Golf
Finally
By: Cameron Miller
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This year on Masters Sunday Rory McIlroy finally achieved what many believed would never actually happen for him, which is winning the Masters to complete his long-awaited career grand slam.
Rory is now a 5-time Major champion, but this is his first major victory in over 11 years.
For those who don’t remember, here’s a little flashback to how McIlroy made his way to the Career Grand Slam.
He won his first major title in 2011 in the U.S. Open, which was being held at Congressional Country Club just outside of Washington D.C. in Bethesda, Maryland. He was able to claim this victory by a whopping 8 shots over Jason Day.
His next Major title came at the PGA Championship in 2012 at the Ocean Course of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
He was able to claim this victory by shooting a bogey-free final round 66, giving him a 8 shot lead over runner-up David Lynn.
Rory then won his next Major in 2014 at the Open Championship, which was held in Merseyside, England at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
Rory was able to get out to a hot start and hold the momentum all the way through, leading wire-to-wire, he was able to secure his third Major title over runners-up Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia in historic fashion.
With this victory Rory became the first European player to win three different Majors and also one of three players (Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus) to win three Majors by the age of 25.
Just two months after his victory at the Open Championship, McIlroy was able to claim his second PGA Championship Victory and forth Major title in 2014 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, but this victory wasn’t as much of a cake walk for McIlroy as it was in his three prior major victories.
Beginning the final round with a two-shot advantage, Rory made two bogeys in his first six holes.
As McIlroy turned to begin the back nine he found himself trailing Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, and Henrick Stenson, but that didn’t last long.
Rory made Eagle on the 10th hole to put himself right back into contention.
Now with the sun quickly setting, they were forced to finish the final round in nearly complete darkness. Rory was able to get up-and-down out of a greenside bunker and two-putt for par on the final hole to get past Mickelson by one shot for the Open Championship title.
Now with the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and Open Championship titles all under his belt the only Major he was missing to complete the coveted Career Grand Slam was the Masters Tournament, but to most this was beginning to feel like a nearly impossible feat for McIlroy.
After his catastrophic blow up in the 2011 Masters, where he had a three-shot lead going into the final round back nine where he ended up completely falling apart, shooting a final round 80, losing to Charl Schwartzel.
Rory, again, in 2018, found himself in the final pairing on the final round, but ultimately fell apart once again and lost to Patrick Reed by six shots.
Even after an impressive final round 64 in 2022, the Green Jacket was still just out of reach for Rory. It seemed as if it was beginning to become routine for Rory to be heavily in the mix on Sunday and just fall apart in the end.
Fast forward to 2024 U.S. Open, where once again we see McIlroy in the Sunday final Pairing, but this time he was paired alongside Bryson DeChambeau.
McIlroy had the solo lead over DeChambeau with four holes remaining but based on history I’m sure we can all guess the outcome of this scenario.
After a series of poor shots and missed putts, once again Rory blew a lead in the final round of a major championship, losing to DeChambeau by one shot on the Final hole.
So now we head into 2025 wondering if this could be the year he does it, could this be a new start for McIlroy or would we just see history continue to repeat itself?
Well after a win in his first start of the season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, things were starting to look bright for McIlroy heading into The Players Championship, or as some like to call it “The Fifth Major”.
Rory began the Final round of The Players four shots back, but after getting off to a hot start, he was able to gain a solo lead just before the weather temporarily suspended the final round.
Once they resumed play, McIlroy once again began to display a final round back nine sequence of untimely mistakes. Which had all of us prepared for him to give up the final round lead.
McIlroy and J.J. Spaun ended their final rounds tied at -12 and would have to play a 3-Hole Aggregate Playoff to decide the winner. J.J. Spaun started the playoff making crucial errors, leading to McIlroy holding on and eventually taking the victory.
Seeing Rory be able to come through when it matters and get a hard-fought victory had many starting to think maybe this is the year he could finally get that green jacket he has so desperately been chasing.
Well now the time has come for the playing of the 89th Masters and Rory’s eleventh attempt at completing the Career Grand Slam.
