Spring Break
Golfers finish second at regional, qualify for NCAA Championship
Issue date: 5/18/09 Section: Sports
SORRENTO, Fla. - Closing strong over the final two rounds, the top-ranked Georgia men's golf team finished second on Saturday at the Southeast Regional to qualify for the NCAA Championship.
The Bulldogs fired a final-round 12-under-par 272 at RedTail Golf Club to end the event at 23-under 829. Georgia, which came in 11 shots behind tournament host Central Florida, was 21 under for the last 36 holes of the regional.
With their finish, the Bulldogs qualified for the NCAA Championship, which will be held May 26-30 in Toledo, Ohio. Georgia has advanced to the NCAAs in 15 of the 20 years since the regional format was introduced, including 12 of Coach Chris Haack's 13 seasons.
On Saturday, all five Bulldogs were in the 60s. Sophomore Russell Henley led the way with a 4-under 67, senior Brian Harman and junior Hudson Swafford each had a 3-under 68, and senior Adam Mitchell and sophomore Harris English both signed for a 2-under 69.
Moreover, each Bulldog finished the 54-hole tournament under par - the only team in the field to accomplish that feat. Swafford paced Georgia at 7-under 206, finishing sixth and trailing medalist Tarquin MacManus of Arizona by eight shots. Harman and Mitchell tied for 14th at 5-under 208, while Henley was 19th at 4-under 209 and English was 33rd at 1-under 212.
"I am very proud of our guys, especially the way they played the last two days," Haack said. "Our goal this weekend was to survive and advance, and we were able to do that. We are looking forward to having a chance to play again for the national championship. If our team can get hot there like it did the last two days here, we should be right in the hunt."
Also advancing from the Southeast Regional for the 30-team field at the NCAAs were Central Florida, Arizona, South Carolina and Iowa.
The NCAA Championship will be played at the Inverness Club in Toledo. After Georgia finished third at the NCAA Preview in September, Haack called Inverness "challenging" and "a good test of golf."
- Georgia Sports Communications
The Bulldogs fired a final-round 12-under-par 272 at RedTail Golf Club to end the event at 23-under 829. Georgia, which came in 11 shots behind tournament host Central Florida, was 21 under for the last 36 holes of the regional.
With their finish, the Bulldogs qualified for the NCAA Championship, which will be held May 26-30 in Toledo, Ohio. Georgia has advanced to the NCAAs in 15 of the 20 years since the regional format was introduced, including 12 of Coach Chris Haack's 13 seasons.
On Saturday, all five Bulldogs were in the 60s. Sophomore Russell Henley led the way with a 4-under 67, senior Brian Harman and junior Hudson Swafford each had a 3-under 68, and senior Adam Mitchell and sophomore Harris English both signed for a 2-under 69.
Moreover, each Bulldog finished the 54-hole tournament under par - the only team in the field to accomplish that feat. Swafford paced Georgia at 7-under 206, finishing sixth and trailing medalist Tarquin MacManus of Arizona by eight shots. Harman and Mitchell tied for 14th at 5-under 208, while Henley was 19th at 4-under 209 and English was 33rd at 1-under 212.
"I am very proud of our guys, especially the way they played the last two days," Haack said. "Our goal this weekend was to survive and advance, and we were able to do that. We are looking forward to having a chance to play again for the national championship. If our team can get hot there like it did the last two days here, we should be right in the hunt."
Also advancing from the Southeast Regional for the 30-team field at the NCAAs were Central Florida, Arizona, South Carolina and Iowa.
The NCAA Championship will be played at the Inverness Club in Toledo. After Georgia finished third at the NCAA Preview in September, Haack called Inverness "challenging" and "a good test of golf."
- Georgia Sports Communications
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