The crazy winter weather caused a lot of headaches for golf-course superintendents this year. But you aren’t likely to notice any difference at this week’s Greater Gwinnett Championship at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth.
Superintendent Mike Crawford and his 38-man crew have again whipped the course into shape for this week’s 54-hole Champions Tour event.
“It was a challenging winter, that’s for sure,” said Crawford, the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association’s 2013 Superintendent of the Year. “With the cold weather you lose a lot of time where you aren’t able to work on the golf course, so it’s made the last six weeks more compressed.”
The tees and fairways, overseeded with ryegrass, and the bent-grass greens are in championship condition. The only change in the layout is at the 10th tee, which was pushed back about 40 yards to make the par-5 a three-shot hole and improve the pace of play.
Now that the heavy lifting is finished, Crawford, his team and a group of 35 additional volunteers will spend the week making sure the professionals have a great experience.
“It’s a great thing for the community and Gwinnett County,” Crawford said. “Personally and professionally, this is what we do. When you’re able to prepare for an event like this, it’s special. Not many people get to do this, and that makes it extra special.”
Crabapple hosts College Match Play: Georgia and Georgia Tech will join Auburn and Florida State on Saturday for the Capital City Club College Match Play Championship at the Crabapple Course, site of last year's NCAA Championships.
Semifinal matches start at 7:30 a.m., with No. 5 Georgia Tech playing No. 26 Auburn and No. 6 Georgia playing No. 19 FSU. The championship and consolation matches start at 1:30 p.m. Admission is free.
There are nine players in the field ranked among the nation’s top 100. Georgia Tech’s Ollie Schniederjans is ranked No. 6 and Georgia’s Joey Garber is No. 16.
Tech golfer joins elite group: Schniederjans closed with a 67 to lead Tech to victory at the Robert Kepler Invitational at the Scarlet Course at Ohio State. It was the fourth victory of the year for the Yellow Jackets.
Schniederjans, who shared medalist honors with Ohio State’s Frederik Hammer at 3-under 210, has finished or tied for first four times this season. He joins David Duval, Stewart Cink and Troy Matteson as the only Tech players with four wins in a season. Seth Reeves was third at 1-over 214, and Bo Andrews tied for 15th for Tech.
Leonard prevails at Super Senior: Bill Leonard erased a four-shot deficit on the final day to win the Georgia State Golf Association's Super Senior Championship at Barnsley Resort in Adairsville. Leonard closed with a 2-under 70 and defeated defending champion Don Marsh by four shots. Leonard shot 2-under 142 and was the only player under par for the 36 holes. Former Braves infielder Marty Perez finished third. Frank Brown Jr. had a hole-in-one and finished in a tie for 10th.
Etc.: Chandler Eaton was medalist at the Preseason Junior at Brookhaven, conducted by the American Junior Golf Association in Dallas. … The AJGA's Junior All-Star at Chateau Elan will be played Friday through Sunday in Braselton. There are 12 Georgia players in the 132-player field, which includes representatives from 23 states and Puerto Rico, as well as 10 countries.
About the Author