After a great start to his first round came to a halt with double bogeys in two of the last four holes, McIlroy quickly followed up his first round 72 with back-to-back rounds of 66.
These two days of consecutive great days would give him a two-shot lead going into the final round, and once again have him alongside Bryson DeChambeau in the final pairing. Now the question is, would Rory be able to flip the script from the 2024 U.S. Open.
The final round of the 2025 Masters was one of the most nail-biting rounds of golf I’ve seen in a long time and definitely not what anyone was expecting.
DeChambeau got off to a slow start and was never able to get any momentum going, but Justin Rose on the other hand, had what seemed to be all of the final round momentum.
Rory made the turn to the final round back nine with a five shot advantage on the field and a seven shot advantage on Justin Rose, but here is the part that probably won’t surprise you.
McIlroy went into hole 11 at -14 under and by the time he made it to hole 15 he was all the way down to -10. While at the same time Justin Rose was making birdie after birdie catapulting him back into the lead at -11.
McIlroy was able to regain some traction and make birdies on holes 15 and 17, which would put him back into solo first with a one-shot lead and only one hole left to play. All Rory needed to do is make a Par on the 72nd hole to take home his first Green Jacket.
So now we all sit and wonder if he would actually be able to close it out with a victory. Well, the answer is not yet, because Rory made a bogey on 18 dropping him out of the solo lead and in a tie for first with Justin Rose.
This is where even more of the drama starts. The last time there was a playoff to decide the winner of the Masters was back in 2017 when Justin Rose was defeated by Sergio Garcia.
So now there are two different ways to see history repeat itself. Will McIlroy cave under pressure and give up another green jacket in the final round or will Rose once again be defeated for his green jacket in a sudden death playoff?
Well, I’m sure from reading the beginning of this you already know the answer, but yes Rory McIlroy is your 2025 Masters Champion.
After years of heartbreak Rory was finally able to get his green jacket and become the 6th golfer in the history of the sport to complete the Career Grand Slam.
The Back Nine
By: Brian Albertson
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Wow, what a thrilling Masters this year.
Rory McIlroy finally won a green jacket and became the sixth golfer to win the professional Grand Slam.
On his road to making golf history, Rory set a couple of unique records. He made the most double bogies of any Masters winner. And to offset that he made more threes on his scorecard than any player in the history of the masters.
Rory also avenged his great disappointment from last year‘s U.S. Open with a short missed putt on number 18 while losing out to Bryson Dechambeau. On this day, the roles were reversed as Bryson struggled for most of the day shooting a 75.
The biggest Sunday charge came from Englishman, Justin Rose. Justin closed with a phenomenal 66 and found himself in a Sudden Death playoff with Rory McIlroy.
The back nine was riveting for everyone watching and gut wrenching for the players.
The shock of the back nine came when Rory dumped a simple short wedge shot into Ray’s Creek at number 13.
This led to another double bogey that allowed numerous players back into the competition. Some of the players with late charges included Cory Connors, Ludvig Aberg, Scotty Scheffler, Patrick Reed with an incredible eagle at the 17th hole, and the super-hot Justin Rose.
The huge mistake at 13 served as a wakeup call for Rory. He rallied with an amazing approach shot to par 5, 15th hole setting up a makeable eagle putt.
He would miss that putt but make an easy tap in birdie followed by birdie at 17.
Needing a four-footer on number 18 to win the masters in regulation, Rory missed a short one similar to last year‘s at Pinehurst and we all thought “here we go again.”
This day would end differently. Rory and Justin would finish 72 holes tied at 11 under Par. Both players returned to 18 to begin a sudden death playoff. Both players hit perfect tee shots in the fairway. The tee shot at 18 is undoubtedly one of the hardest shots in championship golf.
They both followed that with amazing approach shots with Justin, having an 8-foot birdie putt and Rory stuffing a wedge in tight to 3 feet.
Justin‘s putt barely slipped past the right edge of the hole leaving him with a par four setting up a winning opportunity for Rory.
