Name That Course! Day Two:

Everyday in June, we will post a photo by renowned golf photographer and GGR Founder, Robert Matre.The first person to correctly identify the course where the photo was taken will be entered into a drawing for a free hat, visor, signed print or T-Shirt from the CG Store (growing soon) at the end of the month.

Yesterday's winner was Bryant Odom, who correctly identified Doublegate Country Club in Albany, GA. 

Today's photo is below. Can you Name This Course?

June Giveaway Contest: Name That Course!

As we gear up for a new and original way to bring golf news from around Georgia to the GGR, we are excited to present a June giveaway contest. 

Everyday in June, we will post a photo by renowned golf photographer and GGR Founder, Robert Matre. The first person to correctly identify the course where the photo was taken will be entered into a drawing for a free hat, visor, signed print or T-Shirt from the CG Store (growing soon) at the end of the month.

So, can you Name This Course?

Georgia Golfers Ready To Tee It Up At NCAAs

The UGA golf team is gearing up for a run at the NCAA Title Tuesday through Sunday of this week. Here is the full release from UGA Sports Communications:

Photo: Robert Matre

Georgia Sports Communications
Sunday, May 27, 2012

NCAA notes can be found at: http://gado.gs/qf

ATHENS, Ga. --- Georgia football coach Mark Richt has to replace three-fifths of his offensive line for the upcoming season. Bulldogs golf coach Chris Haack can relate.

Haack has gotten his Georgia men’s golf team back to the NCAA Championships despite saying goodbye to four members of the NCAA runner-up squad from a year ago (current professionals Harris English, Russell Henley, Bryden Macpherson and Hudson Swafford).

But as Haack noted after the Bulldogs qualified for the NCAAs, “I’d say it’s been a great year. No matter what happens, it’s been a great year.”

With that attitude in place, the Bulldogs will join 29 of the nation’s top teams at the Riviera Country Club (par-71, 7,292 yards) in Pacific Palisades, Calif., for the NCAAs, which will be held Tuesday through Sunday. The 30 teams are slated for 54 holes of stroke play, with the top eight then advancing to match play. The individual national champion also will be crowned after 54 holes.

Georgia is seeded 20th for the tournament and has been paired with Central Florida and Iowa for the first two rounds. Texas,  Alabama and California are the top three seeds for the NCAAs.

“The sky’s the limit for our team,” Haack said. “Our plan is to go out there, be relaxed and look at it as ‘why not us?’ If we play well, we can play with anybody else in the country. For these guys, this will be an invaluable experience to get to compete at this level, to feel that pressure and to see what it’s all about trying to win a championship.”

The Bulldogs will begin pursuit of the national title on Tuesday when they tee off in 10-minute increments from 10:20 to 11 a.m. Eastern. On Wednesday, Georgia will tee off from 3:40 to 4:20 p.m. The third-round tee times and pairings will be based on the 36-hole scores. Live scoring and tee times can be found atncaa.com.

Georgia will use a lineup of junior T.J. Mitchell, sophomores Brian Carter, Joey Garber and Keith Mitchell, and freshman Nicholas Reach. T.J. Mitchell is the only Bulldog remaining from last year’s NCAA runner-up team; however, Garber played in 2011 for Michigan as it came in 10th. Carter, Keith Mitchell and Reach will be making their NCAA debuts.

Said T.J. Mitchell, the Bulldogs’ elder statesman, “Everything from here on is a plus. We’re looking forward to making it to the top eight, and then we’ll go from there. If you can get to match play, you never know what will happen.”

The Georgia quintet has been assembled for five additional events this season, highlighted by second-place efforts in the USF Invitational and the Linger Longer Invitational. With this lineup, the Bulldogs came in fourth in both the SEC Championship and the NCAA Athens Regional.

The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAAs for the 14th time in 16 seasons under Haack. Georgia won the 1999 and 2005 NCAA titles and came in second in 2007 and 2011.

“Making it to the NCAAs is a feeling that never gets old,” Haack said. “It’s an honor to be in the field, and that’s how we look at it. Without question, this is an elite field and we will have to play our best to be in the hunt. That said, our guys are excited about the opportunity and can’t wait for this challenge.”

