college roundup
By Mike Blum
Coming off a big win one week earlier in the Brickyard Collegiate, the Georgia Bulldogs
were big favorites in the AutoTrader.com Classic, an event hosted annually by Georgia
State at Berkeley Hills CC in Duluth.
At No. 7 in the national rankings, Georgia was one of only two teams in the tournament
ranked in the Top 50, with Chattanooga barely making that list at No. 49.
After a runner-up finish and a victory in two of the team’s first three Fall starts, the
Bulldogs were a non-factor in the tournament at Berkeley Hills, finishing a distant 6 th.
Instead, it was Georgia’s three lowest profile Division I teams at the top of the final
leader board. Mercer and host Georgia State turned in their strongest showings in some
time, placing 3rd and 2nd respectively.
The tournament title went to Georgia Southern, which built a sizeable 12-stroke lead
after the first day of play and held on for a 7-stroke margin of victory over the Panthers.
The Eagles last won a tournament in 2011, taking the Southern Conference title. The
team’s most recent win in a full field regular season event was in a tournament hosted by
Frances Marion in 2010.
“It’s been a while,” veteran Georgia Southern coach Larry Mays said after the
victory. “We’ve got a lot of young kids. We played three sophomores and two juniors.
“Last year we got a lot of experience with these kids. I think we’re a team on the rise and
we’ll only get better.”
Georgia Southern finished the 54-hole event with a 7-over 859 total at Berkeley Hills,
which played to a par of 71 for the tournament. (The par-5 10th was played as a par 4.)
Georgia State was 2nd at 866 with Mercer taking 3rd at 874.
Georgia was 6th at 888, behind Chattanooga (881) and Winthrop (885). Kennesaw
State, which has enjoyed some success the last few years, tied for 7th at 889 with South
Carolina, which was led by medalist Dykes Harbin of Augusta.
Georgia State opened with a 2-under 282 in the morning round the first day to lead
Georgia Southern by one shot and Georgia by nine. The winds kicked up in the afternoon
and the relatively short Berkeley Hills layout played tougher, with Georgia State’s score
going up by 17 shots and Georgia’s by 12.
The Eagles held steady in the afternoon, posting a 2-over 286 total to lead the Panthers by
12 and Mercer by 16 going to the final round. The Bulldogs were a distant 25 shots off
the lead after failing to break 300.
Georgia Southern’s lead was in double figures for most of the final round, with the
Eagles closing with a 290 total to win by seven. Georgia State’s 285 was the low score of
the day, with Mercer’s 289 third lowest among the 16 teams.
The Eagles were led by sophomore Scott Wolfes of St. Simons Island, who tied for 2nd at
212 with scores of 71-70-71. Hayden Anderson shot 72-69-74 to tie for 6th at 215, with
McDonough junior Will Evans 10th at 218, contributing a 70 in the opening round and a
72 the final day.
Also chipping in with two counting scores each were sophomores Charlie Martin of
Lagrange (70-74 the first day) and Alpharetta’s Matt Mierzejewski, who shot 73 in each
of the last two rounds.
“I think we’ve got the talent,” Mays said. “We’re the red-headed stepchild in the state,
and it was good to pop the big dog.”
Wolfes and Martin give the Eagles “a real good one-two punch,” Mays says, with Wolfes
notching finishes of 1st, 9th and 2nd in the team’s first three Fall starts. There is also plenty
of competition for the 3, 4 and 5 spots.
“We left four at home who have been playing good,” Mays said. “We have a lot of depth
and that’s what you need to have a really successful program.”
Georgia State was led by Damon Stephenson, who shot 69 in the first round and closed
with a 68 to take 5th at 213. Sophomore Davin White of Griffin, junior Grant Cagle of
Gainesville and freshman Jonathan Gray tied for 11th at 219, with Alpharetta’s Tyler
Gruca shooting 73-74 the final two rounds.
Mercer was led by James Beale (T8, 216) with Eatonton sophomore Trey Rule next at
219 (T11) with scores of 71-70 the last two rounds.
The five players in Georgia’s lineup placed between 23rd and 35th, with the Bulldogs
managing just two-sub par rounds in the tournament. Kennesaw was led by Peder
Hermansson, who was 6th at 215, with Columbus sophomore Jimmy Beck T19 at 221.
