Friday, September 12
Kiawah, S.C.
9 a.m.
Georgia Southern University
vs
Invitational at The Ocean Course
Charlie Martin and the Eagles open the season Friday.
Men’s Golf Marches Forward in 2014-15
9/11/2014 6:43:00 PM | Men's Golf
Live scoring
STATESBORO, Ga. – The last two seasons have been two of the best for the Georgia Southern men's golf program. Five tournament championships, back-to-back wins for the first time since 1982, the first Schenkel title in school history, a Southern Conference Championship, consecutive trips to the NCAA Regionals and numerous post-season individual and team accolades.
Pretty heady stuff, but Director of Golf Larry Mays, men's coach Carter Collins and the 2014-15 Eagles feel like they are just getting warmed up. Collins subscribes to the theory that one must always look forward lest one get drilled by a train coming down the tracks.
Take the Schenkel Invitational, for instance, the Eagles' 35-year-old home tournament that Georgia Southern won for the first time in school history last spring.
"The 2014 Schenkel is over – we won it," said Collins. "That was last year's team and last year's Schenkel and last year's field. This will be a different team, different field and different year. We want to make sure our eyes are on the preparation and process and that we're hungry. It's a brand new start. We're looking forward to having all 10 guys participating at all times, doing the right things on the course and in the classroom and always trying to move the program forward and make Georgia Southern proud."
Plus, the Eagles left a little unfinished business at the NCAA Regionals in San Antonio last season, where the top-5 teams advanced to the NCAA Finals. Tied for fifth with one round to go, Georgia Southern struggled on its final 18 and finished eighth. That should provide some extra motivation.
"Regionals were tough on everybody," said Collins. "Golf is a funny game. It's crucial shots at crucial times.
You remember how close you were, how little things matter and how a lot of little things become big things."
With four seniors and seven lettermen back, including the top-2 in terms of scoring average in Scott Wolfes and Charlie Martin, Collins believes Georgia Southern has the leadership and the depth on this team to make another run at the NCAA Finals. That's despite losing four seniors, including co-captains Hayden Anderson and Will Evans, who were mainstays in the lineup for the last two years.
"We have four seniors again so we're leaning on those guys to kind of step into the leadership role," said Collins. "As far as replacing scores, we just ask every player on the roster to make sure they are contributing at all times."
A vital member of the coaching staff for the last seven seasons, Collins will have even more of a leadership position going forward. He has transitioned into the men's coach role as Mays has been named the Director of Golf.
Under the new setup, Collins will be responsible for recruiting, player development, academic monitoring and lineup decisions for the men's program. Mays will oversee both the men's program and the brand-new women's program, which will begin play in 2015-16 as full members of the Sun Belt Conference. Mays will handle the big-picture items for both programs, like overseeing budgets, scheduling, supervising renovations to the Bennett-Ramsey Center, the Eagles' practice facility, and fundraising.
"I am looking forward to my 15th season here at Georgia Southern and all the new challenges it will bring," said Mays. "We have a great team coming back on the men's side and should have another exciting year. Continuing our success on the men's side and helping to start up our women's program is the top priority of mine. The Sun Belt Conference will be a new challenge and we look to establish both programs as title contenders right away!"
As far as birdies and pars go, Collins believes this may be the deepest team Georgia Southern has had during his tenure.
"We feel like we have 10 guys who can contribute in a college event right now and that's fun for a coach," he said. "It makes my job hard, but that's what we want. A lot of depth and a lot of options and a lot of guys fighting for spots because the more competition we have at home gets them prepared better for competition on the road."
Wolfes and Martin look to be key contributors again as they have been throughout their first three years. Wolfes was a three-time All-SoCon selection, the league's Golfer of the Year in 2013 and has 10 top-5 finishes in his career. Martin earned All-SoCon honors last season after logging three top-5 finishes and four top-10 outings.
The duo will be in the lineup again as Georgia Southern opens the season at the Ocean Course Intercollegiate at The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, S.C., beginning Friday.
"Charlie and Scott have been playing well," said Collins. "Both are progressing the right way and honestly, we have a lot of guys progressing the right way."
Senior Matt Mierzejewski and junior Henry Mabbett will also make their season debuts at The Ocean Course. Mierzejewski broke Evans' course record at the Georgia Southern University Course with a 66 in qualifying. Mabbett tied it a day later in qualifying, playing in Mierzejewski's group.
