geOrgia gOlf histOry Hamer, who was nicknamed “The Georgia Pine” because of his height, is still the only Bulldog to win the NCAA title (then known as the National Intercollegiates). He also won the Southeastern Amateur three times and the Georgia State Open and the Southern Amateur titles once apiece. Hollis was able to attract some of the game’s best players to Athens during his tenure, including David Boyd, Jimmy Gabrielsen, Vinny Giles and Danny Yates. Hollis stepped down following the 1970 season and he was succeeded by Dick Copas, a member of the UGA staff as an academic counselor and dorm director. Copas maintained the level of success that Hollis had begun as he guided the Bulldogs from 1971-96 to 17 NCAAs, including 10 top-10s, and seven SEC titles. Sixty-one of his protégés won All-SEC honors, while 31 were tabbed as All-Americans. Copas himself was named National Coach of the Year in 1978 and the SEC Coach of the Year seven times. Copas coached some of the most decorated players in Georgia history, including Peter Persons, Chip Beck, Griff Moody, Matt Peterson, Paul Claxton and Franklin Langham. Chris Haack stepped from the ranks of the American Junior Golf Association to assume the reins of the Georgia program after Copas. In just his third year on the job, Haack guided the 1999 Bulldogs to the program’s first national championship and he was named the National Coach of the Year. He then guided the 2005 Bulldogs to the national championship and again was chosen as the National Coach of the Year. To date, Haack also has guided the Bulldogs to six more SEC titles – giving Georgia a league-high 27 crowns. Under Haack, Georgia has set school marks for lowest team total in a tournament and a round as well as lowest mark by an individual. Forty-five of his players have been tabbed as All-Americans, including twotime First-Team selection Chris Kirk and four-time picks Kevin Kisner and Brendon Todd. Forty-eight of Haack’s players have been chosen All-SEC, including 1998 Player of the Year Jeremy Parrott, 2001 Player of the Year Nick Cassini and 2006 Player of the Year Kirk.
Georgia’s All-Time Medalists NCAA Championship
Bill Kratzert ............................ 1974 Dothan
George Hamer ......................................1946 SEC Championship Sonny Swift .............................................1939 Arnold Blum ...........................................1942 George Hamer ......................................1946 Harold Spears ........................................1949
Chris Kirk won a schoolrecord seven tournaments during his career as a Bulldog.
Griffin Moody ........................................1951 Lester Kelly .............................................1955 Bob Moser ..............................................1959 Cobby Ware ...........................................1960 David Boyd .............................................1962 Jack Oliver ..............................................1963 Tommy Valentine....................................1970 Peter Persons .........................................1985 Bryant Odom .........................................2001 Brendon Todd .........................................2004 Additional Tournaments Chip Beck..............................1976 Southern 1976 All-American 1977 Southern 1978 Southern 1978 Dixie Jim Becker ...............1976 Spirit of America 1977 Chris Schenkel Louis Brown ...................... 1984 Miss. State Nick Cassini............... 2001 Chris Schenkel Paul Claxton ............. 1990 Tennessee TOC 1990 Southern 1990 Hitchcock 1991 Hitchcock 1991 Gator
Franklin Langham ................1991 Southern Rosser Little .........................1937 Southern Lyn Lott ................. 1971 Tennessee Classic 1971 Junior-Senior Griff Moody ............................... 1978 Gator 1978 Palmetto 1979 Pan American Michael Morrison ..............1998 Hitchcock 2000 East Regional Bob Moser ............................1959 Southern
Erik Compton ..................1999 Golf World
John Oliver ...........................1928 Southern
Harris English ......................2007 Brickyard 2007 Isleworth
Jeremy Parrott .............................1997 CCL 1998 Alabama Spring
John Gibbs ...............1976 Governor’s Cup
Peter Persons ............. 1984 Rafael Alarcon 1986 ImperiaLakes 1986 Jackson Collegiate
Vinny Giles ............................1966 Southern Brian Harman ...........2005 NCAA Preview 2006 Isleworth Russell Henley.............. 2008 East Regional 2008 Isleworth Gus Holbrook ...............1978 Junior-Senior Ryuji Imada .............. 1999 Morris Williams Lester Kelly ...........................1955 Southern Chris Kirk ............................ 2004 Isleworth 2005 Augusta State 2006 Puerto Rico 2006 Carpet Capital 2006 All-American 2007 Schenkel 2007 Linger Longer
2009-2010 University Of geOrgia gOlf
Matt Peterson .............. 1988 Southeastern 1988 Furman Tim Simpson.........................1975 Palmetto Brian Slevin ................... 1993 Southeastern 1993 Music City Hudson Swafford........... 2009 Puerto Rico Todd Thompson ................... 1986 Clemson 1987 Gator Brendon Todd ........................ 2005 Maxwell 2007 East Regional Wright Waddell ..........................1981 Dixie Bubba Watson ........... 2000 Chris Schenkel
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