Harbin, a senior, tied for 14th and 6th in the Gamecocks’ first two Fall events, with the
latter his best career showing prior to his victory. Harbin led by three shots after an
opening 66 that included seven birdies, and backed it up with consecutive scores of 72
to take medalist honors by two strokes over a trio of players, including U.S. Amateur
champion Steven Fox of Chattanooga.
“It feels great. This has been a long time coming,” Harbin said after his victory. “The
course played really difficult and the scores reflected that.”
Harbin conquered the always testy Berkeley Hills greens in the opening round, and
followed it up with two steady rounds, although he admitted that “birdies were hard to
come by.”
It was the third straight strong tournament showing for Harbin, who has led his team in
all three events.
“I’ve played really solid this Fall. Hopefully I can continue this all year.”
Eagles win again;
Wolfes co-medalist
A week after their victory at Berkeley Hills, the Georgia Southern Eagles added a second
Fall title, winning the Outer Banks Collegiate by 12 shots.
The Eagles finished with a 10-under 854 total. Richmond was 2nd at 866 with host Old
Dominion 3rd at 868. Georgia Southern led by five after 36 holes with opening day scores
of 290 and 287, and closed with a tournament low 277 to expand its lead.
Scott Wolfes scored his second individual title this Fall, sharing medalist honors at 9-
under 207 with scores of 66-71-70. Teammate Charlie Martin was 4th at 212 (73-70-69)
and Hayden Anderson was T10 at 217. Will Evans contributed a final round 68.
Bulldogs capture
Brickyard event
Prior to its disappointing showing in the tournament at Berkeley Hills, Georgia turned
in its second strong showing of the Fall season, winning the Brickyard Collegiate at
Macon’s Brickyard at Riverside course.
The Bulldogs shot 16-under 848, opening and closing with scores of 280. Georgia led by
seven shots after the first round and by 12 after 36 holes, finishing 14 ahead of runner-up
Georgia Tech.
Three Georgia golfers finished sixth or better, led by sophomore Nicholas Reach, who
was 3rd at 209 (68-72-69). Freshman Lee McCoy of Clarkesville was 4th at 210 (71-71-
68) and Albany senior T.J. Mitchell tied for 6th at 212 (70-69-73).
Valdosta sophomore Sam Straka, competing as an individual for the Bulldogs, shared
medalist honors with Georgia State freshman Jonathan Grey at 8-under 208, closing
with scores of 69-64. Straka’s 64 included nine birdies and an eagle.
Sophomore Ollie Schniederjans of Powder Springs led Georgia Tech, closing with a 67
to finish 5th at 211. Woodstock sophomore Anders Albertson tied for 14th at 215.
Mercer was 6th at 872 led by James Beale (T8, 213) and Hans Reimers (T14, 215).
Augusta State was 7th at 876, with Evans’ Cody Shafer tying for 19th at 217. Georgia
State tied for 11th at 887, with Davin White T22 at 218. The Panthers closed out the Fall
with a tie for 8th in Greensboro, N.C.
Augusta State tied for 11th in its next start in the Isleworth Invitational in Florida, which
was won by NCAA Preview co-champion Cal. The Jaguars shot 904, 36 behind Cal’s
winning total. Alpharetta’s Derek Chang led Augusta, tying for 6th at 218.
The Jaguars tied for 9th in their final Fall start in Dallas.
Tech takes USCC
on Ollie’s eagle
One year after squandering a lead late in the final round of the U.S. Collegiate
Championship, Georgia Tech pulled off a successful comeback in the recent event at
Golf Club of Georgia.
The Yellow Jackets fell to 4th last year after leading eventual champion UCLA by seven
with nine holes to play. This time, Tech came from eight behind to win the event for the
second time in three years.
Tech trailed UCLA by two shots with only two players from each team left on the course.
After three-putting the 17th for bogey, Seth Reeves birdied the par-5 18th to pull Tech
within one.
Ollie Schniederjans managed to save par at the 17th after his tee shot ended up inside
the hazard line on the par 3. At the 18th, Schniederjans rifled a 5-iron from 220 yards
to within three feet of the cup and holed the putt for an eagle, giving the Jackets a one-
stroke victory.
