A number of Georgia colleges sport high profile golf teams with notable former players.
Georgia and Augusta State have won a combined five national championships over the past 15 years, with both schools well represented at the professional level,
Georgia Tech has come close to a national title on numerous occasions and has a long list of prominent graduates. Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State and Georgia State all have current or former golfers who have made headlines outside the state.
Armstrong Atlantic, a Division II school, had players from its 2012-13 team win consecutive Georgia PGA events and finish second in the recent Georgia Amateur.
Clayton State in south metro Atlanta does not have much of a golf history. But one of its recent players has put the school, known for its basketball teams, has on the national golf map.
Will Wilcox accomplished the rare feat of shooting a 59 in a tour event – the recent Web.com Tour Utah Championship. He shot his record-setting round the final day of the tournament, vaulting from 38th after three rounds to a tie for 2nd, just one shot out of a playoff.
It was not the first time Wilcox made headlines this year. He won the South Georgia Classic at Kinderlou Forest in Valdosta in April. But the tournament was not televised and winners on the Web.com Tour don’t attract much attention, even on the Golf Channel.
The Utah event was televised, and the 59 by Wilcox overshadowed the finish, which ended with a playoff and three players, including Wilcox, missing it by just one shot.
Wilcox had already locked up a spot on the PGA Tour for next year, and was 6th on the Web.com Tour money list with six tournaments left before the four post-season events that will determine the priority ranking of the 50 players who earn PGA Tour status for the 2013-14 season.
Going to the final round, Wilcox was 10 shots off the lead, but wound up only one out of the playoff after his 12-under 59 on the par-71 course, which yielded scores of 60, 61 and several 62s earlier in the tournament.