Spring Break
English: Golf team will be tough to beat
NICK PARKER
Issue date: 4/17/09 Section: Sports
Sophomore Harris English hopes the No. 1 Georgia men's golf team plays up to its potential at the SEC Championships this weekend.
Because if so, he thinks the Bulldogs will be a tough team to beat.
"There's a lot of good teams in the SEC, but we've just got to play our games and not worry about them," English said. "If we play the game we're capable of playing, I don't think anyone can play with us," English said. "We're playing really well, everybody's hitting the ball really well, so this should be our week to take it to the top."
The Bulldogs begin the SECs today when they tee up on the 7,217 yard layout of Frederica Golf Club in St. Simon's Island. The tournament begins today and will last through Sunday.
Last year, with the same ranking and starting lineup on the same course, the favored Bulldogs were unable to bring the SEC championship back to Athens, finishing third - a memory that still burns in their minds.
"This is the one that means the most," senior Adam Mitchell said. "We have waited all year for another chance to win. This is why we have practiced and played all these tournaments throughout the year. And it helps that we will have the same team as last year. I know we will all be going out there with a little extra fight and incentive to win this year after coming up short last year. We need to go out and show everyone what we've got."
Added English: "It'd be awesome if we could win this weekend. This is kind of what we've been gunning for all season, so it'd be awesome if we could finish this off with a win heading into NCAAs, and it'd give us a lot of confidence."
For the Dogs, the four tournament victories and No. 1 ranking will mean nothing if they can't capture their most important tournament to date.
And it won't come easy with four other SEC teams ranked in the top 15 in the field.
"The conference is pretty tough top to bottom, so I think that part of the challenge is not worrying about what everyone else is doing, but just worrying about we're doing and play our game," head coach Chris Haack said.
Windy conditions are expected, making an already demanding golf course that much more difficult.
"Golf course is great. It's in great shape, and today, especially in the wind, was very demanding," Haack said. "The greens are pretty tough, so I think if we chip and putt well, we should do OK."
After several double and triple bogeys derailed great rounds, and likely cost them a victory in their last outing at the U.S. Collegiate, English believes Georgia's ability to avoid the big number will be key in their chances this week.
"We have to cut out the double bogeys because we're going to miss greens and fairways, but we've just got to grind them out and make solid pars," English said.
If Georgia wins the SEC Championships, it would give the Bulldogs a 27th SEC Championship trophy in the program's history - which is the most among SEC schools.
Because if so, he thinks the Bulldogs will be a tough team to beat.
"There's a lot of good teams in the SEC, but we've just got to play our games and not worry about them," English said. "If we play the game we're capable of playing, I don't think anyone can play with us," English said. "We're playing really well, everybody's hitting the ball really well, so this should be our week to take it to the top."
The Bulldogs begin the SECs today when they tee up on the 7,217 yard layout of Frederica Golf Club in St. Simon's Island. The tournament begins today and will last through Sunday.
Last year, with the same ranking and starting lineup on the same course, the favored Bulldogs were unable to bring the SEC championship back to Athens, finishing third - a memory that still burns in their minds.
"This is the one that means the most," senior Adam Mitchell said. "We have waited all year for another chance to win. This is why we have practiced and played all these tournaments throughout the year. And it helps that we will have the same team as last year. I know we will all be going out there with a little extra fight and incentive to win this year after coming up short last year. We need to go out and show everyone what we've got."
Added English: "It'd be awesome if we could win this weekend. This is kind of what we've been gunning for all season, so it'd be awesome if we could finish this off with a win heading into NCAAs, and it'd give us a lot of confidence."
For the Dogs, the four tournament victories and No. 1 ranking will mean nothing if they can't capture their most important tournament to date.
And it won't come easy with four other SEC teams ranked in the top 15 in the field.
"The conference is pretty tough top to bottom, so I think that part of the challenge is not worrying about what everyone else is doing, but just worrying about we're doing and play our game," head coach Chris Haack said.
Windy conditions are expected, making an already demanding golf course that much more difficult.
"Golf course is great. It's in great shape, and today, especially in the wind, was very demanding," Haack said. "The greens are pretty tough, so I think if we chip and putt well, we should do OK."
After several double and triple bogeys derailed great rounds, and likely cost them a victory in their last outing at the U.S. Collegiate, English believes Georgia's ability to avoid the big number will be key in their chances this week.
"We have to cut out the double bogeys because we're going to miss greens and fairways, but we've just got to grind them out and make solid pars," English said.
If Georgia wins the SEC Championships, it would give the Bulldogs a 27th SEC Championship trophy in the program's history - which is the most among SEC schools.
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