Former Dawg Harris English Sets Course Record, Qualifies for the Open Championship

Congratulations to UGA Golf Alum Harris English, who will be playing in the British Open July 19-22 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in England.

From the UGA Tee Off Club:

Former Bulldog Harris English shot a course best and International Finals America qualifying record 60 to easily qualify for the British Open on Monday.

English shot a 63 in the afternoon in the par 70 Queens Course at Gleneagles Country Club, just outside of Dallas, for a 123 total, to snag one of the eight available spots for the Open from July 19-22 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in England.

[+] Enlarge

Darren Carroll/R&A/Getty ImagesHarris English plays a tee shot on the 18th hole during The Open Championship International Final Qualifying America.

The 60 was the lowest 18-hole qualifying score since the R&A began holding qualifying in the United States in 2004. Records were incomplete if it was the lowest 18-hole score ever shot in British Open qualifying.
"It was a very relaxing round. I just lost track on what I was doing," said English, whose best PGA Tour finish was a tie for 8th at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, earlier in the year. "It's pretty amazing."

He had eight birdies and one eagle on the par-5 10th hole in his record morning round, plus seven birdies in the afternoon.

Fred Couples' 62 in 2005 was the previous course record.

English, 22, said he was unaware of his record score until his caddy told him after making another birdie, his seventh, on his closing hole with a 20-foot birdie putt.

"It certainly was a nice surprise," English said.

Congratulations to the 2012 GHSA State Golf Champions

The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) State Golf Championships were held on May 7 at various courses across Augusta.

Georgia, home to junior golf establishments including the American Junior Golf Association and the Atlanta Junior Golf Association, has long been a hotbed for pre-collegiate golf talent. It logically follows that the series of GHSA State Championships are among the most coveted titles in junior regional competition.

Teams from North Georgia dominated this year's tournaments, with only one school from south of I-20 clinching a state title. Hailing from Columbus, the Brookstone Boys team successfully defended their Single A title from the 2011 season, edging Aquinas by 9 strokes.

Also notable, Freshman Johnathan Keppler of Kennesaw Mountain was awarded low medalist honors in the AAAAA Boys Tournament, carding a 67 in the school's second-ever appearance at the championship.

This year's state champions are listed below. Congratulations!

AAAAA Boys

Team Title: Milton

 Low Medalists:

1. Jonathan Keppler, Kennesaw Mountain, 67. (Follow him @littlekep66)

2. Trevor Smith, Newnan, 69

AAAA Boys 

Team Title: Marist (Dunwoody)

Low Medalists:

1. Lee McCoy, Habersham Central, 68

2. Justin Connelly, Union Grove, 70

AAA Boys

Team Title: Gainesville

Low Medalists:

1. Parks Brown, Gainesville, 68

2. Tye Waller, Spalding, 71

AA Boys

Team Title: North Oconee (Bogart)

Low Medalists:

1. David Mackey, North Oconee, 65

2. Jim Beatty, Oglethorpe, 72 

A Boys

Team Title: Brookstone (Columbus)

Low Medalists:

1. Parker Derby, Brookstone, 68

2. James Clark, Brookstone, 69

AAAAA Girls

Team Title: Milton

Low Medalists:

1. Rachel Dai, Milton, 69 

2. Brittany Jarrett, Tifton, 70

AAAA Girls

Team Title: Lakeside (Evans)

Low Medalists:

1. Mariah Stackhouse, North Clayton, 67

2. Katy Harris, Glynn Academy, 71

AAA Girls

Team Title: Gainesville

Low Medalists:

1. Brendie Rockholt, Dalton, 78

2. Morgan Reece, Gainesville, 80

AA Girls

Team Title: Greater Atlanta Christian

Low Medalists:

1. Bailey Tardy, Greater Atlanta Christian, 73

2. Katie Dalton, Vidalia, 75

A Girls

Team Title: Athens Academy

Low Medalists:

1. Anna Buchanan, Athens Academy, 77

2. Jordan Daniel, Landmark Christian, 78

The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) State Golf Championships were held on May 7 at various courses across Augusta.

Georgia, home to junior golf establishments including the American Junior Golf Association and the Atlanta Junior Golf Association, has long been a hotbed for pre-collegiate golf talent. It logically follows that the series of GHSA State Championships are among the most coveted titles in junior regional competition.

