Bank Championship (550 points or more).
• The top 70 in points advance to the BMW Championship (807 points or more).
• The top 30 in points advance to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola (1,556 points or more) in Atlanta, where the FedExCup champ will be crowned. The top five at the TOUR Championship will control their own destiny and likely will need 3,182 points or more to fall into that category.

The Bulldogs' current points totals are English (19th, 1,134), Henley (24th, 1,048), Kirk (31st, 904), Watson (38th, 830), Harman (80th, 578) and Compton (117th, 422).

With his third-place finish at the Wyndham Championship, Harman skyrocketed from No. 115 to No. 80 in the FedExCup standings.

The Web.com Tour stop this week is the Cox Classic at Champions Run in Omaha, Neb. Scheduled to participate are Paul Claxton, Ryuji Imada, Kevin Kisner, Scott Parel, Richard Scott, Hudson Swafford and Brendon Todd. Adam Mitchell is listed among the alternates.

The 25 leading money winners at the end of the regular season will be guaranteed PGA TOUR cards for 2014. Kisner is 12th with $177,116 and Todd is 18th with $152,828. Parel is 28th with $128,957 — approximately $6,200 behind No. 25.

Four Bulldogs Seek U.S. Amateur Title

Senior Michael Cromie and three teammates are playing this week in the U.S. Amateur.

Georgia has four members of the 2013-14 team playing this week in the United States Amateur.

Rising senior Michael Cromie, rising juniors Nicholas Reach and Sam Straka, and incoming freshman Greyson Sigg are in the field in Massachusetts at The Country Club in Brookline and the Charles River Country Club in Newton Centre.

Reach will tee off at 7:20 a.m. Monday, followed by Cromie at 12:45 p.m., Straka at 1:20 p.m. and Sigg at 1:30 p.m. On Tuesday, Cromie will start at 7:45 a.m., Straka will play at 7:50 a.m., Sigg will begin at 8 a.m. and Reach will tee off at 12:35 p.m.

After the two days of stroke play, the top 64 will advance to the match play portion of the tournament.

The Golf Channel will air the first- and second-round matches and the quarterfinals Wednesday (4-6 p.m.), Thursday (noon-2 p.m.) and Friday (9-11 p.m.). NBC will show the semifinals on Saturday and the championship match on Sunday, with coverage each day going from 4-6 p.m.

Vinny Giles in 1972 is the only Bulldog to ever win the U.S. Amateur.

• The PGA TOUR stop this week is the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro. N.C. The field includes Justin Bolli, Erik Compton, Brian Harman and Chris Kirk, while Brendon Todd is listed among the alternates.

• Kirk was the top Bulldog at the PGA Championship, placing 57th at 7-over. Harris English took 61st at 8-over, while Bubba Watson and Russell Henley missed the cut.

• A large group of Bulldogs will play in the Web.com Tour's News Sentinel Open at Fox Den Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn.: Paul Claxton, Ryuji Imada, Kevin Kisner, Scott Parel, Richard Scott, Hudson Swafford and Brendon Todd.

• Claxton was 19th at 12-under in the Price Cutter Charity Championship last weekend. Parel, Swafford and Scott missed the cut.

• In the all-important Top 25 money leaders on the Web.com Tour, Kisner ranks 14th, Todd ranks 17th and Parel ranks 24th. At the end of the season, the Top 25 will receive PGA TOUR cards for 2014. Another 25 TOUR cards will be awarded based on the three-tournament Web.com Tour Finals following the regular season.

• Chip Beck will tee it up this week in the Champions Tour's Dick's Sporting Goods Open at En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott, New York.

• The 2013 Bulldog Open is slated for Friday, Sept. 6, at the UGA Golf Course. Call (706) 369-6066 for information on fielding a team and/or becoming a sponsor.

• A reminder that this is YOUR blog. If you have any news you want to share, please do so by emailing Denise Saliba (dsaliba@sports.uga.edu).

Four Bulldogs To Play In PGA Championship

Harris English appeared in The Golf Channel's "Playing Lessons" recently.

Four Bulldogs will be in the field at the PGA Championship this week.

Harris English, Russell Henley, Chris Kirk and Bubba Watson are scheduled to tee it up Thursday through Sunday at Oak Hill Country Club in Town of Pittsford, New York.

Here are the first- and second-round tee times for the Bulldogs: Watson (1:05 p.m. and 7:55 a.m.), Henley (12:50 p.m. and 7:40 a.m.), English (1 p.m. and 7:50 a.m.) and Kirk (2:20 p.m. and 9:10 a.m.).

TNT will televise the PGA Championship from 1-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. CBS will take over Saturday and Sunday from 2-7 p.m.

• U.S. Amateur qualifiers Michael Cromie (a rising senior) and Greyson Sigg (an incoming freshman) were interviewed by WSB Channel 2 in Atlanta on Tuesday. Their interviews will air during the Bulldogs Gameweek broadcast Saturday at 10 a.m.

• In case you missed it, English recently appeared on The Golf Channel's Playing Lessons With The Pros. For some behind-the-scenes moments from his segment at Sea Island Golf Club, click here.

• English was the top Bulldog at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. He placed 14th at 2-under. Watson was 27th at 4-over.

