HUTCHINSON, Kansas – Not that Georgia has a whole lot of choice, but the Bulldogs are hoping to make a run at a top-eight finish to advance to match play at the NCAA championships at Prairie Dunes Country Club.
Georgia is in 18th at 11-over par a little less than halfway through its third round. The Bulldogs began their third round at 4:40 p.m. CDT Sunday but had their round halted at 6:45 p.m. due to lightning. Their round will resume at 7:30 a.m.
Because of the multiple rain delays that have put the tournament behind schedule, Georgia may not be able to finish. The bottom 15 teams were sent out Sunday afternoon in a shotgun start, but if they cannot finish by mid-morning Monday, their third-round scores will be nullified and only the top 15 teams, teeing off at noon, will be able to qualify for match play. There is a 40 percent chance of rain Monday, according to the Weather Channel.
“We still feel like we have a viable shot,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said in a news release. “Our guys know what’s at stake and they’re competitors. They are looking forward to making a run at it.”
After back-to-back rounds of 6 over and 7 over, the Bulldogs were at 2 under for the third round at the time of the weather delay. Lee McCoy was 2 under through eight holes and Michael Cromie was 1 under, also through eight.
The Bulldogs have a considerable climb ahead of them. UCLA is eighth at 3 over. If the cut line were to remain at 3 over, Georgia would have to make up eight strokes and vault over 10 teams with most players having 10 holes remaining.
“There is a lot of golf on tap for Monday, so we just need to do our part and play well and then see what happens,” Haack said.
If the Bulldogs don’t make match play, it would be the third consecutive year that they would have fallen short of that stage.
Individually, Joey Garber is tied for 62nd at 3 over, Cromie is tied for 74th at 4 over, McCoy is tied for 81st at 5 over, Greyson Sigg is tied for 102nd at 7 over and Keith Mitchell is tied for 107th at 8 over.
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