6 Bulldogs Set To Play In PGA Championship

Six Bulldogs will be in action this week in the PGA Championship: Harris English, Brian Harman, Russell Henley, Kevin Kisner, Brendon Todd and Bubba Watson.

The tournament will run Thursday through Sunday at Whistling Straits in Sheboygan, Wisc.

• Watson was the runner-up in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday. He finished at 9-under, two shots shy of Shane Lowry. Henley placed 17th at 1-under, Kisner was 37th at 3-over and Todd was 61st at 10-over.

• Hudson Swafford missed the cut in the Barracuda Championship in Nevada.

• Scott Parel will play and Bryden Macpherson is an alternate for the Web.com Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship this week in Missouri.

• The 17th annual Bulldog Open will be held Friday, Sept. 18, and The Golf Lettermen's Four Ball will take place Friday, Oct. 2. More information, contact Denise at dsaliba@sports.uga.edu or 706-369-6066.

• On Twitter, Chris Kirk wrote this last week: "My hand is healing nicely but still a few weeks away from hitting balls. I'm hoping to be ready for @TheBarclaysGolf." Kirk has been sidelined with a broken hand since mid-July.

• Seniors Lee McCoy and Sepp Straka and sophomore Zach Healy will be playing next week in the U.S. Amateur in Illinois.

Four Bulldogs Playing In WGC Bridgestone

Four Bulldogs will be in action this week in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio: Bubba Watson, Kevin Kisner, Brendon Todd and Russell Henley.

Hudson Swafford will tee it up in the Barracuda Championship, the PGA Tour's other event this week in Nevada.

• Swafford was 21st at 7-under to lead the Bulldogs in the Quicken Loans National. Harris English took 46th at 4-under and Erik Compton was 71st at 4-over.

• Bryden Macpherson and Scott Parel each finished 18th at 10-under in the Web.com Tour's Utah Championship.

• Macpherson and Parel will be back in action this week in the Digital Ally Open in Kansas.

• The 17th annual Bulldog Open will be held Friday, Sept. 18, and The Golf Lettermen's Four Ball will take place Friday, Oct. 2. More information, contact Denise at dsaliba@sports.uga.edu or 706-369-6066.

Cromie Rides Torrid Finish To First Win At Verdict Ridge

Michael Cromie

By Stewart Moore

eGolf Gateway Tour 

DENVER, N.C. --- As a freshman on the 2010-11 Georgia golf team, Michael Cromie played alongside the likes of future PGA TOUR stars Harris English and Russell Henley as a key member of the Bulldogs squad.

That early success gave way to two years of uncertainty before some tough love from coaches Chris Haack and Jim Douglas reignited Cromie’s game, in turn giving way to a standout senior year and the 2014 North & South Amateur title.

In his first full year on the eGolf Gateway Tour, the 23-year-old struggled early, but righted the ship with a runner-up finish at last month’s Mimosa Hills Open. That bit of resurgence sparked the talented Cromie’s proverbial A-game, which came full circle at this week’s Verdict Ridge Open, where birdies on three of his final four holes Friday afternoon delivered a 14-under total and the first win of his professional career.

Starting the day at host Verdict Ridge Country Club, Cromie sat one back of 18- and 36-hole leader Chas Narramore of Kingston, Tenn. following rounds of 68-64—132 (12-under).

Early in the final round, Cromie went through a bit of a rollercoaster with a bogey on the tough par-3 second giving way to back-to-back birdies on Nos. 3 and 4 before a three-putt bogey on the par-4 fifth dropped him down to even par on the day.

“I wasn’t hitting it great early today, so it took a while for me to get going,” said Cromie.

Narramore, a member of the Web.com Tour this year, bogeyed the second as well, but came roaring back with birdies on Nos. 6 and 9 to turn in 1-under 35 and 14-under total – at the time three shots clear of Cromie.

“I made a great up and down for par on No. 9 from long and left of the pin,” Cromie said. “At that point, I knew I was three back and that a solid back nine would put me right there.”

Cromie hit his second shot on the par-4 12^th to 20 feet, converting the lengthy birdie try to move back to even par on the day and within two of Narramore.

Both players bogeyed the 14^th after Narramore caught his second shot heavy and Cromie failed to convert a 5-foot par attempt.

“That putt would have put me within one. After I missed, I just told myself I could finish strong here and to just put the next drive in play and go flag hunting,” said Cromie, who birdied 16, 17 and 18 each of the first two days.

Cromie made the day’s only birdie on the par-4 15^th after hitting a wedge to six feet to pull within one.

A solid up-and-down on the par-5 16^th from an arduous greenside bunker vaulted Cromie to 1-under on the day and 13-under par – suddenly tied for the lead with Narramore and Norway’s Andreas Halvorsen.

Halvorsen, one of the top junior players in the world as recently as one year ago, was making his first career tour start at Verdict Ridge, and was making quite the statement after turning in 6-under 30 and 12-under for the week on Friday morning.

