English, Kuchar Team Up To Win Franklin Templeton Shootout

Matt Kuchar and Harris English hold the Franklin Templeton Shootout trophy on Sunday.

Who says Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets can't work together?

On Sunday in Naples, Fla., former Georgia standout Harris English teamed with ex-Georgia Tech star Matt Kuchar to run away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout.

English and Kuchar shot a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record.

English and Kuchar finished at 34-under 182, playing their last 28 holes at Tiburon in 25 under. They opened with a 64 on Friday in modified alternate-shot play and had a 60 on Saturday in better ball.

The duo beat Retief Goosen and Fredrik Jacobsen by seven strokes, matching the tournament record for margin of victory set by Curtis Strange and Mark O'Meara in 1989 in the inaugural event.

"It was a fun week," Kuchar said. "This is one of my favorite events of the year. I wish we could more team events. I realize during the year, that's difficult but to mix up the formats and have a partner here is just a lot of fun. It's nice to perform well."

Kuchar and English, who replaced the injured Brandt Snedeker in the field, each earned $385,000.

"It's such a relaxing event," English said. "It's really cool being part of this event."

Goosen and Jacobsen closed with a 61, but had little chance to catch the winners.

"It was unbelievable, quite an exhibition," Jacobson said. "Both guys were putting well and they're solid ball-strikers, so we knew we had to pick up the pace. But they played so well, there's not much you can do about it."

Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter had a 59 to finish third at 26, and Chris DiMarco and Billy Horschel were fourth at 24 under after a 60.

Beringer, Healy, Larkin Sign With Bulldogs

Matthew Beringer, Zach Healy and Jack Larkin have signed national letters of intent with the Bulldogs, according to an announcement by Coach Chris Haack.

Beringer lives in Macon and attends Stratford Academy (the same school that produced Bulldog All-American Russell Henley). Beringer was the state medalist as a  freshman, has been named All-Region three times, and is a two-time All-State selection. He has recorded several wins on the Southeastern Junior Golf Tour, including the Tournament of Champions in 2009. Beringer was chosen as the All-Middle Georgia Golfer of the Year by the Macon Telegraph in 2011. He represented the state in the 2010 Georgia-South Carolina Challenge Match.

Healy is a native of Peachtree Corners and attends Norcross High School. Healy was the medalist and led Norcross to the 2013 state championship, and he earned Player of the Year honors. Healy won the 2013 Atlanta Amateur Match Play Championship. He had a top-20 finish in the 2013 Georgia Amateur and made the cut in the event as a 13-year-old. Healy has numerous top-5 efforts in American Junior Golf Association events, including a runner-up finish in the 2013 Davis Love III Junior Open and the 2012 Evitt Foundation RTC Junior All-Star. In 2012, Healy won the East Coast Golfweek Invitational.

Larkin attends Marist and lives in Atlanta. He helped Marist win back-to-back state championships with a runner-up individual effort in 2013 and a third-place finish in 2012. Larkin twice was named to the Class AAAA All-State Team.  Larkin finished second in the Georgia State Golf Association's State Junior Championships and won the SJGT's Junior Peach Blossom and Glen Arven Junior Classic. He is the son of Jack Larkin, who played for the Bulldogs from 1980-83 and captained the squad his senior year.

"We are excited about having Matthew, Zach and Jack join our program," Haack said. "We've watched them hone their games the last few years, and I'm confident that they all can make a significant on our program on the course and in the classroom. If they continue to work hard and improve, they are capable of being in the running to play for us right away next season."

Macpherson Qualifies For Open Again

Bryden Macpherson will play in the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

Bryden Macpherson came in fourth in the Emirates Australian Open on Sunday to qualify for the 2014 Open Championship.

Macpherson, who played for the Bulldogs from 2010-2012, fired rounds of 71-70-69-69 to wind up at 9-under 279. The top two spots went to Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott, while John Senden was third and Macpherson tied with Rhein Gibson for fourth.

The Open has gone to a new qualifying system for 2014 called the Open Qualifying Series in which 14 events around the world will serve as qualifying possibilities for players not already exempt into the Open.

Senden, Gibson and Macpherson were the top three players in the top-10 at the Australian Open not already in the field for the Open Championship, to be be played July 17-20 at Royal Liverpool in England.

There will be other qualifying tournaments, including two in Asia and one in South Africa as well as three tournaments in Europe and three in the United States. The AT&T National, the Greenbrier Classic and John Deere Classic will serve as PGA Tour events in which players can qualify.