"Henry and Matt have really taken their games to a new level this year" said Collins. "Both have been very solid being very decisive and confident throughout their rounds. When you start combining accuracy with their length, you start to give yourself a lot of opportunities, and both have very good short games. They've come in with a nice confidence. They have always worked very hard, and it's hard work paying off."
Sophomore Sam Towler gets the nod in the lineup this weekend, and newcomer Andrew Klasing earned an individual spot. Collins loves the competition level all 10 guys are bringing to the table because it simulates the competition level of a college golf tournament, and the more often he can put his guys in that pressure cooker, the more at ease with it they become and the better chances are that they thrive in that environment.
"We're trying to create that mindset at home so when we go on the road, it's just another day of golf for us," he said. "It's showing guys when you have it going, you need to shoot as low as you can because you are going to need those strokes, and it's also showing them when you aren't at your best, you have to find a way to get something around par because that way, you won't get left behind. Just like in college golf tournaments, par is usually going to be a good score no matter where we are, and sometimes, it's a great score."
Playing tough courses and tough competition adds to the mindset, and Collins loves the schedule Mays put together. The Eagles will waste no time testing their mettle.
"The neat thing about our schedule is that we're playing three major championship golf courses in our first five events – The Ocean Course, Shoal Creek and St. Andrews," said Collins. "It's probably the best selection of courses we've played in the fall in a long time."
The Sun Belt will also bring tough competition. Georgia State and South Alabama were both top-50 teams last season, and the Panthers advanced out of the Eagles' regional to the NCAA Finals, where they placed 22nd. Georgia Southern fans can get a close look at South Alabama as the Jaguars will be in the 2015 Schenkel at Forest Heights Country Club March 20-22.
"It's a new era for us too, and we want to start the Sun Belt the way we finished the SoCon," said Collins. "We want to prove that adding Georgia Southern was a good move by the Sun Belt."
Though it's a new start for Georgia Southern with a different team, the high expectations remain the same – advance to the NCAA Finals and post a cumulative team GPA higher than the previous season, which was a 3.0 last year and earned the Eagles the GCAA All-Academic Team Award. The path to achievement – hard work - is also the same.
"The motto of the team so far has been find a way to get it done," said Collins. "You are not going to feel great all the time. Your swing isn't going to feel great all the time. Just find a way to get it done to help the team and the program."
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting GSEagles.com.
STATESBORO, Ga. – The last two seasons have been two of the best for the Georgia Southern men's golf program. Five tournament championships, back-to-back wins for the first time since 1982, the first Schenkel title in school history, a Southern Conference Championship, consecutive trips to the NCAA Regionals and numerous post-season individual and team accolades.
Pretty heady stuff, but Director of Golf Larry Mays, men's coach Carter Collins and the 2014-15 Eagles feel like they are just getting warmed up. Collins subscribes to the theory that one must always look forward lest one get drilled by a train coming down the tracks.
Take the Schenkel Invitational, for instance, the Eagles' 35-year-old home tournament that Georgia Southern won for the first time in school history last spring.
"The 2014 Schenkel is over – we won it," said Collins. "That was last year's team and last year's Schenkel and last year's field. This will be a different team, different field and different year. We want to make sure our eyes are on the preparation and process and that we're hungry. It's a brand new start. We're looking forward to having all 10 guys participating at all times, doing the right things on the course and in the classroom and always trying to move the program forward and make Georgia Southern proud."
Plus, the Eagles left a little unfinished business at the NCAA Regionals in San Antonio last season, where the top-5 teams advanced to the NCAA Finals. Tied for fifth with one round to go, Georgia Southern struggled on its final 18 and finished eighth. That should provide some extra motivation.
"Regionals were tough on everybody," said Collins. "Golf is a funny game. It's crucial shots at crucial times.
You remember how close you were, how little things matter and how a lot of little things become big things."
With four seniors and seven lettermen back, including the top-2 in terms of scoring average in Scott Wolfes and Charlie Martin, Collins believes Georgia Southern has the leadership and the depth on this team to make another run at the NCAA Finals. That's despite losing four seniors, including co-captains Hayden Anderson and Will Evans, who were mainstays in the lineup for the last two years.
"We have four seniors again so we're leaning on those guys to kind of step into the leadership role," said Collins. "As far as replacing scores, we just ask every player on the roster to make sure they are contributing at all times."
A vital member of the coaching staff for the last seven seasons, Collins will have even more of a leadership position going forward. He has transitioned into the men's coach role as Mays has been named the Director of Golf.
