The Connective Tissue Runs Deep for Men’s Golf Fifth-Year Seniors

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STATESBORO – Georgia Southern men’s golf fifth-year seniors Wilson Andress, Colin Bowles, Ben Carr and Mason Williams have been roommates and teammates for the last four-and-a-half years, but the seeds that eventually would bring them all together in Statesboro were planted long ago.

Bowles and Williams have known each other since they were 10-years-old when they both resided in Bridgeport, West Virginia, and played golf together.

“We played a bunch of junior golf together and became good friends,” says Williams. “He's pretty much the reason I'm here.”

“Our families became really close watching us play golf together,” adds Bowles.

Bowles recalls playing as partners in a four-ball tournament with Williams when both of them got a recruiting call from Georgia Southern head coach Carter Collins.

“The first day that Coach Collins could reach out and call us, we were in the same hotel and he called us back-to-back,” remembers Bowles. “We didn't ride together to the course, but when we got to the course, we were like, 'did you get the call?,' and we were talking about it for the rest of the day so it was cool.”

Bowles’ family moved to Albany, Georgia, in 2016 where he met and got acquainted with Carr, a native of Columbus, Georgia, playing practice rounds together in a couple amateur tournaments. Andress, a native of Macon, Georgia, first met Carr at a US Junior Qualifier in 2017.

Andress and Williams committed to Georgia Southern, but Carr originally committed to NC State before reconsidering. During the recruiting process, he bumped into Andress at Idle Hour Golf Course, Andress’ home course in Macon. Perplexed, Andress did some recon work, found out Carr had decommitted from NC State and had his father call Collins.

“It was just me and Mason committed at the time, and Coach was kind of looking for a third but it had to be the right fit,” recalls Andress.

Meanwhile, Carr was doing his own due diligence. Knowing Bowles has West Virginia ties, he sent the following direct message on Twitter to Bowles, even though Bowles was committed to Ohio State:

“Next thing you know, Ben was on a visit the next week, and he committed right after that,” says Andress. “It is pretty crazy and pretty wild that the four of us are here when you think about it.”

“If I don't run into Wilson that day - because I didn't know anything about Georgia Southern golf at the time - so if his Dad doesn't call coach and they don't make that connection, I probably wouldn't be here,” says Carr.

Andress, Carr and Williams enrolled at Georgia Southern in the fall of 2018, and the Georgia natives met Williams for the first time at the University’s SOAR program in the summer.

“We snuck out to the facility that week, and that's how we really got to know each other,” recalls Andress.

“The three of us basically spent two full days together,” adds Williams.

Bowles spent that fall semester at Ohio State before deciding to transfer. He entered the portal trying to keep an open mind, but his heart kept pointing to Statesboro.

"When I did decide to transfer, I wanted to be closer to home, and I had one place in mind, and that's Georgia Southern,” says Bowles. “It's kind of a long shot when you enter the portal; you don't know if you will have anywhere to go. Coach (Collins) probably saved my golfing career; I'm not sure I would have ended up anywhere else. Not necessarily because I couldn't have played anywhere else, but I didn't really want to go anywhere else.”

The quartet was united in the spring of 2019 and has been together ever since. It is a run that includes two NCAA Championship Finals appearances, three NCAA Regionals, one Sun Belt Championship, two Schenkel Invitational titles and 11 team tournament wins. They moved into a house off campus together prior to their sophomore season, and it has become the unofficial headquarters of Georgia Southern golf.

“We'll come back to the house sometimes, and Hogan (Ingram) or someone is just laying on our couch watching TV, just waiting for us to show up to hang out,” says Andress. “Our house is kind of the meeting ground for the team. They always know they are welcome.”

They have made a ton of memories together over the last four-and-a-half years. The tournament titles are cherished, but the memories they have made off the course, like Masters watch parties, are equally as special. The common theme among all their fondest recollections is that the entire team was together.

“It's not necessarily what we do on the golf course,” says Bowles. “I think we have more fun than any other team that I've ever seen. I think you can tell when we're on the range warming up for an event, everybody has got their earbuds in and they're real serious, and we're pretty loose and I think that's what makes us good a lot of times, because we’re so close and relaxed. It's just fun to be around each other.”

“The tournament wins and stuff are fun, but the most fun we have is like the team trips,” adds Andress. “And winning the Schenkel – because the whole team is there and we’re all there together - you can't beat that.”

The foursome is set to compete in their fourth and final Schenkel Invitational this Friday through Sunday at Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro. They will be recognized in a senior ceremony at Friday’s dinner.

“They’re amazing kids — grown men now -- teammates,” says Collins. “All of them have been team captains during their four to five year career. Friday is going to be tough to get through. I am not good at goodbyes — just excited that they get the recognition that they deserve. They probably can’t feel how much of an impact they’ve made on this program right now, but years from now, they’ll look back and see what they did for this program, and it’s monumental and we’re forever grateful for them.”

For their part, they hope they have given as much as they have received both to their teammates and to the Georgia Southern golf community. Asked how they want to be remembered, they did what they always do. They got together and produced the following words of wisdom.

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