The temperature escalated to the high 80s with humidity that offered an unsubtle taste of the summer ahead. The golf course, one of the more unforgiving in the country, knocked about some of the best college golfers in the country.
In the midst of the Bermuda grass cauldron, Georgia and Georgia Tech, two of the 30 teams at the NCAA championships, held steady in Friday’s first round at the Concession Golf Club and left the course in fine shape to pursue the national championship.
The Bulldogs, clubhouse leaders after the morning wave, will go into Saturday’s second round in second place at even par, two shots behind leader Illinois. The Yellow Jackets are tied for sixth at 5 over. The top eight teams after four rounds will advance to match play.
“We’ve just got to keep going and just hope that that positive momentum stays with us,” said Georgia coach Chris Haack, owner of two national titles. “That’s the important thing — you get off to a good start, it gives you some positive momentum.”
Tech, ranked No. 12 by Golfstat, was bailed out by Anders Albertson, who posted a 3-under 69 (T3) to counterbalance a shaky start by All-American Ollie Schniederjans (76, T79). Georgia, ranked No. 33, followed freshman Zach Healy, who mixed five birdies with three bogeys for a 2-under 70, good for a tie for fifth.
“That’s incredible,” said Georgia’s Lee McCoy, tied for 35th with a 73. “For a freshman, it’s his first time here, the pressure doesn’t really seem to faze him. It’s pretty impressive.”
Healy, who was not expected to be a part of the Bulldogs’ fivesome at the outset of the spring, has contributed the team’s low score in one round at their past three events — the SEC championship, the NCAA regional and now the NCAA.
Healy, from Norcross High, has something of a taste for unrelenting courses, which Concession is. The course has a slope rating of 155, which is the highest possible grade for a course’s difficulty. Twenty-four players in the 156-player field, the best players in the country, shot 80 or higher. The key, Healy said, was to think your way around the course.
“It sounds weird, but (on some holes) you’d rather be off the green chipping than putting because the greens are so undulating,” he said.
McCoy, who Thursday was named a finalist for the Nicklaus Award for national player of the year, remains in position to chase the individual title, which will be decided Monday after four rounds. The field will be cut from 30 to 15 teams after the third round, along with the top nine players not on an advancing team. The top eight teams after four rounds will square off in match play.
For Tech, Albertson demonstrated convincing evidence of coach Bruce Heppler’s declaration earlier this week that the senior from Woodstock is playing the best golf of his career. Albertson, who a month ago won his second ACC individual title, was rock solid as the Jackets wobbled off the first tee. While his four teammates played the first two holes in a combined 7 over, Albertson birdied the 476-yard par-4 second hole and followed with another on the par-5 third.
Albertson has played 16 of his past 22 rounds under par. He credited information from assistant coach Brennan Webb, familiar with the course after serving as an assistant at nearby South Florida, for helping him around the course.
“Obviously, coming into the tournament, I knew I had to play well, but especially when we get off to a rough start as a team, I knew I had to do something,” Albertson said.
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