Wood helps Georgia overtake Alabama to claim title in Linger Longer Invitational at Lake Oconee

 

   Georgia came into this week’s Linger Longer Invitational at The Landing Course at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga. at No. 37 in the Scoreboard, powered by clippd, rankings and coming off a season when the Bulldogs failed to reach the NCAA Championship.

   Maybe something clicked in the final round for Georgia as the Bulldogs closed with a sizzling 20-under-par 268 over the 7,436-yard, par-71 Landing Course layout to jump over Southeastern Conference rival Alabama and claim the team title by two shots.

   Georgia got off to a great start with a 17-under 271 in Sunday’s opening round. But the wind came up and the temperature went down for Monday’s second round and a lot of scores went up, including that of the Bulldogs as they recorded a 7-over 295 that left them in a tie for second place with South Florida, five shots behind Alabama going into Tuesday’s final round.

   Alabama had opened with a solid 11-under 277 before putting together the best team round of the day in Monday’s tough conditions with a 4-under 284.

   The surge by the Crimson Tide was fueled by a remarkable 6-under 66 from freshman Nick Gross, whose outstanding scholastic career at Downingtown West included the PIAA Class AAA Championship as a sophomore in 2021.

   The round was the best in Gross’ still fledgling college career and was easily the best of the day, a day in which scores were soaring all over the golf course.

   But Georgia went really low in the final round to finish with a 30-under 834 total. The victory enabled the Bulldogs to move up to No. 30 in the Scoreboard rankings.

   Alabama wasn’t bad in the final round, closing with a 13-under 275 that gave the Crimson Tide a 28-under 836 total. The Crimson Tide just weren’t as good as Georgia. The solid showing by Alabama improved its Scoreboard ranking from No 18 to No. 13.

   Georgia was led by Grayson Wood, a sophomore from Fredericksburg, Va. who finished in a tie for second place in the individual standings with Alabama’s Connor Brown, a senior from Pinehurst, N.C., each landing on 9-under 207.

   The individual title went to USF’s Shubham Jaglan, a senior from India who captured his first collegiate victory with a 12-under 204 total.

   Wood opened with a 4-under 68 and matched par in Monday’s tough going with a 72 before contributing a 5-under 67 to Georgia’s final-round surge.

   Alabama’s Brown had the same splits as Wood, opening with a 4-under 68, matching par in Monday’s second round with a 72 and closing with a 5-under 67 to join Wood at 9-under.

   Georgia and Alabama were conspicuous by their absence at last spring’s NCAA Championship at the La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. The Bulldogs failed to advance out of the Austin Regional as a four seed and the Crimson Tide were unable to advance out of the Chapel Regional as a two seed.

   Would be surprised if that scenario repeated itself this spring.

   There was no catching Jaglan for the individual title as he took control by matching the low round of the tournament with an 8-under 64 in the opening round. Jaglan’s 4-under 68 in Monday’s second round was really strong considering the conditions and he matched par in the final round with a 72.

   Jaglan led USF, the reigning American Athletic Conference champion, to a third-place finish in the team standings as the Bulls finished seven shots behind Alabama with a 21-under 843 total.

   USF only trailed Georgia by a shot following an opening round of 16-under 272. Like Georgia, USF struggled in Monday’s second round with a 6-over 294 that left the Bulls in a tie for second with the Bulldogs, five shots behind Alabama. USF closed with a solid 11-under 277.

   USF’s Scoreboard ranking improved from No. 35 to No. 31 with its third-place finish in the Linger Longer. USF failed to advance to last spring’s NCAA Championship as an eight seed in the Rancho Santa Fe Regional.

   South Carolina, another SEC power, took fourth place with a 12-under 852 total as the Gamecocks got off to a great start with a 16-under 272, but, like just about everybody else, struggled in Monday’s second round with a 305 before closing with a 13-under 275.