Rory not so calmly made this nerve-racking 3-foot birdie putt to win his first masters in his 17th try while also completing the career professional Grand Slam of golf.
Something that only five golfers had done before him. Rory now joins golf legends Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as the only other golfers to win the professional Grand Slam.
Of course, Masters founder, lifelong amateur and Georgia native Bobby Jones is still the only golfer to win all four majors in one year, in 1930 Mr. Jones won the US Amateur, the British Amateur, the US open and British Open all in the same year.
The professional Grand Slam came about years later after the Masters quickly became a major championship.
Till Next Year’s Masters, Happy Golfing
Azaleas In Bloom
By: Brian Albertson
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For all of us golf enthusiasts, the Masters is and always will be the official start to the golf season.
We look forward to the blooming azaleas and the lush green fairways from Augusta National Golf Club.
This year‘s Masters is set for April 10-13. I for one always eagerly await to watch the honorary starters tee off on Thursday mornings. This year will have Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson again doing the honors on the first tee.
The Masters has traditionally been a melting pot of the best golfers in the world coming together at the same wonderful venue every spring.
This year’s Masters will not disappoint, as players from all over the world, every tour, professionals and amateurs will be competing again for the coveted Green Jacket.
This year‘s betting favorite is world #1 and defending champion Scotty Scheffler, followed closely by world #2 Rory McIlroy.
Several other top contenders are not as highly ranked because they have not received world golf ranking points while playing the LIV tour. Some of the top LIV players competing this year are John Rahm(2023), Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith, Joaquin Newman along with several former Masters champions, including Phil Mickelson (2004,2006,2010), Patrick Reed(2018), Charl Swartzel(2011), Sergio Garcia(2017), and Bubba Watson(2012,2014). 5-time champion Tiger Woods will unfortunately be unable to compete this year due to a recent Achilles tendon tear.
The mystique of Augusta National Golf Club and the golf course are a huge part of the anticipation of the Masters.
Last fall, hurricane Helene ripped through Florida and Georgia on its way to devastating North Carolina. The Hurricane did extensive damage to the Augusta area with winds near 100 mph. Augusta National Golf Course lost many trees and some fell across greens.
Masters Chairman Fred Ridley has assured us all that the golf course will be in the usual pristine condition the Masters is accustomed to, just missing a few trees this year. I am hearing they have already replaced several key trees.
As a spectator, I have been attending the Masters every year since 1984 with the exception of the two Covid years (2020, 2021). I remember my mother taking me as a teen.
She was perfectly happy to sit in her Masters stool on 18 green waiting to see Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Seve Ballesteros finish.
I wonder how many pimento cheese and barbecue sandwiches I have eaten on those grounds over the years. I know many of you will go with the legendary egg salad sandwich.
The names change and the trees get taller, but it is by far the greatest golf tournament and sporting event in the world. I look forward to returning again cheering on several former UGA Bulldogs, and many of my fellow St Simons Island residents.
Cheers to happy spring golfing and have a fabulous Masters week!
The Players
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
While the locals throughout north Florida and South Georgia are currently shaking off the February blues weather wise. They know it’s time to get going!
One of the major weeks of the year for this area is right around the corner. Yes it’s time for the Players Championship.
This year’s edition brings in some real drama. And that’s before anyone has pulled a stick out of the bag and ripped one down the Par 4, 423-yard first hole.
Let’s get right to it. Can Scottie do it again? In 2023 Scheffler got hot mid round on Sunday and walked away with his first Players.
The next year it was Scottie coming from behind and going low in the final round to win his second in a row. Now begs the question? Three in a row? It’s never been done.
In order to break new ground at Sawgrass with a third in a row, Scheffler will have to be on his game. The consensus World’s #1 has lately been just that, on his game. Can anyone knock him out in Jacksonville? There are quite a few wanting to take a shot.
THE BIG BOYS:
BRIAN THOMAS: The 2021 champion has been playing well. With 3 top 10s in 5 starts this year, Justin can come in and let her rip. He knows the course well and is a crowd favorite. If he can get in the mix on Sunday, watch out.
