This wasn’t the ending the Georgia and Georgia Tech golf teams had in mind.
Both teams came into the week with high hopes after playing well in their regional qualifiers. But neither squad was able to make up any ground on the field in the fourth round of the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship on Monday at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. Both teams finished outside the top eight spots needed to advance the match-play portion that will determine the winner.
To make matters worse, the two rivals tied with each other.
No. 11 Georgia Tech shot a 14-over 294. No. 15-ranked Georgia shot its worst round of the tournament, a 19-over 296. That left the teams knotted in 12th place at 51 over par, 18 strokes from earning a spot in match play. Texas Tech nabbed the eighth spot at 33 over.
“We are disappointed with the outcome, but I’m not disappointed in the effort of our team,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “Our guys were really battling throughout the last four days. This will be a learning experience for us, and we will all be better because of this test of golf.”
Georgia Tech coach Bruce Heppler said, “We’ve just got to be able to finish. You’ve got to finish the round. We played well again all day long, and then we make a triple, a double and a bogey on the last hole. We’ve got to get better at that.”
Georgia began on the back nine and picked up a pair of birdies on the first hole. But that trend did not continue, and the Bulldogs spent the rest of the first nine marking time. They had 13 bogeys and only two birdies on the second nine and never made a move.
Georgia was led by Ben Van Wyk and Connor Creasy, who each shot a 3-over 73. Nic Cassidy shot a 75 and All-American Trent Phillips shot a 78 in his final round as a Bulldog.
“It was an emotional day for us because it was Trent’s last round for us,” Haack said. “He has been an incredible player, competitor and leader for our program. I will miss seeing him around our building, but I also know he has a bright future ahead in pro golf.”
Georgia Tech’s Bartley Forrester, who made the dramatic putt that pushed the Yellow Jackets into the fourth round, shot a 68 and finished tied for 16th overall. A junior from Gainesville, Forrester finished the tournament by making birdie on three of the last four holes.
“In the fourth round last year here I did not play well at all,” Forrester said. “And now to play a solid round like I had today, it’s just really gratifying to see the work kind of pay off with results.”
The Jackets also counted a 75 from Christo Lamprecht and Connor Howe and a 76 from Ross Steelman.
Credit: Tim Cowie/Todd Drexler Photos
Credit: Tim Cowie/Todd Drexler Photos
Georgia Southern’s Mason Williams, who qualified for the final round as an individual, shot 1-over 71 to finish tied for 20th at 7 over par.
North Carolina’s David Ford of Peachtree Corners, the twin brother of UGA’s Maxwell Ford, tied for sixth at 1 over after finishing with a 71.
