“We did a great run and gave ourselves a real chance,” said tech coach Bruce Heppler. “It’s obviously disappointing, but these guys have come a long way.”
Clemson won the ACC title by beating Florida State 3-2 in the final. Legendary Clemson coach Larry Penley is retiring at the end of the season, his 38th.
Junior Ben Carr was the stroke play medalist and helped Georgia Southern achieve her second Sun Belt title. The Eagles beat Little Rock 3-1 in the championship game. Carr, Jake Maples and Mason Williams each won their matches, and Brett Barron’s match was a draw when the Eagles took the title. Georgia Southern defeated Coastal Carolina 4-0-1 in the semifinals.
The regional tournaments will take place from May 17th to 19th. The top five teams will compete in the national championships from May 28 to June 2 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Tardy wins the first professional event
Former Georgia standout Bailey Tardy won her first professional win at the Copper Rock Championship on the Symetra Tour in Hurricane, Utah. Hailing from Peachtree Corners and sourced from the Atlanta Athletic Club, the product had a head start all week and ended in a 3-shot win.
Tardy was named the 2020 Symetra Rising Star after four top 10 finishes. She missed making her 2021 LPGA Tour card by $ 343, which resulted in her taking time off and refocusing after the disappointment.
“I was kind of heartbroken after the Tour Championship,” she said. “I took a six week break from Thanksgiving through January. I just had to reset. Every time I went to the golf course, I thought about strokes I should have made or hit differently, or putts I could have done, and I didn’t get a lot of practice.
“I took this time to focus on myself and my mental game and better prepare for the 2021 season. I think I did a pretty good job.”
Tardy was a two-time All-American and SEC freshman of the year in Georgia. He was a member of the Curtis Cup team in 2016. After a wrist injury in 2017 that almost ended her career, she is finally healthy.
Georgia, Kennesaw State women are advancing to the NCAA
The women of the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State learned their goals for the NCAA Regionals, where the top six teams will qualify for the NCAA Championship.
Georgia, number 10, will be number 5 at Columbus Regional on the Scarlett Course in Ohio from May 10-12. Duke is the top seed there. The Bulldogs, ranked 18th by Golfstat, finished last in the SEC championships.
“My attitude doesn’t change for me,” said Jenny Bae of Georgia, who finished tenth in the conference tournament. “I just have to go in as a golfer and do my best, no matter which teams I play against.”
Kennesaw State will be number 15 in the Baton Rouge Regional, which is held at the University Club. The owls received the automatic bid after winning the ASUN conference championship.
Skinner wins PGA Championship spot
New Year’s Eve PGA member Sonny Skinner shot an even par 288 at the PGA Professional Championship at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. And prevailed in the playoffs for a place in the PGA Championship next month Secure Kiawah Island. Skinner finished 17th and was one of four players who emerged from the five-way playoffs to determine the 20 exceptions for the PGA championship.
It’s the fourth trip to the PGA Championship for Skinner, a Georgia Golf Hall of Famer who also qualified in 2008, 2010, and 2013.
Hayes, Mosley win the Georgia Four-Ball Championship
It took Marietta’s Matthew Hayes and Vidalia’s Rusty Mosley just one playoff hole to win the 49th Georgia Four Ball Championship at Landings Club – Deer Creek, Savannah.
Hayes and Mosley were linked to the Athenian team of Keith Guest and Kyle Stiles at 18 under 162 years of age.
At 17 under, the duo of Stan Gann of Warner Robins and Travis Steed of Macon finished third. Steed teamed up with Ryan Emory last month to win the Georgia Four Ball Tournament at Sea Palms. The team of Nick Cassini from Brookhaven and West Streib from Duluth as well as the team of Erik Martin from Alpharetta and Stephen Behr from Atlanta took fourth place with 15.
miscellaneous
Jim Furyk and Darren Clarke are the latest great champions to sign up to play at TPC Sugarloaf at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic from May 10-16. … The University of Georgia signs Maxwell Ford from Peachtree Corners finished second at the Terra Cotta Invitational in Naples, Florida. Ford finished the 54-hole event that featured some of the best amateurs and mid-amateurs in the country on an equal footing. … The fifth annual Tony Honduras Outreach Golf Classic takes place on Monday at TPC Sugarloaf. The event will benefit an organization that provides food, education and medical care to one of the world’s poorest nations. This year’s celebrities include Vince Dooley, Matt Stinchcomb, David Greene, Dave Archer, Buck Belue, Aaron Murray, Brad Nessler, Rex Robinson, DJ Shockley, Danny Wuerffel and Eric Zeier.