RORY: Well, of course.
LUDVIG ABERG: Guess I should put him in here since he won the RSM in 2023 right? Not hardly, the young Swede is cool, calm and dangerous. He is rapidly becoming one of the best of the rising young guns in the game. If he plays his game watch out!
XANDER: Coming back from a rib injury. He may be in the field but I think we are asking a little much.
DON’T BET AGAINST:
BRIAN HARMAN: A tough go for the St Simons Island pro recently. But his last 4 results have gotten consistently better. If he is in it on Sunday, there will be a lot of people pulling for this guy.
KEEGAN BRADLEY: No one scares this guy. He hasn’t made any noise lately but if he can just take out that one bad round he seems to be having in the last few weeks, he could surprise.
TOMMY FLEETWOOD: He has been around the top 10 numerous times. Consistent, calm, and lethal. I would not give this Brit a break. Do so at your own peril guys!
LONGSHOTS:
SAHITH THEEGALA: The steady, young, 27-year-old pro. A win here would really move his career forward. He’s definitely a long shot, but he is due.
HARRIS ENGLISH: Another veteran St. Simons pro who is playing well with a win earlier this year at the Farmers Insurance Open. He has all the tools and temperament to have his time to shine.
RICKIE FOWLER: It feels funny making Rickie a longshot, but the former winner is that. Put him in the final grouping on Sunday and then watch him drop one real close on 17! How much fun would that be!
So, can someone above or in the field catch Scottie? Well, the odds say that a three-peat would be very difficult.
My vote? Let er rip Scottie. The guy is on fire. He won 7 tournaments last year. In 5 years on the tour, he has played in 133 events and made the cut 114 times! His winnings over that time are over 70 million dollars. When you’re hot, you’re hot!
If you get a chance to get tickets to the Players, by all means GO! It is everything a great tournament should be.
The Fans, the golf course, and the community all come together. And a Sunday final with a seat on the hill at the 17th should be on every golfer’s bucket list.
The Gear
By: Brian Albertson
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As a Class A member of the PGA, I attend the annual PGA merchandise show for various reasons.
This year marked my 30th trip to Orlando for the show. The show is always the launchpad for the newest, most innovative products in the golf industry.
For PGA members, this is also an opportunity for mandatory continuing education credits, and networking with fellow professionals from around the world.
But for the average golfer the PGA show is almost beyond words in size and scope. This year marked the largest turnout in 15 years as over 33,000 golf industry professionals from every state and nearly 100 countries came together again in Orlando to view displays and booths from over 1,100 golf industry vendors.
The Orange County Convention Center covers many acres, and the show floor is divided into three distinct categories of vendors.
It is traditional that the far right of the building is the apparel showcase with every brand of golf clothing, headwear and accessories that you have ever heard of and many new lines.
Honestly, PGA professionals and buyers for their respective golf shops are most likely seen in the apparel section meeting with their apparel reps for personal viewings of their favorite lines. It is also easy to stroll by every company to see if something catches your interest. As the show is in January, the apparel companies are primarily showing fall and holiday offerings for the same year.
The middle of the show floor highlights golf industry needs such as carts, range, trophies, travel, teaching, clubhouse, software.
This is where I spent most of my time this year comparing all the different launch monitors for teaching in club fitting. We have recently expanded our Golf learning center to three bays, and I was charged to properly outfit our facility with the newest technology. I have used Trackman and Flightscope in the past but fell in love with the new Foresight equipment this year.
Lastly, the left side of the show floor is where you find all the golf clubs and ball companies with massive displays of every product that they offer.
Each major golf club company has a booth the size of a grocery store. This is where all the fun happens and where most of the general golf enthusiasts’ traffic is during the PGA show.
If you were at the show, we all love the game and we all can’t wait to see the new products that launch the week of the PGA merchandise show.
