Hayden Anderson played in all 12 tournaments last season.
Deeper Squad Should Have Golf Seeking NCAA Appearance Again in 2014
9/19/2013 5:17:00 PM | Men's Golf
Georgia Southern returns a bulk of its key contributors
STATESBORO, Ga. - Golf fans in Statesboro who yearn to watch pressure-packed, competitive golf, featuring talented players striving to make it, won't need to travel to a PGA Tour or Web.com Tour event this fall or next spring.
They can head on over to Forest Heights Country Club or Savannah Quarters or Georgia Southern's University Park Course almost on a weekly basis and watch the Eagles battle it out to see who will get to hop in the van and compete for the Georgia Southern golf team in that week's tournament.
In college golf, five players make the lineup for 10 to 11 tournaments a season, and the remaining players on the roster do not travel. Georgia Southern, like most college teams, has a few players who are virtually locks for the lineup as well as one or two open spots, which are earned through performance in the qualifiers.
With all five players who played in last season's NCAA Regionals back for 2013-14, a total of nine lettermen returning and two newcomers on the roster, Georgia Southern coach Larry Mays expects those qualifiers to be extremely competitive.
"We're probably the deepest we've been in a few years, and I'm very excited about having all five guys who played in the Regional last year back along with some guys who have developed in our program over the last few years," said Mays. "We've got quite a shootout going to just to see who is going to get to leave town every week. As a coach and as a program, that kind of depth is what you are looking for."
Reigning Southern Conference Golfer of the Year Scott Wolfes returns for the Eagles, and the junior has been named a top-50 Player to Watch this season by Golf World. He had a busy summer that saw him advance to the round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur in August and advance to Sectional Qualifying for the U.S. Open in May.
Also back for the Eagles is a quartet of seniors in Hayden Anderson, Will Evans, Drew Guffey and Christian Humber. Anderson and Evans were in the lineup for all three Georgia Southern team tournament wins last season and played for the Eagles in both the SoCon Championships and the NCAA Regional.
Guffey didn't see any tournament action as a junior but has played in six career tournaments and owns a stroke average just a shade over 76. Mays believes Guffey will make a strong push to get in the lineup this season.
"Drew is a guy who has been in our program for a while now and really developed," said Mays. "He is playing the best golf of his career right now."
A junior transfer in 2012-13, Humber worked his way into the lineup at the end of the season and played in both the SoCon Championships and NCAA Regionals. He averaged a 75 in three rounds on a tough, tight course at the NCAA Regionals in Columbus, and four of his last six tournament rounds were low enough to count towards the Eagles' team total.
Charlie Martin and Matthew Mierzejewski make up the junior class. Martin played in all 12 tournaments last season and posted two top-5 finishes and five top-20 outings. Mierzejewski was a big part of the Georgia Southern's success in the fall and was in the lineup for the AutoTrader Collegiate Classic and the ODU/OBX Intercollegiate, both of which the Eagles won. He also advanced to Sectional Qualifying for the U.S. Open in May.
Henry Mabbett and Caleb Morris make up the sophomore class, but both players took a redshirt year as a freshman so this will be their third year in the program. Mabbett saw action in four tournaments last season and has the ability to put a really low number on the board.
Morris also has that ability and was leading the Schenkel Invitational, Georgia Southern's home tournament which had a field of 14 top-100 teams last year, halfway through the first round and finished the day with a 73.
New to the program are Kim Koivu, a junior transfer from Brevard, and Sam Towler, a freshman from England. Koivu had 14 top-10 finishes in 20 tournaments during his two years at Brevard, and Towler took second in the Dubai Emirates Amateur Open in 2013 and 2013 British Open final qualifier.
"Both of our newcomers are from across the pond, and we couldn't be happier with the two young men we've brought into the program this year," said Mays. "They are fitting right in, really are an asset to the program and helping provide that depth that we're looking for."
The Eagles kick off the campaign at the Fightin' Irish Collegiate Classic Sept. 23 and will co-host a fall tournament with North Florida Nov. 4-5 in Jacksonville. The Gator Invitational hosted by Florida, a rite of spring for the Eagles who have played in the tournament the last 13 years, is set for Feb. 15-16.
Georgia Southern will host the 35th Schenkel Invitational at Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro March 14-16, and this year's SoCon Championships are slated for April 20-22 at National Golf Club in Pinehurst, N.C.