Teams from North Georgia dominated this year's tournaments, with only one school from south of I-20 clinching a state title. Hailing from Columbus, the Brookstone Boys team successfully defended their Single A title from the 2011 season, edging Aquinas by 9 strokes.

Also notable, Freshman Johnathan Keppler of Kennesaw Mountain was awarded low medalist honors in the AAAAA Boys Tournament, carding a 67 in the school's second-ever appearance at the championship.

This year's state champions are listed below. Congratulations!

AAAAA Boys

Team Title: Milton

 Low Medalists:

1. Jonathan Keppler, Kennesaw Mountain, 67. (Follow him @littlekep66)

2. Trevor Smith, Newnan, 69

AAAA Boys 

Team Title: Marist (Dunwoody)

Low Medalists:

1. Lee McCoy, Habersham Central, 68

2. Justin Connelly, Union Grove, 70

AAA Boys

Team Title: Gainesville

Low Medalists:

1. Parks Brown, Gainesville, 68

2. Tye Waller, Spalding, 71

AA Boys

Team Title: North Oconee (Bogart)

Low Medalists:

1. David Mackey, North Oconee, 65

2. Jim Beatty, Oglethorpe, 72 

A Boys

Team Title: Brookstone (Columbus)

Low Medalists:

1. Parker Derby, Brookstone, 68

2. James Clark, Brookstone, 69

AAAAA Girls

Team Title: Milton

Low Medalists:

1. Rachel Dai, Milton, 69 

2. Brittany Jarrett, Tifton, 70

AAAA Girls

Team Title: Lakeside (Evans)

Low Medalists:

1. Mariah Stackhouse, North Clayton, 67

2. Katy Harris, Glynn Academy, 71

AAA Girls

Team Title: Gainesville

Low Medalists:

1. Brendie Rockholt, Dalton, 78

2. Morgan Reece, Gainesville, 80

AA Girls

Team Title: Greater Atlanta Christian

Low Medalists:

1. Bailey Tardy, Greater Atlanta Christian, 73

2. Katie Dalton, Vidalia, 75

A Girls

Team Title: Athens Academy

Low Medalists:

1. Anna Buchanan, Athens Academy, 77

2. Jordan Daniel, Landmark Christian, 78

UGA Advances to NCAA Div. I Championships at Riviera Country Club

The Georgia Bulldogs Men's Golf Team advanced to the NCAA Championships Saturday, finishing fourth in an Athens-hosted regional that was won by the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Two-time defending national champions Augusta State placed seventh in the event, failing to qualify to advance to the NCAA Championships by five strokes. 

Georgia Tech ended their season with a sixth place finish competing in the NCAA Southwest Regionals in Norman, OK. UGA Grad Ryan Hybl coached the Oklahoma Sooners to a fifth place finish in that regional, and will face his alma mater for the NCAA crown later this month. The top five teams from each regional advance to the NCAA Championships May 31-June 2 at The Riviera CC in Pasific Palisades, CA. 

Catch the full recap from the final round below:

Keith Mitchell's two-putt for par on the 18th clinches Georgia's birth in the NCAA Championships for the 14th time in 16 seasons under Head Coach Chris Haack. (photo: Robert Matre)

(GEORGIA SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS) ATHENS, Ga. --- Needing a top-5 finish, the 24th-ranked Georgia men's golf team secured a berth in the NCAA Championships with a fourth-place effort on Saturday in the Athens Regional at the UGA Golf Course.

The Bulldogs finished at 12-over 864 with a 12-over 296 in the final round and next will play in the NCAAs May 30-June 3 at the Rivera Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Also advancing from the Athens Regional were Alabama (828), East Carolina (853), North Florida (858) and Iowa (866). Long Beach State's Philip Chian (210) claimed the regional's individual berth.

"At the beginning of the year, knowing all the new faces we were going to put in the lineup, I didn't even know if we'd have a chance to make it to the regionals," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "To be able to not only make it but finish fourth and move on, I'd say it's been a great year. No matter what happens, it's been a great year."

"Luckily we had enough clutch pars to get it done," sophomore Joey Garber said. "Whether you're first or fifth you're going, so we're happy about that."