This year did not disappoint as Callaway launched their new Elyte family of clubs. Titleist introduced their new version of the ProV 1 golf ball and Vokey wedges. The new pings, Taylor maids and Mizuno were all popular with the Mizuno STZ driver coming in at the best value of $299.
If you’ve never been to the PGA merchandise show, I highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed, and it is always exciting. I hope to see you all In Orlando next January!!!
In the meantime, happy golfing.
Azaleas In Bloom
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The azaleas are in full bloom. The towering pine and flowering dogwood trees are in pristine condition. That can only mean one thing…it’s time for the golf world to flock to Augusta, Ga for the 2024 Masters.
The 88th playing of the Masters Tournament officially gets underway Thursday April 11th and will hand out the coveted green jacket on Sunday at the conclusion of the final round for a “tradition unlike any other.”
The Masters is always the first of the four Major Championships in the golf world and is slated for the first full week in April each year.
The tournament that began in 1934 is considerably smaller (in terms of number of participants) than the other three championships because it’s an invitational event held by the Augusta National Golf Course.
There are 20 ways that a player can be invited to participate in the exclusive Masters Tournament. Any former Masters Champion has a lifetime invitation back to Augusta. Similarly, any champion of the other three major championships in the previous five years gets an automatic invitation to the field. Although 20 ways to qualify for the Masters may seem like a lot of ways to get in the field, it’s an elusive ticket.
Nineteen former Masters champions are expected to compete for the crown again in 2024 including Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, and 2023 champion Jon Rahm.
The 2020 Masters Champion Dustin Johnson set the Masters record with a -20 final card to win the only masters to not be played in April (had to be moved to November because of COVID-19).
Other former Masters Champions expected to be in the field for the 88th playing are Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, and 2021 Champion Hideki Matsuyama.
Others that get in the field because of winning one of the other three major championships in the last five years include U.S. Open Champions Wyndham Clark, Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Gary Woodland. British Open Champions Brian Harman, Cam Smith, Collin Morikawa, and Shane Lowry will also tee it up in Augusta.
Finally, PGA Championship winners Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas are expected to be in the field come April.
With less than 50 others that meet one of the 20 criteria to enter the tournament, some familiar names just make the cut.
Patrick Cantlay and Tommy Fleetwood enter the eligibility with the 18th criteria point of qualifying for the 2023 Tour Championship.
Tony Finau and Rickie Fowler come into the mix with the 17th criteria checked of “Individual winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship, from the 2023 Masters to the 2024 Masters (including fall 2023)”.
Other notable names include Rory McIlroy and Neal Shipley for various check marks.
After all the minutia to set the field, the whole golf world (and many outside the golf community) will flock to the small corner of Eastern Georgia called Augusta either by physically going down Bobby Jones Expressway, or via the televisions, computer screens, or courtesy of Westwood One Sports Radio.
However, if you take in the Masters tournament, it’s special, and it’s a big day on Sunday when you hear Jim Nantz sets the scene poetically in his 39th Masters for CBS along with his colleague Verne Lundquist who announced that the 2024 Masters will be his 40th and final Masters.
Just remember to tune in early on Sunday to hear Nantz describe the pink azaleas and beautifully sun-soaked skies and so on “….AT THE MASTERS.”
The 5th Major
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 Players Championship at Sawgrass will go down as one of the best and most exciting golf tournaments in its 50-year history.
It will also go down as the first TPC with a back-to-back champion. Scottie Scheffler blistered the Sawgrass course on Sunday going out in 31 on the front nine and vaulting into contention.
He then ripped the back nine with three more birdies to card an unbelievable final round 64 and take home the 4.5 million dollar first place prize. He navigated the final round bogey free and came from way back. Scheffler showed why he’s currently the number one ranked player in the world.
Blessed with great weather on the weekend, the TPC Sawgrass course was on point. Great crowds, great golf and a great finish, the tournament was just outstanding.
From the drama of the 17th hole to the fantastic finish with three golfers trying to find a birdie on 18 to catch Scheffler, it was golf at its best.