   South Carolina was led by Nathan Franks, a senior from Roebuck, S.C. who matched the low round of the tournament with his sizzling final round of 8-under 64 to finish in fourth place with an 8-under 208 total. Franks had opened with a 3-under 69 before struggling to a 3-over 75 in Monday’s second round.

   South Carolina failed to advance to last spring’s NCAA Championship as a 10 seed in the Baton Rouge Regional.

   Elon, a Coastal Athletic Association representative and No. 77 in the Scoreboard rankings, finished four shots behind South Carolina in fifth place with an 8-under 856 total. The Phoenix were steady in the challenging conditions, opening with a 3-under 285, adding a 1-under 287 in Monday’s second round, one of just two team rounds under par for the day, and closing with a 4-under 284.

   Elon was led by Garrett Risner, a senior from Holly Springs, N.C. who finished alone in fifth place in the individual chase, a shot behind Franks with a 7-under 209 total. Risner registered a sparkling 5-under 67 with winds buffeting The Landing Course layout in Monday’s second round in the middle of a pair of 1-under 71s in the first and final rounds.

   South Alabama, a Sun Belt Conference entry and No. 95 in the Scoreboard rankings, closed with a fairly spectacular 18-under 270 to finish in sixth place, 10 shots behind Elon with a 2-over 866 total.

   The Jaguars had opened with a 4-under 284, but struggled mightily in Monday’s cold and wind with a 312.

   Backing up Wood for Georgia was George Langham, a graduate student from Peachtree City, Ga. who finished in a tie for sixth place with Jacksonville’s Brandon Lohr, a freshman from Orlando, Fla., each landing on 6-under 210, a shot behind Elon’s Risner.

   Langham contributed a 6-under 66 to the fast start for the Bulldogs and added a 1-over 73 in Monday’s second round before closing with a 1-under 71.

   Georgia’s Buck Brumlow, a senior from Cartersville, Ga., finished alone in eighth place, a shot behind his teammate Langham and Lohr with a 5-under 211 total. Brumlow closed with a sparkling 5-under 67 to help Georgia overtake Alabama. He had opened with a 3-under 69 before adding a 3-over 75 in Monday’s second round.

   Two of the trio of players that finished in a tie for ninth place, a shot behind Brumlow at 4-under 212, were from Georgia.

   Matt Moloney, a freshman from Daniel Island, S.C., sandwiched a 4-over 76 in Monday’s second round with a pair of 4-under 68s. Camden Smith, a sophomore from Ponte Vedra, Fla. who was competing as an individual, closed with a sizzling 6-under 66 to join the group at 4-under. Smith had opened with a 3-over 75 before adding a solid 1-under 71 in the challenging conditions of Monday’s second round.

   Rounding out the Georgia lineup was Carter Loflin, a junior from Duluth, Ga. who contributed a sizzling 6-under 66 of his own to the Bulldogs’ fast finish to end up among the group tied for 16^th place at 2-under 214. Loflin had opened with a 1-over 73 before adding a 3-over 75 in Monday’s second round.

   Jacksonville’s Lohr closed with a solid 4-under 68 to join Georgia’s Langham in the tie for sixth place at 67-under. Lohr had opened with a 2-under 70 before matching par with a 72 in the tough conditions of Monday’s second round.

   Rounding out the trio tied for ninth place at 4-under was Alabama’s Jones Free, a senior from Selma, Ala. After opening with a solid 5-under 67, Free, like a lot of players, had trouble dealing with the wind and cold of Monday’s second round and posted a 4-over 76. Free bounced back to contribute a 3-under 69 to a nice finish by the Crimson Tide.

   Gross had opened with a 1-over 73, but his remarkable 66 while nearly everyone around him was just trying to hold it together in Monday’s second round, vaulted him into a tie for third place going into the final round.

   Gross couldn’t carry the momentum of that great round to the final round, though, as he closed with a 5-over 77 to finish in the group tied for 28^th place at even-par 216.

   Gross continues to show glimpses of the limitless potential the kid who reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J. a week before his 16^th birthday in the summer of 2022 possesses.