The Bulldogs, sporting a lineup of one junior, three sophomores and a freshman, advanced to the NCAAs for the 14th time in 16 seasons under Haack. Georgia won the 1999 and 2005 NCAA titles and came in second in 2007 and 2011.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs got a 2-over 73 from junior T.J. Mitchell, 3-over 74s from Garber and freshman Nicholas Reach, and a 4-over 75 from sophomore Brian Carter. Sophomore Keith Mitchell had the Bulldogs' non-counting score of 7-over 78.

T.J. Mitchell came in seventh individually at 2-under 211, seven shots behind medalist Justin Thomas of Alabama (204). Carter placed 18th at 3-over 216, Garber finished 29th at 6-over 219, Reach came in 45th at 8-over 221 and Keith Mitchell placed 51st at 9-over 222.

"My heart lost a few years again and I'll probably have a few more gray hairs," said Haack, whose 2010 Bulldogs lost in a regional playoff and whose 2011 squad advanced by one stroke. "It is such a stressful week. To be able to get through it and make it, that's all we needed to do. We probably made it a little tighter than we needed to make it, but the guys came through. We're all excited, we'll have some fun and get ready for nationals. ... This is a great learning experience for these guys and it will pay dividends down the road."

Additional quotes:

Alabama coach Jay Seawell: "They fought hard and I'm very proud of them. I thought they competed well again today; the pin placements just made it hard to get birdies. ... We're pretty confident, and this will help even more. We're comfortable with who we are and what we can accomplish."

Alabama medalist Justin Thomas: "We practiced really well, got prepared, and it's really cool to get the win as a team and move onto nationals. Going 1-2-3 is just a big bonus."

Update on Saturday, May 19, 2012 by Classic Georgia

View Robert Matre's photographs from the final round of the NCAA Athens Regional.

Bulldogs Remain Fourth In NCAA Athens Regional

After two rounds in Athens, the Dawgs are still in contention to advance to the NCAA Championship at Riviera CC. Georgia is currently in fourth-place for the event. The top five teams from the Regional will advance to the NCAA Championship.

More details are inluded from the UGA SID below:

UGA's Keith Mitchell. Photo: Ryan Scates

Via Georgia Sports Communications:

ATHENS, Ga. --- The 24th-ranked Georgia men’s golf team remained fourth on Friday in the second round of the NCAA Athens Regional being held at the UGA Golf Course.

The Bulldogs shot a 4-over 288 on the par-71 layout on Friday to move to even-par 568 for the tournament.

The top five teams after Saturday’s final round will advance to the NCAA Championships May 30-June 3 in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Georgia is seven shots ahead of fifth-place New Mexico and nine shots better than sixth-place North Carolina-Wilmington.

“We’re still in good shape,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “We’ve got to go out and play solid tomorrow and not worry about what else is going on. That’s what we’ll preach to the guys: Don’t worry about the leaderboard. It’s a game; just go out and play.”

Alabama has the overall team lead at 23-under 545, including an 8-under 276 on Friday. East Carolina is second at 11-under 557 and North Florida is third at 6-under 562.

Junior T.J. Mitchell paced the Bulldogs on Friday with a 1-under 70. Mitchell began the day with a double bogey and two bogeys on his first three holes, but responded with six birdies over 13 holes. Even with a bogey on No. 18, Mitchell was pleased with his round.

“I tried to stay mentally tough,” Mitchell said. “I knew there were birdies to be made, so I just hung in there and tried to stay as mentally tough as I could and fight it out. I didn’t get off to the start I wanted to, but I knew I could come around. I stayed confident even though the scores weren’t as good at the beginning.”

 “To start off the way he did and to get under par is outstanding,” Haack said. “It was probably the key to our round, having him make a comeback like that.”

Sophomore Brian Carter added a 1-over 72, while sophomores Joey Garber and Keith Mitchell and freshman Nicholas Reach all signed for 2-over 73s.

T.J. Mitchell is sixth in the individual race at 4-under 138, five shots behind Alabama’s Bobby Wyatt (133). Carter is 12th at 1-under 141, followed by Keith Mitchell in 26th at 2-over 144, Garber in 30th at 3-over 145 and Reach in 51st at 5-over 147.

The Bulldogs will tee on Saturday in 10-minute increments from 7:50 to 8:30 a.m. Georgia will be paired with New Mexico and UNC-Wilmington.