The 18-year-old, who passed up numerous Division I scholarship offers in order to turn pro, closed in 1-under 35 for a final-round 65 and a 13-under 203 tally in the clubhouse. Halvorsen spent the final hour waiting on Narramore and Cromie to come in, hoping his best for a playoff.

After the day’s final pairing traded pars on 17, with Cromie narrowly missing a birdie putt that sat on the edge of the cup, both players found the fairway at the par-5 18^th. While Narramore laid up, Cromie went for the green in two from 214 yards, with his third coming to rest in a difficult lie right of the green.

Narramore, a former Middle Tennessee State star making just his second career start on tour, hit a good wedge to 20 feet above the hole for his third, giving himself a downhill look at birdie.

Needing to hit a phenomenal flop shot for his third, Cromie delivered, pitching a wedge to a foot-and-a-half at the last for what would be a kick-in birdie.

After marking his ball, Cromie watched as Narramore’s birdie try missed, in turn leaving a mere 18 inches for the tour rookie to convert career win No. 1.

Cromie tapped in for birdie and allowed for an ear-to-ear grin, thanks to a final-round 70 and a stellar come-from-behind win at 14-under par, thanks in part to birdies on three of his last four holes.

“It feels good to be in contention. I struggled early this year, but the turning point was at Mimosa Hills where I got the juices flowing again,” said Cromie, who earned $11,000 for the victory. “I remembered why we play this game, which is to get the going nerves early and just embrace it. Last night, just thinking about today, I was loving the idea of being nervous.”

Cromie starred on the junior stage, winning the North & South Junior and earning a scholarship to NCAA powerhouse Georgia, where he moved right into the lineup alongside the likes of English, Henley and Hudson Swafford.

For two years thereafter, the struggles of golf and health set in.

“I was kind of lost after my freshman year. I injured my wrist my junior year and wasn’t able to come back in the spring the way I wanted to,” he said. “At that point, I knew I needed a plan to get ready for my senior year and eventually pro golf.”

Tough love from Haack and Douglas allowed Cromie to enjoy a stellar senior campaign, as the renowned college coaches convinced him to worry about nothing but winning while playing with a little more toughness.

“They had been beating it into me since I got there that no one cares who finishes second, people only care who wins,” he said. “Just man up and hit the shots.”

A 71.93 scoring average and a win at the Linger Longer Invitational gave way to a summer of amateur golf in 2014, where Cromie became the first player in history to win the North & South Amateur after previously claiming the junior title.

Cromie turned professional and set out for the eGolf Gateway Tour, where reality bit once again – this time in the form of four missed cuts to open his year.

“I texted Coach Douglas when I was struggling to ask him what I was doing last year that worked,” Cromie said. “He said, ‘You played to win. You played with no fear.’”

Douglas’ advice paid dividends for Cromie, helping the first-year player to five top-25s over his next eight starts – including the runner-up at Mimosa Hills and the win at Verdict Ridge.

“I think that attitude adjustment of playing to win – not to make cuts – helped me a lot,” he said. “I think that attitude and mindset change really made the last few months possible.”

Watson Comes In Second In Canadian Open

Bubba Watson paced the Bulldogs in the RBC Canadian Open as he finished second -- just one shot back of Jason Day -- at 16-under. Watson birdied the last four holes and five of his last six to make a run at the title. Erik Compton took 11th at 11-under, while Brian Harman was 34th at 8-under and Hudson Swafford was 72nd at 1-under.

• Erik Compton, Harris English and Hudson Swafford are slated to play this week in the Quicken Loans National in Virginia.

• Scott Parel is in the field and Bryden Macpherson is listed as an alternate for the Web.com Tour's Utah Championship.

Todd Paces Bulldogs In The Open

Brendon Todd was the top Bulldog at The Open as he finished at 9-under 279, mainly due to his 3-under 69 and 6-under 66 in the final two rounds. Russell Henley came in 20th at 3-under 281 and Harris English took 68th at 3-over 287. Brian Harman, Kevin Kisner and Bubba Watson missed the cut.

• Erik Compton placed 39th in the Barbasol Championship at 6-under 278. Ryuji Imada missed the cut.

• Erik Compton, Brian Harman, Hudson Swafford and Bubba Watson will be in action this week in the RBC Canadian Open.

•  Georgia golfers Lee McCoy and Manuela Carbajo Ré earned medals in the mixed team portion of the Pan Am Games at Angus Glen Golf Club. McCoy, a rising senior for the Bulldogs, led the Americans to a 4-day total of 24-under 552 to take second behind Colombia’s 27-under 549. Carbajo Ré, also a rising senior for the Georgia women’s team, helped Argentina come in third at 10-under 566. Individually, McCoy came in fourth at 10-under 278. He carded rounds of 70, 68, 69 and 71. Amira Alexander and Carbajo Ré finished 11th and 14th, respectively. Alexander closed with an even-par 72 on Sunday, while Carbajo Ré carded an 9-over 81. Alexander finished at 15-over 303. Carbajo Ré played the first 54 holes at a combined 8-over before completing the tournament at 17-over 305. This was the first time golf has been a sport at the Pan Am Games. Golf will make its Olympic debut at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

• Freshman David Mackey is playing this week in the U.S. Junior Amateur at Colleton River Plantation Club in Bluffton, S.C.