Macpherson played in the Open in 2011 after becoming the second Australian to win the Amateur Championship. 

“Today’s a great day," Macpherson said Sunday. "I played well today and all week really. The Open was amazing the first time I played in at Royal St George’s. I played quite well and I think links golf sets up for me very well. For me The Open is golf, it’s where it all began in Scotland. It is golf at its purest and you can’t beat that.”

• Georgia is No. 1 in the Rivals Cup standings, which ranks NCAA programs that are having the greatest impact in professional sports. The Bulldogs boast two winners already this season in Harris English and Chris Kirk, each of whom has more than $1 million in earnings. The Bulldogs also have points from Brian Harman, Brendon Todd, Bubba Watson, Kevin Kisner, Erik Compton, Hudson Swafford and Russell Henley.

Kisner Takes Win At Pebble Beach

Kevin Kisner holds the trophy after winning the Callaway Pebble Beach Invitational Sunday.

Click here for an article by the Athens Banner-Herald on Georgia's recent success in the pro ranks.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Former Georgia All-American Kevin Kisner made a 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole for a 2-over 74 and a one-stroke victory over former Georgia Tech player Chesson Hadley at the Pebble Beach Invitational on Sunday.

Kisner began the day with a two-stroke lead and finished at 13-under 275 after a tumultuous final round in the tournament featuring 80 professionals from the PGA, LPGA, Champions and Web.com tours.

"I wish I would had about a six-stroke lead, so it wasn't so stressful," said Kisner, who rejoined the PGA Tour this season. "The back nine was playing brutally hard. I just got unlucky."

Kisner, who had a tournament-low 64 Saturday at Spyglass Hill, moved to 17 under and a six-stroke margin after 11 holes. But he bogeyed the 12th, double-bogeyed the 14th and bogeyed the 17th.

"I just hung in there," said Kisner, who in March claimed his second Web.com Tour at the Chile Open in Santiago. "Things like this always happen when you are in the hunt. Only when you are in a position to win does it seem to happen."

Hadley shot a 70 and was four shots in front of Scott Langley (68) and William McGirt (73), who tied for third at 8 under.

Hadley, playing in the final group with Kisner, began the day trailing by five shots. But he remained steady while Kisner stumbled.

"When Kevin double-bogeyed 14, I definitely thought I still had a chance," said Hadley, a 2014 PGA Tour rookie. "The conditions were tough out there, but I thought I had a chance on the 18th, but Kevin made a downhill 15-footer to win. My hat's off to him."

Mina Harigae had a 71 to top LPGA finishers and finished tied for fifth with Sam Saunders (74) and Mark Brooks (70) at 281.

Brooks, who has won the event three times, moved into contention and was six under on the day and 11 under for the tournament halfway through the final round before faltering.

Tommy Armour III (68) and Kirk Triplett (72) were the top Champions Tour finishers and were among five players at 282.

Jason Kokrak started the day in second two shots back, but shot 80 and finished among seven players at 283.

Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, who has played in the event several times since retiring from the LPGA in 2008, finished at even par after a final-round 75.

Kisner earned $60,000 of the $300,000 purse.

English Picks Up Second PGA TOUR Title

Harris English holds his trophy after winning the OHL Classic at Mayacoba.

Harris English won the rain-delayed OHL Classic for his second PGA TOUR title, pulling away for a four-stroke victory in a 29-hole Sunday finish at Mayakoba.

The former Georgia standout closed with a 6-under 65 after completing the third round in the morning with a 68. He moved into contention Saturday morning in the second round, matching the lowest round of his tour career with a 62.

"I guess I found something in my swing — a little swing key that helping me out," English said. "I hit the ball really well all week. It got a little windy the first two days and I struggled a bit with my driver, but I found it down the stretch."

The 24-year-old finished at 21-under 263. He won the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June in Tennessee for his first PGA TOUR victory.

"I was a lot more comfortable out there than I was a Memphis," English said. "First time in Mexico and it will be a memory."

Brian Stuard shot a 67 to finish second.

More than 4½ inches of rain hit the course from Wednesday to Friday. Because of the wet conditions, players were allowed to use preferred lies.

Kirk Wins McGladrey Classic On St. Simons

Chris Kirk holds the trophy after winning the McGladrey Classic on Sunday.