Live results and tee times for the Athens Regional can be found at golfstat.com. There is no charge for admission or parking for the event.

Additional quotes:

Alabama coach Jay Seawell: “I’m actually more proud of the way we played today than yesterday. The conditions were a lot harder. The golf had a lot of teeth today. The way we played the last 14 holes, I was proud of them. … Bobby (Wyatt) birdieing the last three was a highlight. That was a huge factor today. … We try to win the day. I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but if you win each day, then you do a pretty good job in tournaments. We just want them to play their best each day, and that’s what we’ll try to do tomorrow.”

Alabama’s Bobby Wyatt (the 54-hole leader): “I played pretty well today. I was pretty satisfied. Overall, I’m pretty happy with it. Our team is where want to be, but we know we can’t be satisfied. We’ve got to keep playing well.”

Update on Friday, May 18, 2012 by Classic Georgia

View Robert Matre's photographs from the 2nd Round of the NCAA Athens Regional.

Bulldogs Fourth After First Round Of NCAA Athens Regional

The NCAA Athens Golf Regional is underway at the UGA Golf Course. The Georgia Golf Report is on hand at the event shooting photos and enjoying leisurely post-finals Athens. Here is an update after day one from Univ. of Georgia Sports Communications. Stay tuned for a recap of the event following the tournament here at the GGR. 

UGA's Brian Carter watches his tee shot on the eighth hole. Photo: Ryan Scates

ATHENS, Ga. --- The 24th-ranked Georgia men’s golf team stands fourth after one round of the NCAA Athens Regional being held at the UGA Golf Course.

On Thursday, the Bulldogs, who are seeded fourth, shot a 4-under-par 280 on the par-71 layout. Top-seeded Alabama opened with a 15-under 269. No. 2 seed North Florida posted a 13-under 271 for second and sixth-seeded East Carolina checked in at 8-under 276 for third.

The top five teams after three rounds of the Athens Regional will advance to the NCAA Championships May 30-June 3 in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

“I thought it was a solid start to the tournament,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “We’re right in the mix. We’re in the top five, which is where you want to be. As long as we can stay in the top five, that’s all that matters. We made some birdies coming in, so we’ve got some momentum heading into the second round. I’m pleased with where we are. Hopefully we can come out tomorrow and play another solid round.”

Junior T.J. Mitchell, now a veteran of three NCAA regionals, paced the Bulldogs with a 3-under 68, including birdies on three of his last four holes. Sophomore Brian Carter followed at 2-under 69, while sophomore Keith Mitchell signed for an even-par 71 and sophomore Joey Garber had a 1-over 72. Freshman Nicholas Reach had the Bulldogs’ non-counting score of 3-over 74.

North Florida’s Kevin Aylwin grabbed the first-round lead with a 6-under 65. North Florida teammate MJ Maguire, Alabama’s Bobby Wyatt and Houston’s Curtis Reed followed at 5-under 66.

T.J. Mitchell is 10th in the individual standings, while Carter is 14th, Keith Mitchell is 26th, Garber is 38th and Reach is 53rd.

The Bulldogs will return to the course at 8:20 a.m. Friday for the second round. Georgia’s players will tee off in 10-minute increments on the first hole. The Bulldogs will be paired with Houston and North Carolina-Wilmington.

Aylwin’s round included an eagle on the par-4, 356-yard 11th hole, which was his third hole of the day. He followed that effort with three consecutive birdies.

“I holed out on 11 from 87 yards, and that pretty much got me started,” Aylwin said. There’s a little bit of luck involved, but it definitely was a jumpstart for me. … I thought I was doing pretty well, then I started to hear that everybody else was doing well, so that felt great.”

Alabama coach Jay Seawell said he was pleased with his team’s opening round.

“I think the faster the start you have, the more relaxed you become,” Seawell said  “If you get off to a poor start, you start thinking about what can happen. But a good start kept us in the golf frame of mind instead of the qualifying frame of mind.”

Live results and tee times for the Athens Regional can be found at golfstat.com. There is no charge for admission or parking for the event.

