February 2011: Campus Insider: Golf Digest

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Results for February 2011 Back to Campus Insider Index

Ga. Tech's White, LSU's Ernst claim weekly honors

Monday, February 28, 2011

College players of the week: Feb. 21-27
MEN

James White, Georgia Tech
A closing 68 at Rio Mar CC's River Course gave the junior from Acworth, Ga., a one-stroke victory over Alabama's Bud Cauley at the Puerto Rico Classic, his second win of the 2010-11 season.

"I didn't start off so quick, but I kept telling myself that things would turn out, and I'd have a chance at the end," said White, who posted a 10-under 206 total. "I felt like right around the turn there were some good chances to make birdies. The holes for 11 to 15 you could bank on. I tried to get one or two in the beginning and stay steady."

White's triumph was perhaps predictable. In his previous six rounds on the course in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, he had shot no worse than 71, finishing T-6 in the tournament in 2009 and T-15 in 2010. White maintained he record with opening rounds of 69-69.

WOMEN
Austin Ernst, LSU
The freshman from Seneca, S.C., won her first college event, shooting a three-under 213 at the Central District Invitational to beat TCU's Brooke Beeler by one stroke. Ernst shot a final-round 72 at River Wilderness GC in Parrish, Fla., to rally from three shots off Beeler's second-round lead. In the process, she became the 14th player in school history to win an individual title.

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CI Podcast/UCLA's Patrick Cantlay

Friday, February 25, 2011

This week's guest is UCLA freshman Patrick Cantlay, a semifinalist at the U.S. Amateur last August before heading to college, discussing his impressive first year with the Bruins and why the transition from his junior days seems to have gone so smoothly.

Before the interview with Patrick, I'm also joined by UCLA men's coach Derek Freeman, who offers his own insight into the freshman's play.

Here is Cantlay's results with the Bruins through his first five starts:

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Conference standings for the curious

Friday, February 25, 2011

Let me stop you before you get started: I know conference head-to-head records have literally no baring on anything. Only the overall head-to-head mark has any significance, and then it's only in the men's game where qualifying for the NCAA post-season as an at-large team requires a .500 or better record.

All this said, I am for some reason fascinated by explore the head-to-head records of teams within their conference, at least with the marquee leagues. I think they're interesting on two fronts:

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This Week's Syllabus: Feb. 24-March 2

Thursday, February 24, 2011

FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN

1. Oklahoma State (Last week: 1)
Third-place showing at Puerto Rico can be viewed in various ways. The Cowboys can't just show up and expect their opponents to give them anything. Yet it wasn't like OSU played poorly as all five starters had a sub-par round at Rio Mar. If nothing else, failing to win will keep the group focused.
Next event: Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters, Southern Highlands GC, Las Vegas, March 11-13

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Cowboys stay No. 1 in GW/Nike Golf men's poll

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Oklahoma State, Guilford and Oklahoma City remained the top teams in the Division I, III and NAIA editions of the Golf World/Nike Golf coaches' poll, while Chico State became the third different D-II program to claim the top spot during the 2010-11 season.

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Alabama women remain No. 1 in GW/NGCA women's poll

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The three top ranked teams in each division of women's college golf--Alabama at D-I, Nova Southeastern at D-II and Methodist at D-III--all kept their spots atop their respective polls in the first spring editions of the Golf World/NGCA coaches' poll.

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GW players of the week: Feb. 14-20

Monday, February 21, 2011

MEN

Ben Kohles, Virginia
The junior from Cary, N.C., shot a final-round 67 at the John Burns Intercollegiate claim a spot in a three-way playoff with Texas A&M's John Hurley and California's Max Homa at 10-under 206. He then won the title with a six-foot birdie on the second playoff hole to claim his fifth career victory, tying the Cavaliers' school record set by Simon Cooke in 1996.

Kohles was one of four UVa players to post rounds in the 60s over the last 18 at Hawaii's Turtle Bay Resort, helping the team break the school's 14-plus year 18-hole scoring mark with a 19-under 269. The final round performance vaulted Virginia into third place behind victorious California and Texas A&M.