They can head on over to Forest Heights Country Club or Savannah Quarters or Georgia Southern's University Park Course almost on a weekly basis and watch the Eagles battle it out to see who will get to hop in the van and compete for the Georgia Southern golf team in that week's tournament.
In college golf, five players make the lineup for 10 to 11 tournaments a season, and the remaining players on the roster do not travel. Georgia Southern, like most college teams, has a few players who are virtually locks for the lineup as well as one or two open spots, which are earned through performance in the qualifiers.
With all five players who played in last season's NCAA Regionals back for 2013-14, a total of nine lettermen returning and two newcomers on the roster, Georgia Southern coach Larry Mays expects those qualifiers to be extremely competitive.
"We're probably the deepest we've been in a few years, and I'm very excited about having all five guys who played in the Regional last year back along with some guys who have developed in our program over the last few years," said Mays. "We've got quite a shootout going to just to see who is going to get to leave town every week. As a coach and as a program, that kind of depth is what you are looking for."
Reigning Southern Conference Golfer of the Year Scott Wolfes returns for the Eagles, and the junior has been named a top-50 Player to Watch this season by Golf World. He had a busy summer that saw him advance to the round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur in August and advance to Sectional Qualifying for the U.S. Open in May.
Also back for the Eagles is a quartet of seniors in Hayden Anderson, Will Evans, Drew Guffey and Christian Humber. Anderson and Evans were in the lineup for all three Georgia Southern team tournament wins last season and played for the Eagles in both the SoCon Championships and the NCAA Regional.
Guffey didn't see any tournament action as a junior but has played in six career tournaments and owns a stroke average just a shade over 76. Mays believes Guffey will make a strong push to get in the lineup this season.
"Drew is a guy who has been in our program for a while now and really developed," said Mays. "He is playing the best golf of his career right now."
A junior transfer in 2012-13, Humber worked his way into the lineup at the end of the season and played in both the SoCon Championships and NCAA Regionals. He averaged a 75 in three rounds on a tough, tight course at the NCAA Regionals in Columbus, and four of his last six tournament rounds were low enough to count towards the Eagles' team total.
Charlie Martin and Matthew Mierzejewski make up the junior class. Martin played in all 12 tournaments last season and posted two top-5 finishes and five top-20 outings. Mierzejewski was a big part of the Georgia Southern's success in the fall and was in the lineup for the AutoTrader Collegiate Classic and the ODU/OBX Intercollegiate, both of which the Eagles won. He also advanced to Sectional Qualifying for the U.S. Open in May.
Henry Mabbett and Caleb Morris make up the sophomore class, but both players took a redshirt year as a freshman so this will be their third year in the program. Mabbett saw action in four tournaments last season and has the ability to put a really low number on the board.
Morris also has that ability and was leading the Schenkel Invitational, Georgia Southern's home tournament which had a field of 14 top-100 teams last year, halfway through the first round and finished the day with a 73.
New to the program are Kim Koivu, a junior transfer from Brevard, and Sam Towler, a freshman from England. Koivu had 14 top-10 finishes in 20 tournaments during his two years at Brevard, and Towler took second in the Dubai Emirates Amateur Open in 2013 and 2013 British Open final qualifier.
"Both of our newcomers are from across the pond, and we couldn't be happier with the two young men we've brought into the program this year," said Mays. "They are fitting right in, really are an asset to the program and helping provide that depth that we're looking for."
The Eagles kick off the campaign at the Fightin' Irish Collegiate Classic Sept. 23 and will co-host a fall tournament with North Florida Nov. 4-5 in Jacksonville. The Gator Invitational hosted by Florida, a rite of spring for the Eagles who have played in the tournament the last 13 years, is set for Feb. 15-16.
Georgia Southern will host the 35th Schenkel Invitational at Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro March 14-16, and this year's SoCon Championships are slated for April 20-22 at National Golf Club in Pinehurst, N.C.
Walk & Talk, Schenkel Style: Part 2
Thursday, March 12
Walk & Talk, Schenkel Style: Part I
Thursday, March 12
Georgia Southern Football Media Availability (3/3/26)
Tuesday, March 03
The GATA Zone - Women's Basketball Post Season
Tuesday, March 03