To watch Chris Kirk's post-tournament interview, click here.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) -- Chris Kirk knew he was doing enough right Sunday at Sea Island to win a tournament that means so much to him. The former Georgia Bulldog just didn't realize it would take something that went so wrong for Briny Baird.

Tied for the lead in the McGladrey Classic, Kirk was on the other side of the 18th fairway trying to envision an approach that would cover the flag and set up a birdie chance for the win. Those plans changed when Baird, with the ball below his feet in a fairway bunker, topped a 4-iron and watched his ball roll 90 yards and into a hazard.

Kirk played for par, closed with a 4-under 66 for a 1-shot victory, and became the first player from Sea Island to win the McGladrey Classic -- even if the 28-year-old moved to Atlanta a few months ago after six years in this tiny slice of paradise.

He received the trophy from tournament host Davis Love III, his hero when he first took the game seriously.

"To come here to Sea Island, which is a place that I love and cherish so much, and Davis's tournament, it just an unbelievable thing," Kirk said. "Davis was kind of my guy when I was 12 and 13, really starting to play golf. He was my favorite player, and he's turned from being my idol to sort of a mentor and good friend. So I'm a very lucky person to be in that situation, and to win his tournament really means a lot to me."

The victory sends Kirk to the Masters for the first time and to the Tournament of Champions at Kapalua to start 2014.

Kirk's win highlighted a strong weekend by the former Bulldogs. Brian Harman was 10th at 8-under, Brendon Todd was 16th at 7-under and Kevin Kisner was 20th at 6-under. Harris English, Erik Compton and Russell Henley also were in the money during the weekend, while Hudson Swafford missed the cut.

Baird is now 0-for-365 in his PGA Tour career, and it looked for the longest time that he finally would win. Baird went from a two-shot deficit to a one-shot lead in two holes on the back nine, and he was on the verge of seizing control on the par-5 15th.

Baird hit his approach to 40 feet for a chance at eagle. Kirk was between clubs and pulled his hybrid into the water left of the green, and then he slammed his wedge into the turf when he chipped weakly, leaving him a long putt for par. It looked as if Baird would lead by two shots, maybe three, with three holes to play.

Instead, he ran his eagle putt 4 feet by the cup and three-putted for par, and Kirk holed his 20-foot par putt to stay only one shot behind.

"That kept me in it," Kirk said.

He caught Baird with a 15-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole, setting up one last surprise on a back nine filled with them.

Tim Clark closed with a 62 and was on the practice range, holding out slim hope for a playoff if Kirk and Baird made bogey on the 18th. Only one of them faltered, and it was shocking. Baird had a tough lie in the sand, and he felt his left foot slip. Even so, he felt he should have been able to pull off the shot. It wasn't even close.

Kirk finished at 14-under 266, and his last tournament of 2013 came with plenty of perks -- the biggest a trip to Augusta National, which he only has played when Georgia alumni used to invited the golf team over once a year.

And his parents get a new photo for their mantle. The one they have is from a decade ago, when Kirk finished his sophomore year in high school and played in the Canon Cup north of Chicago. It was the first time he met Love, and his parents still have a photo of their son with sideburns and braces.

"It's a pretty funny picture now," Kirk said.

Now he can give them a photo of Kirk and Love posing with the trophy on the 18th green of the Seaside course at Sea Island, where Kirk had lived for the last six years until moving back to Atlanta because his wife is due next month with their second child. He still has his home at Sea Island, and it felt like the home with a large gallery waiting for him around the 18th green.

Garber Named National Player Of The Week

Georgia's Joey Garber has been named the National Player of the Week by Golfweek following his performance in The Invitational at The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, S.C.

Garber, a senior from Petoksey, Mich., garnered medalist honors for the first time in his career. He finished at 9-under 207, including a tournament-record and career-best 6-under 66 in the second round. (The tournament mark was eclipsed in the third round by teammate Lee McCoy's 7-under 65.) 

The victory capped what was a strong fall for Garber. He came in second in the Dick's Sporting Goods Collegiate Challenge Cup, fourth in the Carpet Capital Collegiate and 19th in the Brickyard Collegiate Championship. Garber finished the fall with a scoring average of 69.75.

• The PGA TOUR will be stopping on St. Simons Island this week as the McGladrey Classic will be held on the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club -- the site of the 2014 SEC Championship.

Scheduled to participate Thursday through Sunday are Erik Compton, Harris English, Brian Harman, Russell Henley, Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner, Hudson Swafford and Brendon Todd. Justin Bolli and Ryuji Imada are listed among the alternates.