Georgia and Georgia Tech both got off to successful starts to the 2014-15 college golf season, with the Bulldogs winning an 8-team event played at Pebble Beach and the Yellow Jackets taking 2nd in the annual Carpet Capital Collegiate at The Farm outside Dalton.
The Bulldogs won the Carmel Cup by five strokes over Vanderbilt, finishing with a 17-under 1063 total. Each team played six players, with five scores counting each day.
Lee McCoy, a junior from Clarkesville, led Georgia, tying for 2nd at 9-under 207 with scores of 67-73-67. He finished two shots behind the medalist. Mookie DeMoss, a senior from Duluth, shot 71-71-70—212 and tied for 8th for the Bulldogs.
Three Bulldogs tied for 15th at 216, including Valdosta’s Sepp Straka and Augusta’s Greyson Sigg. Also finishing at even par for Georgia was Nicholas Reach, who opened with a 68. Zach Healy, a freshman from Peachtree Corners, contributed a second round 71 in his first college tournament.
The Bulldogs led by three after shooting 8-under the first day and were one ahead after 36 holes at 10-under. McCoy, DeMoss and Straka all shot under par the final day as the Bulldogs posted a 7-under total to increase their lead.
Vanderbilt’s Hunter Stewart was medalist at 205 with teammate Jordan Janico of Duluth T13 at 215 including a second round 68. Alpharetta’s Zach Jaworski contributed a final round 71 for Vanderbilt.
The Carpet Capital was a closely contested tournament, with the top seven teams separated by only six strokes. South Carolina won with a 16-under 848 total, shooting 12-under 276 the final day to finish one shot ahead of runner-up Georgia Tech.
Kennesaw State, which led after an opening 281, tied for 3rd at 852, with the Owls one of five teams to share the lead after 36 holes at 569. Georgia Tech, two-time defending national champions Alabama, Auburn and LSU were also tied going to the final round, with South Carolina three shots back in 7th place.
Georgia Tech’s Ollie Schniederjans, a senior from Powder Springs, began his campaign to earn Player of the Year honors by finishing 1st individually. Schniederjans shot 72-64-68 for a 12-under 204 total, two ahead of Alabama’s Robby Shelton. The two are the Nos. 1 and 2 ranked amateurs in the world.
Schniederjans had an eventful three days of golf at The Farm. He faltered at the finish the first day with three bogeys on his last four holes to finish at even par. A hole-in-one on the long, par-3 eighth highlighted his second round, which included a 30 on the front nine. After consecutive bogeys at holes 8, 9 and 10 in the final round, Schniederjans was 1-over for the day, but played his final seven holes in 5-under, including an eagle at the par-5 13th, to pull the Yellow Jackets within one shot of a tie for the team title.
After a poor first round, Woodstock senior Anders Albertson closed with scores of 67 and 70 for the Yellow Jackets to tie for 18th at 214. Drew Czuchry, a senior from Auburn, opened with scores of 72-71 for Tech, with Michael Hines, a redshirt sophomore from Acworth, shooting 72 in the first round and 70 the final day. In his first college start, freshman Jacob Joiner of Leesburg contributed a second round 74 and final round 72.
Competing as an individual, Vincent Whaley shot a second round 69 and tied for 23rd at even par 216.
Jimmy Beck, a senior from Columbus, led Kennesaw State, tying for 8th at 211with scores of 68-73-70. Evans’ Kelby Burton tied for 10th for the Owls at 69-74-69—212. Austin Vick, like Burton a senior from Evans, opened with a 69 and tied for 23rd at 216. The Owls had scores of 281-288-283, finishing one shot ahead of Alabama, which finished 5th.
Dru Love of St. Simons Island tied for 10th for Alabama at 212.
Kennesaw State and Augusta State both tied for 4th in the Tar Heel Intercollegiate in Chapel Hill, N.C. The teams finished three shots out of 2nd place, but were a distant 26 shots behind UNC’s winning total of 26-under.
Beck again led the Owls, tying for 4th at 6-under 210 with scores of 68-72-70. Terremoana Beaucousin tied for 6th at 211 with a second round 66. Burton shot 72-70 the first two rounds but fell back the final day.
Maverick Antcliff tied for 2nd for Augusta State at 208, two shots behind the medalist.
Mercer also made its fall debut in the tournament, placing 12th at 876. Emmanuel Kountakis, a sophomore from Augusta, was low for the Bears, tying for 23rd at 217 after opening with back-to-back scores of 70. Trey Rule, a senior from Eatonton, was next for Mercer at 218.
Georgia State and Georgia Southern opened their Fall schedules at the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island. S.C., with the Panthers placing 2nd and the Eagles taking 3rd. Georgia State shot 13-over 877, 27 behind tournament winner South Florida, with Georgia Southern next at 879.
The Panthers were led by Lexington sophomore Nathan Mallonee, who shot 73-72-69 for a 2-under 214 total to tie for 8th. Damon Stephenson was 11th for Georgia State at 217 and J.J. Grey, competing as an individual, tied for 14th at 219.
Scott Wolfes, a senior from St. Simons, tied for 3rd for the Eagles at 211 with scores of 69-68-74. He finished three shots behind the medalist. Charlie Martin, a senior from LaGrange, was next for Georgia Southern, tying for 14th at 219, Henry Mabbett, a senior from Griffin, shota second round 69.
Georgia Tech, Georgia State and Kennesaw State will all host tournaments in October. Georgia Tech will host the U.S. Collegiate Championship Oct. 17-19 at Golf Club of Georgia. Georgia State is the host team for the AutoTrader.com Classic, which will be played Oct. 13-14 at Berkeley Hills. The Pinetree Intercollegiate, an event hosted by Kennesaw State, will be played Oct. 21-22 at Pinetree CC.