Round one began with Rory Mcllroy, Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark all dropping 65s on the stadium course.
From day one this was going to be a battle of the heavyweights. Scheffler and RSM winner Ludvig Aberg were two shots back.
Round two at Sawgrass was the Wyndham Clark show. After shooting a 65 in the first round, Clark showed out with another 65 to take a 4-stroke lead into the weekend.
The 2023 U.S. Open winner was on top of his game and looked smooth and confident heading into the weekend. Four shots back were Nick Taylor and Xander Schauffele.
Saturday was moving day at the Players and it did not disappoint.
The 4 shot lead that Wyndham Clark carried into the round disappeared as Xander Schauffele took a one-shot lead into Sunday with Clark right behind him one shot off the pace. Brian Harman followed at 15 under while eventual winner Scottie Scheffler was a full 5 shots back.
Notables were Rory Mcllroy at -9 along with Ludvig Aberg. With 7 golfers within 5 shots of the lead, Sunday was shaping up to be a great day for the Players Championship. And boy oh boy it didn’t disappoint.
Sunday at the Players was a day to remember. With a beautiful spring day in northeast Florida with temps around 80 and a very manageable breeze, the stage was set for some great golf.
Scottie Scheffler began the day 5 shots back and after 3 straight pars, the man found his groove. After his iron shot at the fourth found the hole for an eagle and his putter dropped a long birdies on the fifth and the eighth, he found himself in contention only one shot back. Another putt at the ninth leading to a front nine 31 and he was tied.
But Schauffele, Harman, and Clark weren’t going anywhere and it was game on for one of the most exciting nine holes of golf in TPC history.
Clark began with a bogey on the 10th that dropped him 2 shots back of Schauffele and Scheffler.
Harman sat at -17 two back. By the twelfth all four golfers were within a shot of each other. As they dueled over the next 4 holes, Scheffler went one up and finished first at -20. His 67, 69, 68, 64 set the bar.
Could the three amigos catch him with 2 holes to play?
What followed was Sunday PGA golf at its best. Schauffele came off 2 bogies to birdie 16. That put him one back with 2 to play.
He would hit a beautiful shot within 10 feet on 17 only to watch his putt and a chance to tie slide by the hole.
Wyndham Clark was next at the island hole with a beautiful approach shot within 5 feet. He knocked it down to get within one.
To the 18th we went with the tournament in the balance. Harman would put it on the green at 18 only to watch his putt slide by and finish one back.
Next Schauffele would miss right and have a long birdie miss. He would finish one back also.
Clark coming off the birdie at 17 would hit a great second into the 18th green. With a chance to tie Scheffler, he hit a putt that will be replayed for years to come. From about 15 feet the putt was perfect. Within 2 feet it slightly slides to the left and then lipped in and out of the hole coming to rest back toward Clark. No one could believe it didn’t drop.
It was a heartbreaker but a fitting end to a Players that will be talked about for years.
Scottie Scheffler takes his second tournament win in a row and his second Players in a row with a come from behind win being 7 shots back at one time on Saturday.
Great golf, great crowds, great finish, and a great tournament.
It’s Another Gimme
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In 2022 the Glynn Academy Girls Golf team led by senior Maria Barr, junior Chandley Box and freshmen Elyse Burney and Emma Hill took home Glynn’s first state girls’ golf championship since 2011.
As one of the preeminent golf programs in the state, it had been quite a drought for the girls.
As for the 2023 outfit, you felt Kip Hall’s Lady Terrors would be good, very good. And they didn’t disappoint.
With all that returning firepower the Glynn girls led the GHSA 6A Girls Golf Tournament on Jekyll Island from day one. Starting hot and staying that way, the Red Terrors walked away with a 480 total and another addition to the trophy case.
Second place Alpharetta was a distant 16 strokes back. Glynn lead by 5 after day one and stretched it out even more on day two.
As with their fellow state champion Red Terror Boys team, the girls had to fight through some adversity with injuries. Senior team leader Chanley Box had to deal with strained ligaments in her hand which was injured shortly before the tournament.
