Braves announce Mens Golf as intercollegiate sport
Carrollton, Ga. – October 31, 2003 – West Georgia Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ed Murphy today announced the addition of mens golf to the UWG sports menu. The team will begin competition during the 2004-05 academic year.
Were glad to be adding golf, said Murphy of the addition of UWGs newest program. We think both will be big assets to our athletic program, and to the university.
Beyond adding the new sport, Murphy also announced the appointment of David Dixon as head coach. Dixon, the head professional at Carrolltons Sunset Hills Country Club, brings a strong background to the job.
Hes a well-respected PGA teaching pro, said Murphy. Also, he had an outstanding player career at Columbus (State).
West Georgias newest team will see action in the fall of 2004. The championship season begins in spring 2005.
Braves have respectable showing in first outing
Carrollton, Ga. – October 7, 2004 – As defending national champion USC-Aiken put the finishing touches on the AFLAC/Cougar Invitational Tournament, the West Georgia Braves were beginning their golf careers with a 13th place finish, tying with Kennesaw State in their first tournament.
The highlight of the final day was an ace on the 172-yard, par three eighth hole by UNC Pembroke’s Chris Helms. According to reports, the shot went directly into the cup on the fly. Helms went on to shoot 79 in the round.
For the Braves, Brandon Bennett had the low tournament score, firing a 2-over for the tourney. Bennett finished ninth overall. In 21st place was John Hanson turning in a score of +6 for the tournament.
The other two finishers for West Georgia were Chris Tompkins and Taylor Virgil. Tompkins finished at +15 in 64th place and Virgil turned in a score of +20 over the three-day tourney, good for 81st.
The Braves next tourney comes this weekend at the Presbyterian tournament in Clinton, SC.
Braves finish third at UNA Invitational
Carrollton, Ga. – March 17, 2005 – The West Georgia Braves are the new kid on the block in collegiate golf, but that didn’t matter in the UNA Invitational, as the Braves finished third in a field of eight.
John Hanson was low finisher with a score of 156, including a low-round of 75. Knox Martin was next in line, finishing ninth with a three-round total of 158. The Braves’ final three golfers all finished tied for 24th at 165.
North Alabama won the Invitational with four of the top ten finishers in the entire event. Northwest Shoals finished second, 26 points ahead of West Georgia’s 635. The Braves were able to finish just ahead of Montevallo, which finished with a team score of 637.
Braves’ Results
3 West Georgia 319 316 635 T 9 John Hanson 81 75 156 T 12 Knox Martin 80 78 158 T 24 Brandon Bennett 78 87 165 T 24 Turner Faulkner 87 78 165 T 24 Nick Price 80 85 165
Braves face tough competition at Southeastern
Valdosta, Ga. - April 6, 2005 - The West Georgia golf program continued it's growth this week in a losing effort at the 2005 Southeastern Collegiate. The Braves finished 18th in the tournament. It was just a rough week all around for the West Georgia golfers. Brandon Bennett and John Hanson finished tied for 41st in the tourney with a three-round score of 229. The Southeastern Collegiate is the final warm-up for the Braves before the Gulf South Conference Tournament in Hot Springs, AR on April 18-19.
West Georgia in seventh place after two rounds at GSC tourney
Hot Springs, Ark. - April 19, 2005 - The West Georgia men's golf team, in its first year of play at the Gulf South Conference tournament, is making waves in Hot Springs, Ark. The Braves are sitting in seventh place after two rounds of action and improved 25 shots over the Round 1 total. Brandon Bennett is the Braves' high scorer in the tourney thus far and is tied for 14th with a two-round score of 147, good for 2-over par. Turner Faulkner is just behind Bennett at 5-over par, tied for 18th in the tournament. John Hanson is tied for 31st at 8-over, followed by Knox Martin at 13-over, tied for 47th. Taylor Virgil is the fifth man on the Braves' squad, tied for 63rd at 21-over. As a team, West Georgia is at 605 for the tournament, 11 strokes behind North Alabama for sixth-place and six strokes ahead of eighth-place Montevallo. The final 18 holes will be played today in Hot Springs.
Braves finish seventh at GSC tourney
Brandon Bennett named Freshman of the Year
Hot Springs, Ark. - April 20, 2005 - The first full season of West Georgia golf since 1995 ended in solid fashion for the Braves. UWG finished the Gulf South Conference golf tournament in seventh place and the Braves' high-scorer Brandon Bennett earned Freshman of the Year honors Tuesday in Hot Springs, Ark. Bennett finished 13th in the tournament at 4-over par. The freshman competed earlier this year in the U.S. Amatuer championship and has been a stalwart for the Braves all year. His three-round total of 220 was the best of any freshman at the tournament, earning the Freshman of the Year award. It is the second such award for a UWG athlete in the 2004-05 academic year. Volleyball setter Morgan Kilpatrick earned the FOY this past fall. John Hanson and Turner Faulkner were tied as the Braves' second-highest finishers with score of 227, good for 11-over par. Knox Martin finished just behind at 12-over. Martin's final round 71 was the third best of the tourney on the final day. As a team, the Braves finished with a three-round total of 898, three strokes behind sixth-place North Alabama. Delta State won the tournament with an even score. .