Update on Thursday, May 17, 2012 by Classic Georgia

View Robert Matre's photographs from Round 1 in Athens

HUD! HUD! HUD!

photo: Robert MatreAthens, GA – How ‘bout them Dawgs! Former Georgia All-American Hudson Swafford fired a blistering 9-under 62 to come charging from the back of the pack Sunday and win the Stadion Classic at UGA in dramatic fashion. Swafford capped off a brilliant final round by holing out from a greenside bunker for birdie and sending the hometown fans into a concussion of roars.

Swafford, a rookie on Tour, put a 17-under 267 total on the board but then had to wait another 90 minutes for the rest of the field to finish.

“I did what I could,” said Swafford after he signed his card. “We’ll see if it’s good enough.”

Several players had chances down the stretch but nobody could match the magic of the red and black, ultimately turning Stafford’s good into spectacular. And legendary.

“I couldn’t see it. I heard it hit the pin and then I heard everybody just go nuts. When I went up there and saw it had disappeared I blacked out to be honest,” said Swafford. “To hole out a bunker shot to win a golf tournament is amazing.”

Swafford waited out the field and wound up one better than Luke List, last week’s winner of the South Georgia Classic, and two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, who birdied seven of his last eight holes, including the final five.

A birdie at No. 17 had given List a share of the lead but the former Vanderbilt star pushed his tee shot at No. 18 into the trees. His second shot, an uphill 6-iron from the right rough, caught the pines and dropped 40 yards in front of him. His third wound up left of the green, and he ultimately holed a 12-footer for bogey.

“This is unbelievable. My first win is huge and to be in Athens, words don’t describe it,” said Swafford, who follows in the footsteps of former teammate Rusell Henley, who won here last year as an amateur. “I couldn’t have drawn it up any better. The way it happened is a dream come true.”

Swafford collected a check for $99,000 which jumped him from No 61 to No. 7 on the money list.

“This is just a starting point. This is no time to get comfortable,” he said. “I’m still a long way from where I need to be. I’m another win away from getting anything done.”

Florida’s Billy Horschel (68) was fourth, third-round leader Tyrone Van Aswegen (70) was fifth and Jim Herman was sixth.

Swafford started the final day five shots off the pace set by Van Aswegen but figured he was still close enough. The round started on the wrong foot when Swafford three-putted the first hole for bogey.

“On any given day I know you can get after it,” he said.  “I just stuck to my game plan. I gave myself a lot of chances after that.”

With the field chalking up plenty of red numbers, Swafford slowly climbed his way into contention with a trio of birdies at 5, 6 and 7. When he made the turn at 11-under, he was only three off the lead.

“Winning wasn’t crossing my mind at that point. The back nine can be penal with all the water but you can score on it,” he said. “You never know what can happen. This is the craziest game ever.”

It got absolutely nuts among the rolling hills and pine trees.

Swafford rolled in three straight birdies starting at No. 11 and put the locals on alert that something incredible might be on the horizon. Birdie putts of 10 and 8 feet at 16 and 17 got Swafford to 16-under and set up the dramatics.

“When I was standing on 18 tee I told my caddie we needed to get at least one more,” he said. “I knew Luke had some holes left.”

Swafford’s tee shot found the right rough, and he pulled his 7-iron into the bunker.

“It wasn’t that hard of a shot to be honest but it just didn’t cut,” he said. “I was actually relieved when I saw it in a flat area and not up against the lip. I thought I could get it up and down but my caddie said, ‘shoot, you’ve got to hole it.”

Ryan Baucom, a former walk-on football player at North Carolina, turned out to be prophetic when Swafford clanked in the winner.

“Talking about it and doing it are two different things,” he said. “The feeling, that roar. It was surreal.”

two views of the tournament winning shot:

Know Your Dawgs

Nine Georgia Bulldogs, 7 alumni and two current players, are competing in The 2012 Stadion Classic at UGA, a Nationwide Tour event.  Here are photographs by Robert Matre of each dawg from Thursday's first round.

Hudson Swafford (-5/T5)


Paul Claxton (-3/T18)

Russell Henley (-2/T32)

Henley channeled Seve Ballesteros on this shot, after his tee shot landed under this tree on the first hole, his tenth of the day.  He played his third shot from the 18th fairway to just short of the green, and then got up and down for a hard fought bogey.