Virginia's next event is the Cleveland Golf/Palmetto Intercollegiate, where Kohles claimed medalist honors a year ago.

WOMEN

Teresa Puga, Minnesota
With a career-best 66 in the final round of the UCF Challenge, the senior from Spain tied the Golden Gophers' 18-hole scoring mark and earned a share of medalist honors with Kentucky's Ashleigh Albrecht at Red Tail GC outside of Orlando. The two players finished the tournament with eight-under 208 totals. In winning her first college title, Puga also became the first Minnesota women's golfer to win a tournament since 2007.

Last fall Puga set the school's record for low fall stroke average (73.25) and Puga already holds the mark for best career average (75.51).

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26 players named to Hogan Award Watch List

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Twenty-six collegians from all divisions of college golf were selected by the GCAA for inclusion on the 2011 Ben Hogan Award Watch List. The award goes to the top men's college golfer, taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during a 12-month period. (Full disclosure, I'm on the committee that helped select the players.)

Two of last year's finalists are on the 2011 list: Alabama's Bud Cauley and Georgia's Russell Henley. U.S. Amateur champion Peter Uihlein of Oklahoma State and runner-up David Chung of Stanford are other honorees.

A group of 10 semifinalists will be selected April 14 with three finalists then invited to attend the Hogan Award ceremony at Colonial CC in Fort Worth on May 16.

The award is sponsored by Baird Private Wealth Management in association with the Friends of Golf, Colonial CC and the GCAA.

HOGAN AWARD WATCH LIST
(in alphabetical order)

Blayne Barber, Auburn
Patrick Cantlay, UCLA
Bud Cauley, Alabama
Alex Ching, San Diego
David Chung, Stanford
Harris English, Georgia
J.T. Griffin, Georgia Tech
Luke Guthrie, Illinois
Russell Henley, Georgia
Morgan Hoffmann, Oklahoma State
Bobby Hudson, Texas
Vince India, Iowa
Lion Kim, Michigan
Scott Langley, Illinois
Tain Lee, Claremont McKenna
Gregor Main, UCLA
Henrik Norlander, Augusta State
John Peterson, LSU
Andrew Putnam, Pepperdine
Patrick Reed, Augusta State
Kevin Tway, Oklahoma State
Peter Uihlein, Oklahoma State
Bank Vongvanij, Florida
Pontus Widegren, UCLA
Bobby Wyatt, Alabama
Andrew Yun, Stanford

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This Week's Syllabus: Feb. 17-23

Friday, February 18, 2011

FAB FIVE
My look at the top five teams in the country right now

MEN

1. Oklahoma State (Last week: 1)
Toughest thing for Cowboys might be to avoid boredom right about now. I don't mean that to say that they think they're better than all comers. It's that with lots of the spring season left, the tournaments that will mean the most are still a ways off. Staying excited about regular season events could be a challenge. Mike McGraw, however, is probably the best coach you could find to help avoid this issue.
Next event: Puerto Rico Classic, Rio Mar CC, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Feb. 20-22
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Kraft Nabisco offers five amateur invites

Monday, February 14, 2011

There were the expected names on the press release issued this afternoon by the Kraft Nabisco Championship announcing the amateur invitees to this year's 40th anniversary event: U.S. Women's Amateur champion Danielle Kang, AJGA player of the year Kristen Park, U.S. Curtis Cupper Cydney Clanton and USC All-American Lisa McCloskey.

It was the fifth name, however, that was cause for pause.

Three-time U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur champion Meghan Stasi.

It's nice to see tournament director Gabe Codding recognize a player who isn't half the age of the Kraft Nabisco itself. The 32-year-old from Oakland Park, Fla., the former women's coach at Mississippi has earned her spot by giving today's youth all they can handle on the amateur circuit.

Meanwhile, the track record for amateur success at the Kraft is pretty strong. Consider their results from recent years.

BLOGGER NOTE: Original story was posted Feb. 14. On Feb. 16, an additional player, 15-year-old Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand was also given an exemption into the tournament

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