Schniederjans also birdied the 18th in the NCAA Preview the previous month at Capital
City Club’s Crabapple Course to lift Tech into a tie for first with Cailfornia.
Georgia Tech finished the USCC with a 10-over 874 total, one shot ahead of the Bruins.
Southern Cal was 3rd in the tightly bunched field at 879, followed by Virginia (4th, 880),
Stanford (5th, 881), Clemson and Duke (T6, 882) and Washington (8th, 883). Stanford’s
Patrick Rodgers was medalist at 7-under 209, winning by four shots over a trio of
runners-up.
The Jackets trailed Southern Cal by two shots after an opening score of 291.
Schniederjans and Reeves led the team with scores of 70 and 71, followed by Anders
Albertson at 74 and Acworth freshman Michael Hines at 76.
Tech again shot 291 in the second round, with Richy Werenski shooting 69 and
Hines 71. Albertson shot 75, with Reeves bogeying five of his last six holes to match
Schniederjans’ 76.
Going into the final round, Tech trailed UCLA by two and edged the Bruins 292-295 led
by Schniederjans’ 71 and a 72 by Reeves. Hines and Albertson both contributed scores
for the third straight round with scores of 74 and 75.
Schniederjans was low for the Jackets in the tournament at 217, tying for 7th. Bo
Andrews, competing as an individual, tied for 9th at 218, with Duluth’s Reeves and
freshman Shun Yat Hak, also competing as an individual, T13 at 219.
“I knew I needed birdie to tie and eagle to win,” Schniederjans said after his clutch
finish. “Knowing that and with all those people out there watching, that was the coolest
hole I’ve ever played.”
Georgia Tech coach Bruce Heppler was not feeling particularly positive midway
through the final round.
“We just could not make a birdie to save our lives, and at one point we were six or seven
shots down. You just start to figure it’s not going to happen.
“But we hung and hung, and I guess they made some mistakes to come back a little bit.
Ollie hit it to a foot on 16 and Anders made a birdie somewhere in there (No. 15) to get
us close again.
“Seth three-putted 17 after hitting a great shot, but put that disappointment aside and
stepped up at 18.”
Tech closed out its Fall schedule with a win, a co-championship and a 2nd place finish
after stumbling in its season opener in the Carpet Capital at The Farm.
Kennesaw takes
Pinetree tourney
Host Kennesaw State won the inaugural Pinetree Intercollegiate at Pinetree CC, the
Owls’ home course. Kennesaw shot 4-under 860 in the 54-hole event to finish 24 ahead
of runner-up Ball State and 42 in front of third place Louisiana Tech.
Kennesaw led by five after an opening score of 289, and expended its lead to 12 with a
tournament low 282. The Owls closed with a 289, the only sub-300 score the final day.
Kennesaw golfers finished 1-2-3, with Jimmy Beck taking medalist honors at 209. Beck
shot 72-65-72, with his second round score the lowest of the tournament by three strokes
and one of only two rounds below 70.
Duluth’s Ben Greene was 2nd at 215 (71-72-72), with Calhoun’s Sam Curtis 3rd at 219.
Evans’ Austin Vick was 8th at 223.
Lady Bulldogs
5th in home event
The Georgia women’s placed 5th in the Liz Murphey NCAA Preview at the UGA golf
course, which will host the NCAA women’s championship next May.
Georgia finished the tournament at 887. 11 strokes behind North Carolina’s winning
total. Alabama was 2nd at 880, with Southern Cal and Auburn tied for 2nd at 883. Auburn
led by five shots after 18 holes and by seven after 36.
Mary Maggio of Texas was medalist at 213, followed by UNC’s Casey Grice at 214.
Emilie Burger of Hoschton was low for Georgia, tying for 10th at 217 after a final round
71.
The Lady Bulldogs were 11th in their season finale in an event hosted by Stanford. Burger
and Manuela Carbajo Re led Georgia, tying for 12th at 216.
Jonesboro’s Mariah Stachhouse tied for 9th to lead Stanford to a 3rd place finish behind
Southern Cal. It was the second straight top 10 finish for the freshman.