Justin Bolli (-1/T50)

Matt McQuillan (E/T72)

Brian Carter (+1/T90)

Carter received one of two exemptions going to current players on the UGA golf team.  After missing a short birdie putt on the fith hole, his fourteenth of the day, he found himself four over par for the day.  He made a daring choice to hit driver on the short and tight par-4 sixth, and knocked his second shot tight (shown above).  He made the birdie putt, which started a a strong finish, birdieing three of the last four to save his round and finish at +1.


Scott Parel (+2/T114)


Nick Reach (+4/T145)

Freshman Nick Reach earned the other exemption reserved for the UGA golf team.


Richard Scott (+4/T145)


UGA Golf Coach Chris Haack in his trademark hat.


UGA Assistant Coach Jim Douglas caddied for Nick Reach.

Russell Henley Returns

Russell Henley returns to his old stomping grounds this week at The University of Georgia GC to defend his Stadion Classic at UGA title.  This clutch birdie putt on the 15th hole in Sunday's final round was key in his route to victory as an amateur in last year's Nationwide Tour event.  Now a professional in his rookie season, Henley will be looking looking to enjoy the winner's circle again...and cash that big check this time around.

photograph by Robert Matre

Chris Haack Featured In Global Golf Post

Read Steve Eubanks full article on Chris Haack at Global Golf Post

New Life For The Georgia Golf Report

Yes, Robert Matre recently put the Georgia Golf Report to rest, but it may have found new life as a Classic Georgia feature.  Stay tuned...

UGA's Brian Carter tees off on the 18th hole at Sea Island Golf Club's Seaside Course in the second round of the 2012 SEC Championship.  Carter and teammate Nick Reach both earned exemptions to play in next week's Stadion Classic at UGA, a Nationwide Tour event held at The University of Georgia GC in Athens.  Bulldog Russell Henley won the event last year as an amateur and will return as a professional to defend his title.  Photo by Robert Matre.

This Is It...

The Georgia Golf Report...it was a grand idea.  It needed to be done, and no one was doing it.  But after starting strong and gaining momentum, I have come to find out that I am no longer the one to keep it going.  The good news, for me, is that this very endeavor led to something bigger, something that I'll be sharing more about soon.

So photography will once again, for the most part, define my role in golf.  Please view my golf photographs at RobertMatre.com, and view my other photographs, along with works by other contemporary artists, at MatreGallery.com.  On twitter, follow me @RobertMatre.

Even though this particular format only lasted two and a half months, there is the possibility that I may try it again in the future, perhaps as a weekly, monthly or even quarterly report.  I want to thank every one who visited often, shared my enthusiasm and contributed both ideas and content.  It remains an exciting time in Georgia for golf, and I look forward to capturing much of it with my camera, and at least for now, I'll leave the reporting to others.

I leave you with a dozen of my favorite images from Augusta National Golf Club and The Masters.  This seems like an appropriate farwell, embracing the notion that I am able to make a bigger impact on golf with images than with words.

-Rob Matre

WGC-Cadillac and Puerto Rico Open

It's a dual events for the second time in three weeks on the PGA Tour which means more Georgians to follow.  The field at the WGC-Cadillac has the top 50 players in the world all in one place against the backdrop of new ownership at Doral and a much anticipated re-do of the Blue Monster course by architect Gil Hanse.  More on that is another post.  For now:

WGC-CADILLAC - GEORGIA PLAYERS
Jonathan Byrd
Charles Howell III
Bubba Watson
Zach Johnson
Matt Kuchar

PUERTO RICO OPEN - GEORGIA PLAYERS
Kevin Kisner
Kris Blanks
Jason Bohn
Erik Compton
Roberto Castro
Will Claxton
Brendon Todd
Blake Adams
Troy Matteson
 Kyle Reifers
Heath Slocum
Vaughn Taylor
David Duval

Pot o' Gold Pro-Am

photo: Mark Schultz / Georgia Golf Report
The 2012 Pot o' Gold Pro-Am kicks off today at Sunset Country Club in Moultrie, GA.  This event was first played in 1956 and this year represents the 57th consecutive year it has been played.  The format is one pro and three amateurs playing a best ball competition as well as individual competitions for low pro, low senior pro and low individual am. 

The history of the event on the amateur side includes a great list of champions including Bill Ploeger, Allen Doyle (4 times), Jim Stuart, Dave Womack (twice) and David Noll (4 times). 