• Senior Sepp Straka and sophomore Zach Healy qualified for the U.S. Amateur, which will be held at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club, Aug. 17-23, 2015. Straka came in second and Healy was third in the qualifier at Horseshoe Bend Country Club in Roswell. Healy is having a good summer as he also came in fourth in the Georgia Am and fifth in the Dogwood Am.

Six Bulldogs Headed To The Open

Georgia will be well represented in The Open at St. Andrews this week. Scheduled to compete are Harris English, Brian Harman, Russell Henley, Kevin Kisner, Brendon Todd and Bubba Watson.

Chris Kirk had qualified as well, but he had to withdraw after breaking his hand.

• Brian Harman was the top Bulldog in the John Deere Classic as he came in 24th at 11-under. Hudson Swafford and Kevin Kisner took 35th at 9-under, Lee McCoy came in 69th at 2-over and Harris English placed 72nd at 3-over. Erik Compton missed the cut. For McCoy, a rising senior for the Bulldogs, it was his first made cut in three professional events.

• Erik Compton and Ryuji Imada will tee it up in the Barbasol Championship in Auburn, Ala. Another familiar name in the field is Todd McCorkle, the former Georgia women's golf coach.

• McCoy, meanwhile, will play in the inaugural golf event at the Pan Am Games in Toronto Thursday through Sunday.

• At the Web.com Tour's Stonebrae Classic in California on Sunday, none of the Bulldogs in the field made the cut: Paul Claxton, Joey Garber, Adam Mitchell and Scott Parel.

• Greyson Sigg was one of three players tied for the lead after regulation in the Georgia Amateur at on the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club. They wound up playing five playoff holes, but the title went to Dru Love. Sigg finished second, Zach Healy took fourth, Parker Derby came in 12th and Jack Hall placed 60th.

• Incoming freshman David Mackey will be playing July 20-25 in the U.S. Junior Amateur at Colleton River Plantation Club in Bluffton, S.C.

Watson Wins Travelers Championship On Second Playoff Hole

Travelers Championship winner Bubba Watson (right) with Brian Harman.

CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Bubba Watson made an 8-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole Sunday to outlast Paul Casey and win the Travelers Championship for the second time.

Casey had overcome a 3-stroke deficit with five to play, tying Watson at 16-under 264.

But Casey lost his chance at the title while playing the par-4 18th for the third time, when his third shot from a greenside bunker flew over the green and landed on the cart path.

Watson, meanwhile, hit his 160-yard approach just to the right of the hole.

Watson had a chance to win in regulation, but bogeyed the 17th, while Casey closed with three birdies on the final five holes, sandwiched around a bogey on 15.

Watson finished with a 67 at TPC River Highlands and Casey shot 65.

Watson also won a playoff in the WGC-HSBC Champions in China in November at the start of the season. He won the Travelers in 2010 for his first of eight PGA Tour titles.

"I hung on, and that's what you have to do sometimes to win," Watson said. "It's just about staying calm. That's what you have to do, you just breathe and walk slower, take some deep breaths and focus on the fact that no matter what you still come in second place. … I wish it was a lot easier, but a victory is a victory. My whole goal in my career was to get 10 wins. I need two more."

This was the sixth time since 2004 the tournament has been decided in a playoff.

Brian Harman was third at 15-under, while Brendon Todd was 15th at 9-under and Harris English was 25th at 7-under. Lee McCoy, Hudson Swafford and Erik Compton missed the cut.

The finish assured Harman of a spot in the British Open. Kevin Kisner also got into The Open based on standing 14th in the FedExCup Standings.

"I've been thinking about that tournament for a long time and really trying to look at a way to get in there," Harman said. "This one burns a little bit, but that definitely helps the sting."

That means Harman, Russell Henley, Chris Kirk, Kisner, Todd and Watson will be representing UGA in The Open.

• Michael Cromie came in second in the eGolf Gateway Tour's Mimosa Hills Open in North Carolina at 18-under. Cromie missed the cut four times to open the year but has since made four of five cuts. Mookie DeMoss missed the cut in his first eGolf Gateway Tour event.

• Compton, Henley, Kisner, Swafford, Todd and Watson will be in action this week in The Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.

• Jack Larkin, who played for the Bulldogs from 1980-83 and is the father of current Bulldog Jack Larkin Jr., missed the cut in the U.S. Senior Open in California. Another familiar name in the field (who also missed the cut) was former Georgia women's golf coach Todd McCorkle.

• Bryden Macpherson is slated to play in this week's Nova Scotia Open on the Web.com Tour.

• Scott Parel came in 48th at 2-under and Bryden Macpherson missed the cut in last week's Air Capital Classic.

• Signee David Mackey has earned a spot in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, which will be held at Colleton River Plantation Club in Bluffton, S.C., July 20-25.