Under the new setup, Collins will be responsible for recruiting, player development, academic monitoring and lineup decisions for the men's program. Mays will oversee both the men's program and the brand-new women's program, which will begin play in 2015-16 as full members of the Sun Belt Conference. Mays will handle the big-picture items for both programs, like overseeing budgets, scheduling, supervising renovations to the Bennett-Ramsey Center, the Eagles' practice facility, and fundraising.
"I am looking forward to my 15th season here at Georgia Southern and all the new challenges it will bring," said Mays. "We have a great team coming back on the men's side and should have another exciting year. Continuing our success on the men's side and helping to start up our women's program is the top priority of mine. The Sun Belt Conference will be a new challenge and we look to establish both programs as title contenders right away!"
As far as birdies and pars go, Collins believes this may be the deepest team Georgia Southern has had during his tenure.
"We feel like we have 10 guys who can contribute in a college event right now and that's fun for a coach," he said. "It makes my job hard, but that's what we want. A lot of depth and a lot of options and a lot of guys fighting for spots because the more competition we have at home gets them prepared better for competition on the road."
Wolfes and Martin look to be key contributors again as they have been throughout their first three years. Wolfes was a three-time All-SoCon selection, the league's Golfer of the Year in 2013 and has 10 top-5 finishes in his career. Martin earned All-SoCon honors last season after logging three top-5 finishes and four top-10 outings.
The duo will be in the lineup again as Georgia Southern opens the season at the Ocean Course Intercollegiate at The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, S.C., beginning Friday.
"Charlie and Scott have been playing well," said Collins. "Both are progressing the right way and honestly, we have a lot of guys progressing the right way."
Senior Matt Mierzejewski and junior Henry Mabbett will also make their season debuts at The Ocean Course. Mierzejewski broke Evans' course record at the Georgia Southern University Course with a 66 in qualifying. Mabbett tied it a day later in qualifying, playing in Mierzejewski's group.
"Henry and Matt have really taken their games to a new level this year" said Collins. "Both have been very solid being very decisive and confident throughout their rounds. When you start combining accuracy with their length, you start to give yourself a lot of opportunities, and both have very good short games. They've come in with a nice confidence. They have always worked very hard, and it's hard work paying off."
Sophomore Sam Towler gets the nod in the lineup this weekend, and newcomer Andrew Klasing earned an individual spot. Collins loves the competition level all 10 guys are bringing to the table because it simulates the competition level of a college golf tournament, and the more often he can put his guys in that pressure cooker, the more at ease with it they become and the better chances are that they thrive in that environment.
"We're trying to create that mindset at home so when we go on the road, it's just another day of golf for us," he said. "It's showing guys when you have it going, you need to shoot as low as you can because you are going to need those strokes, and it's also showing them when you aren't at your best, you have to find a way to get something around par because that way, you won't get left behind. Just like in college golf tournaments, par is usually going to be a good score no matter where we are, and sometimes, it's a great score."
Playing tough courses and tough competition adds to the mindset, and Collins loves the schedule Mays put together. The Eagles will waste no time testing their mettle.
"The neat thing about our schedule is that we're playing three major championship golf courses in our first five events – The Ocean Course, Shoal Creek and St. Andrews," said Collins. "It's probably the best selection of courses we've played in the fall in a long time."
The Sun Belt will also bring tough competition. Georgia State and South Alabama were both top-50 teams last season, and the Panthers advanced out of the Eagles' regional to the NCAA Finals, where they placed 22nd. Georgia Southern fans can get a close look at South Alabama as the Jaguars will be in the 2015 Schenkel at Forest Heights Country Club March 20-22.
"It's a new era for us too, and we want to start the Sun Belt the way we finished the SoCon," said Collins. "We want to prove that adding Georgia Southern was a good move by the Sun Belt."
Though it's a new start for Georgia Southern with a different team, the high expectations remain the same – advance to the NCAA Finals and post a cumulative team GPA higher than the previous season, which was a 3.0 last year and earned the Eagles the GCAA All-Academic Team Award. The path to achievement – hard work - is also the same.
"The motto of the team so far has been find a way to get it done," said Collins. "You are not going to feel great all the time. Your swing isn't going to feel great all the time. Just find a way to get it done to help the team and the program."
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting GSEagles.com.
Georgia Southern Football Media Availability (3/3/26)
Tuesday, March 03
The GATA Zone - Women's Basketball Post Season
Tuesday, March 03
2026 Only For Southern
Thursday, February 26
2026 Georgia Southern Football Ticket Video
Wednesday, February 25