She felt the pain everytime she swung the club. And she played through it. The North Georgia signee shot an 86 on the first day but roared back with a 78 on day two to finish with a 164 total and a tie for sixth on the overall score. That’s how you spell TEAM.
Sophomore and rising star Elyse Burney matched Chanley with a 164 of her own. That consistency gave the Red Terror ladies a tremendous advantage over the field with three players placing in the top six overall scores.
That’s because Emma Hill blistered the Jekyll course for a final round 73 and a two day total only 1 shot off being low medalist. This was a VERY good Glynn Academy girls squad.
Senior Charley Podlesney shot a 198 to round out the scoring in the tournament and finished her career with two state titles.
Much like the boys outfit, the girls team was built and molded with effort and character.
Coach Hall spoke on numerous occasions about the work effort of the girls and the extra time and effort they all put in. While he was lavish with his praise for the girls and what they had accomplished, he was quick to point out that they all earned what they got.
And they did it with excellence both on the course and in the classroom. This was the narrative for both Kip Hall’s Lady Terrors and Mike Zito’s Terrors.
It was never in doubt where this trophy was heading after Day One. The win gave the Red Terror ladies golf team 9 state titles since the year 2000.
And with the returning talent and effort that coaches Pete Irby and Kip Hall put in, the threepeat is not out of the question.
The Lady Terrors will roll into 2024 as favorites to repeat with the returning 1,2 punch of Burney and Hill. They will probably be the most seasoned juniors in the state next year.
Remember Elyse shot a 77 to lead the Terrors to LAST year’s title, while Emma went low this year. Quite the returning combo. Elyse and Emma will be a Double E Terror as they look to defend and repeat in 2024.
GHSA 2023 AAAAAA Girls Golf State Champions
GLYNN ACADEMY LADY RED TERRORS
Amen!
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Spring is in the air as the best in the world head to the Augusta National Golf Club for the 87th playing of the Masters Tournament.
Blooming dogwoods, azaleas, and the beautiful golf sanctuary of Augusta National tell you that Spring has officially arrived on the calendar.
Patrons will choose between two Masters favorites on the low priced food menu, the Pimento Cheese or Egg Salad Sandwich. No cell phones are allowed, limited commercials if you happen to watch on TV, and finally my favorite, tradition, the rough is referred to as the “second cut.”
Up until 1983 players had to use local caddies provided by Augusta National. Players are allowed to use their own caddies now, but they have to wear the Augusta uniform, which is a green hat and white jumpsuit.
The Masters has always been the crown jewel of Georgia based sporting events, and in 2023 the event will be completed on Easter Sunday.
2023 Masters odds:
Jon Rahm 15-2: Rahm is the betting favorite coming into the 2023. Rahm has never won the Masters but always seems to be near the top of leaderboards during the big events.
This guy is mentally tough and has every shot in his arsenal to win multiple Masters over his career.
He is the 21 US Open winner, and has top 5 finishes in the other 3 majors.
Scottie Scheffler 8-1: The defending champion is the best player in the world currently.
Scheffler is coming off a win at the Players Championship, and he has won a lot of golf tournaments (6) since the start of 2022. A win in 2023 puts him in the club of repeat winners that includes Nicklaus, Woods, and Faldo.
Rory McIlroy 17-2: Rory shot a final round 64 in 2022 to finish second three shots behind Scheffler.
He is only 32 years old so there is still plenty of time. He has six top-10 finishes to his name at The Masters and has only missed the cut twice. From 2014 to 2020 he finished outside the top-10 only once. Rory plays well at Augusta. The career Grand Slam is in his sights.
Cameron Smith 12-1: Smith can putt. He is the current holder of the Open Championship. He currently plays on the LIV Golf League. With all the drama going on between LIV and the PGA tour will this be a distraction for Smith?
Jordan Spieth 15-1: Can Spieth get back to the status of a few years ago? I think he is close to another breakthrough win.
Justin Thomas 16-1: Thomas has that ‘it’ factor now. Multiple major winner that can compete at every major moving forward.