• At last weekend's Reno-Tahoe Open, Brian Harman was 11th with 28 points in the Stableford scoring system, followed by Brendon Todd in 13th with 27, Justin Bolli in 32nd with 22 and Ryuji Imada in 68th with eight.

• The Web.com Tour stop this week is the Price Cutter Charity Championship at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield, Mo. Paul Claxton, Scott Parel, Hudson Swafford, Kevin Kisner, Imada, Richard Scott and Todd are in the field.

• At the Mylan Classic at Southpointe Golf Club in Canonsburg, Pa., Swafford came in 10th at 5-under. Kisner was 21st at 2-under, Claxton was 27th at 1-under and Scott missed the cut.

• In the all-important Top 25 money leaders on the Web.com Tour, Kisner ranks 12th, Todd ranks 15th and Parel ranks 22. At the end of the season, the Top 25 will receive PGA TOUR cards for 2014. Another 25 TOUR cards will be awarded based on the three-tournament Web.com Tour Finals following the regular season.

• The 2013 Bulldog Open is slated for Friday, Sept. 6, at the UGA Golf Course. Call (706) 369-6066 for information on fielding a team and/or becoming a sponsor.

• Georgia remains in second place in the Rivals Cup standings for both the PGA TOUR and the Web.com Tour. Following last weekend's action on the PGA TOUR, Georgia Tech has 5,497 FedExCup points, while the Bulldogs have 5,287. Using the Web.com Tour's money list, Pepperdine is first with $717,390 and Georgia is next with $610,337.

• A reminder that this is YOUR blog. If you have any news you want to share, please do so by emailing Denise Saliba (dsaliba@sports.uga.edu).

Four Bulldogs Qualify For United States Am; Odom Named Coach At Western Carolina

Nicholas Reach has qualified for the United States Amateur.

Four members of the Georgia men's golf team have qualified for the United States Amateur.

Rising senior Michael Cromie, rising juniors Nicholas Reach and Sam Straka, and incoming freshman Greyson Sigg advanced from regional qualifying tournaments that concluded this week. 

The U.S. Amateur is slated for Aug. 12-18 in Massachusetts at The Country Club in Brookline and the Charles River Country Club in Newton Centre.

Cary, N.C., native Cromie tied for the top spot at the Country Club of Whispering Pines in North Carolina with a total of 138.

Reach, a native of Moscow, Pa., placed second in the event held at Cane Brook Country Club in Summitt, New Jersey, firing 137. 

Sigg, a native of Augusta, won the qualifier held at the Athens Country Club with a two-round total of 135. Straka, who hails from Valdosta, came in second, two shots back at 137.

Reach (2012) and Cromie (2011) will be playing in the U.S. Amateur for the second time, while Sigg and Straka will be making their first appearances. Said Reach, "The U.S. Amateur is a different feeling than any other tournament I've played. What I learned last year is going to help me tremendously this year."

• Former Georgia All-American Bryant Odom has been named the head coach at Western Carolina. Odom spent the last two seasons as the assistant coach at Wisconsin.

"I could not be more excited about the opportunity ahead of me at Western Carolina," said Odom. "My sincerest thanks go to Coach (Michael) Burcin who trusted me as his assistant over the past two years in Madison. I learned a great deal from him and will always be grateful for my experience at the University of Wisconsin. Looking ahead at Western Carolina, there is great potential because of the strength of current players, vision within the athletic department and support from the Cullowhee area. This region is also full of talented prospects. Abbi and I fell in love with Cullowhee on our initial visit and can't wait to settle into the community."

Odom played for the Bulldogs from 1999 through 2002, winning SEC medalist honors and All-America honors in 2001. He also served as a graduate assistant for Coach Chris Haack in 2009 and 2010.

Odom is married to the former Abbi Francis, who was a two-year letter winner for the Georgia women's golf team.

• The PGA TOUR stop this week is the Reno-Tahoe Open in Nevada. Justin Bolli, Ryuji Imada, Brendon Todd and Brian Harman are in the field.

• At last weekend's RBC Canadian Open, Chris Kirk and Bubba Watson came in 21st at 8-under, while Erik Compton, Harman and Bolli missed the cut.

• The Web.com Tour event this week is the Mylan Classic in Pennsylvania. Paul Claxton, Hudson Swafford, Kevin Kisner, Ryuji Imada and Richard Scott are slated to compete. Kisner won the Mylan Classic in 2010 for his first Web.com Tour win.

• At last weekend's Albertsons Boise Open, Claxton paced the Bulldogs as he finished 31st at 15-under. Scott finished 14-under for 33rd and Imada was 11-under for 53rd. Scott Parel, Swafford and Kisner missed the cut.

• Georgia remains in second place in the Rivals Cup standings for both the PGA TOUR and the Web.com Tour. Following last weekend's action on the PGA TOUR, Georgia Tech has 5,450 FedExCup points, while the Bulldogs have 5,053. Using the Web.com Tour's money list, Pepperdine is first with $651,206 and Georgia is next with $598,518.

• The 2013 Bulldog Open is slated for Friday, Sept. 6, at the UGA Golf Course. Call (706) 369-6066 for information on fielding a team and/or becoming a sponsor.

• UGA graduate Tony Parker has an interesting job in Scotland. Read about it here.

• A reminder that this is YOUR blog. If you have any news you want to share, please do so by emailing Denise Saliba (dsaliba@sports.uga.edu).