The Loop
College Players of the Week, Oct. 4-10
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Russell Henley__, Georgia
The senior claimed his first victory of the 2010-11 season, and the seventh of his collegiate career, with a four-shot triumph over Augusta State's Carter Newman at the Brickyard Collegiate Championship. The win tied him with Chris Kirk on the all-time Bulldog victory list and was the second straight time he won at The Brickyard at Riverside course. After opening with a 72, he shot rounds of 66 and 68 over the weekend, going bogey free both days.
"I am never surprised at anything Russell does because we expect him to win every tournament by 10 shots," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "We felt like coming in he would play well at home, and I'm glad he did that. We want him to enjoy his senior season, and the best way to do that is to help your team win titles. We are very proud of Russell."
Henley's performance also allowed the Bulldogs to claim the team title by one stroke over Augusta State. The team win was the 45th for Haack as Georgia coach, breaking the tie he had with Dick Copas for most victories leading the Bulldog program.
Honorable mention: Horacio Leon, S.E. Louisiana
A final-round 69 at the Louisiana Tech Squire Creek Classic gave the junior an eight-under 208 total, good enough for seven-stroke victory.
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WOMEN
It's not often we hand out this award to a golfer at a junior college. Yet within five days, the sophomore from Kangawa, Japan, won medalist honors at two tournaments with primarily Division I teams in the field—both in dominating fashion.
At the USF/Waterlefe Invitational, she shot an eight-under 208, seven strokes better than runner-up Shena Yang of USF. (Her score was 32.9 strokes better than the tournament's 54-hole average.) Then this past weekend at the LPGA International Xavier Invitational, she shot a six-under 210 to outpace second-place Alex Buelow of Stetson by eight strokes. (Her score was 27.9 strokes better than the tournament average.)
Her performance, meanwhile, helped the Falcons win the team title at both events. Thus far this season, Daytona State has a 30-0 record versus Division I schools and Matahira now has three individual wins in three events this fall.
Honorable mention: Brooke Pancake, Alabama
The junior defeated LSU's Megan McChrystal on the second playoff hole to win her first college title at the Tar Heel Invitational at UNC Finley Course in Chapel Hill, N.C. Pancake equaled the school's 18-hole scoring mark with a 65 in the first round, en route to a 11-under 205 total, her best 54-hole score in college.