Xander Schauffele 18-1: Talent is there. Zander just needs a break to go his way at Augusta.
Tony Finau 20-1: Tony has it all. Some tag him as the best player to never win a major. I dislike that tag. Finau’s time will come.
Will Zalatoris 20-1: Will has been very close at majors. Lost in a playoff to Justin Thomas at Southern Hills for the 2022 PGA Championship. Another player who seems to play his best in the majors.
Collin Morikawa 22-1: Two time major winner has the game to win at Augusta. Can win on any type of golf course. Solid all around player.
Will Tiger be in the field? If he is then I will watch every shot from Thursday to Sunday and make the wife upset.
Hopefully she understands by now that if Tiger is on the tube then count Kipp Branch out of everything. Tiger brings massive TV ratings.
Winner Prediction: Rory gets it done and completes the career grand slam and cements his place as one of the all-time greats.
Winner Score: 276 (-12)
The Green Jacket
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Spring is in the air as the world’s best head to Augusta National Golf Club for the 86th playing of the Masters Tournament.
Blooming dogwoods, azaleas, and the beautiful golf sanctuary of Augusta National tells you that Spring has officially arrived on the calendar.
Now news is breaking that Tiger Woods may play this year after a long grueling rehabilitation from an automobile accident that almost cost him a leg adds that much more excitement to an event that kicks off the most prestigious tournament in professional golf.
The weather forecast in Augusta is calling for sunny, cool, fall like temperatures for this year’s event.
Here are my thoughts on the favorites going in the 2022 Masters:
2022 Masters odds
Jon Rahm +1000: Rahm is considered the best golfer in the world. When his game is on, he dominates. Rahm seems to have conquered the mental side of the game over the past few years. Look for Rahm to be in contention for a Green Jacket in 2022.
Justin Thomas +1400: Maybe it is just me, but I am just not feeling like Thomas will be a factor in the 2022 Masters. Big name, big game, but it is just not his time yet.
Dustin Johnson +1600: Johnson has won at Augusta. With his length he should always be a betting favorite at Augusta. He should be in contention over the weekend.
Cameron Smith +1600: If you watched Smith make putt after putt at The Players Championship you should factor this guy in the mix for the coveted Green Jacket. The Players win has Smith peaking at the right time coming into the first major of 2022.
Scottie Scheffler +1600: Scheffler will be a non-factor which means he will be within two strokes of the lead on Sunday.
Rory McIlroy +1800: A Green Jacket would give Rory the career grand slam, but he has not finished in the top-20 in his last three starts at Augusta. Is Rory placing too much pressure on himself to win at Augusta?
Brooks Koepka +2000: Koepka only has one win since 2019. He has the game for majors, but he is in a victory drought and cannot seem to end it.
Patrick Cantlay +2000: I picked him to win The Players and it did not happen. Does not seem to be on the top of his game currently.
Jordan Spieth +2000: Always a threat at Augusta. Will be a serious contender to win in 2022. The 2015 champion always seems to play well in Augusta.
Viktor Hovland +2000: I know this kid is exceptionally good. Could be a factor in 2022.
Collin Morikawa +2000: Great all-around game. Two-time major winner plays well on all types of courses.
Xander Schauffele +2200: Finished 2nd to Tiger in 2019 at Augusta. He is due. Only a matter of time before he wins a major. Top ten finishes in all four major championships. Top three finishes in the Masters, US Open, and Open Championship. Xander could break through this weekend.
Will Zalatoris +2800: Will had a great run in 2021 finishing second at Augusta. The crowd will be going crazy if this kid is in contention on Sunday.
Bryson DeChambeau +3500: I love to watch Bryson hit the golf ball. Power golf is appealing to the masses.
My dream scenario would be for Tiger to compete in the tournament and be in contention on Sunday. That scenario ensures that I do not move out of my recliner on Sunday afternoon.
Predictions:
Winning Score: 274 (-14)
Winner: Xander Schauffele
