UGA's Success: No Top 10, No Exemption To The Next Event

Early Memorial clubhouse leader Chris Kirk is one of the many University of Georgia golfers excelling on the tour and after the round he gave college coaches some nice bulletin board material for top players who don't like to have to qualify for college tournaments.

Now that the college season is over, something for coaches to consider...

Q.  The Georgia golfers this year have been tremendous.  UGA guys, even Georgia Tech guys.  This UGA connection, anything about that program, that tradition, that leads to guys going on TOUR and having successful careers like you and many of your peers?

CHRIS KIRK:  Yeah, I think Coach Haack's philosophy there is really perfect.  He just recruited all the best players that he could.  And don't try to get one good guy every year; get as many as you can.  And made it a very competitive environment there.

I think that ‑‑ I know he's done a few interviews lately and talked about the qualifying system, where if you don't finish in the top 10 in the tournament you have to go back in qualifying.  So even somebody that's going to be a First‑Team All‑American or have a great year ‑‑ my senior year I played really, really well, but whenever I didn't finish top 10 in the tournament I was back in qualifying.

Definitely keeps you on your toes.  And I know that when I was there in school we were all very competitive with each other and pushed each other a lot.  So I think that continues out here.

Q.  Prepared you well for this?

CHRIS KIRK:  Absolutely, yes.