The other interesting aspect is this event is Sunset Country Club.  It is an old country golf course with tiny push up greens and a handful of quirky holes that definitely require local knowledge to navigate.  The old golfing adage of staying below the hole goes a long way here....and did I mention the greens were tiny!

The Georgia Golf Report will be reporting in person for the next three days as we have the honor to be playing in the event for the first time.  You can follow the action online at litepogproam.com.

The Honda Classic - Wrap Up

Wow.  I am not sure anyone expected that level of drama and excitement involving Tiger Woods when the day started on Sunday.  It was a good omen of things to come for golf fans when the golf gods decided that the early tee times, which would have meant taped delayed TV and thus all drama drained out of the day, were not such a good idea.  A morning weather delay pushed the tee times for the leaders back so we could all witness a great day of golf live as it happened.

The PGA Tour has enjoyed an amazing first two months of the year with week after week of high drama and exciting finishes and that continued this week.  How much better can a regular tour event get than the drama of Rory McIlroy having to play those last 5 holes looking at the name Tiger Woods on the leaderboard....with the world #1 ranking as the prize.

As Jack Nicklaus so simply put it on the broadcast, "if he cant finish it off then he does not deserve to be #1 in the world".   Finish it off he did.  Well done and congratulations Rory McIlroy.  Impressive stuff.

On the Georgia scoreboard, a weekend that started with great promise turned into what should be a great learning experience for two young stars.  Both Harris English (77/T18) and Brian Harmon (73/T12) struggled on Sunday but had front row seats that should make them better able to handle it next time they get there...and should be many next times for both of them.

GEORGIA SCOREBOARD

T12   Brian Harmon
T18   Harris English
T18   Vaughn Taylor
T21   Davis Love III
T26   Erik Compton
T26   Charles Howell III
T26   Troy Matteson
T36   Stewart Cink
T44   Heath Slocum
T47   Cameron Tringale
T56   Chris Kirk
T56   Kris Blanks
T62   Jason Bohn

Art + Golf: Mark Boomershine

Mark Boomershine
Great Scot!
mixed media on paper
11 x 14 inches unframed

Smokin' Hot & Cool, a solo exhibition of new works by Mark Boomershine, opens on Friday, March 16, 2012, from 7 - 9 p.m. at Robert Matre Gallery. 

Robert Matre Gallery
650 Miami Circle
Atlanta, GA 30324
T 404.217.4523
matregallery.com

Harris & Harman At The Honda

Tomorrow is a huge day in the young careers of Harris English and Brian Harman, who will find themselves in fine company at The Honda Classic.  English is T2/-9 and will play in the final group with leader Rory McIlroy (-11) and Tom Gillis (T2/09).  Brian Harman followed his course record 61 in the second round with a 1-under 69, and stands at T4/-7, and will play alongside Keegan Bradley and Justin Rose.

Round 3 recap from PGATour.com:

Harris English post-round interview:

The Cut Line- Honda Classic

After two days of The Honda Classic, the story lines for Georgians in the field begin right at the top.  Davis Love III fired a then course record 64 in day 1 to grab the lead only to have UGA's own Brian Harman better the course record by 3 shots with a 61 Friday afternoon.  He actually had a run at 59 as he was 9 under (Par 70 this week) with 2 holes to play including a par 5 but finished par/par.

Overall at the halfway point, we have 4 Georgians in the top 10 including Harmon (T5), Vaughn Taylor (T5), Harris English (T8) and Charles Howell III (T8).  Davis Love III (T11) and Stewart Cink (T18) are also in strong positions headed to the weekend.

Overall, 13 of 20 Georgians entered made the cut.

The Cut Line Scoreboard
T5  Brian Harman   -6
T5  Vaughn Taylor  -6
T8  Harris English   -5
T8  Charles Howell III   -5
T11  Davis Love III   -4
T18  Stewart Cink   -3
T26  Erik Compton  -2
T31  Troy Matteson  -1
T42  Jason Bohn  E
T60  Kris Blanks  +1
T60  Chris Kirk  +1
T60  Cameron Tringale  +1
T60  Heath Slocum  +1

MISSED THE CUT
Will Claxton   +3
Blake Adams   +5
D.J. Trahan   +5
Brian Gay   +7
David Duval   +8
Briny Baird   +9
Brendon Todd   +10