ATHENS, Ga. –University of Georgia golfers Nicholas Reach and Brian Carter have earned sponsor’s exemptions to participate in the Stadion Classic at UGA Nationwide Tour event from April 30 to May 6 at the UGA Golf Course.
After playing a full regular season and the Southeastern Conference Championship, Carter and Reach finished with the lowest scoring averages on the UGA men’s golf team. The Stadion Classic at UGA awards two sponsor’s exemptions every year for current student-athletes on the Bulldogs’ golf team with the lowest season stroke average through the SEC Tournament.
“We are really fortunate to have a great group of young players with so much potential on this team,” said Chris Haack, the head coach of the men’s golf team at UGA. “Having the opportunity to showcase our players at the Stadion Classic is really special for our players and our program. Our alumni have had great success on both the Nationwide and PGA tours, and I expect we will see much of the same from these guys.”
Last year, former Bulldog Russell Henley earned one of the exemptions and ultimately won the Stadion Classic at UGA, becoming just the second amateur golfer to ever win a Nationwide Tour event. His teammate, Harris English, earned the other exemption and finished in the top 20. Later in the year, he became the third amateur winner in tour history. This year, Henley is a rookie on the Nationwide Tour, while English has his PGA TOUR card.
Reach, who hails from Moscow, Pa., leads the team in stroke average and has five top-10 finishes in his freshman campaign at UGA. This will be Reach’s fourth start on the Nationwide Tour, having previously competed in the 2008 and 2009 Northeast Pennsylvania Classic and the 2011 Melwood Prince George’s County Open. He also won the inaugural Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in 2011, shooting a course-record 10-under-par 62 in the first round.
Carter is a sophomore and a native of nearby Augusta, Ga. He has appeared in seven events this season, highlighted by a third-place finish in the Northeast Tri Match, a 10th place finish in the Linger Longer Invitational and a 13th place finish in the SEC Championships last weekend.