Five PBC Golf Teams Ranked in Top 25; GCSU Ranked #1

NEW YORK, NY – Five Peach Belt men’s golf teams have been ranked in Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) preseason poll with Georgia College & State University the #1 team in the nation. Columbus State will begin the 2009-10 campaign ranked #3 while USC Aiken is 10th, Clayton State 16th and Lander tied for 17th. Flagler, Armstrong Atlantic State and UNC Pembroke also received votes in the poll.

The #1 ranking is the first in program history for GCSU and head coach Jimmy Wilson. Five of the 18 first-place votes went to the Bobcats, who finished fifth at the NCAA Championship last year. The squad also had a third-place finish at the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Championship and fifth at the NCAA Regionals. Two All-Americans from last year, Pedro Lima (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Niclas Johansson (Skanor, Sweden), return for their senior years to lead the Georgia College team.

GCSU was ranked as high as #2 in the nation last year. Both Columbus State and USC Aiken were ranked #1 at different times during the 2008-09 season. The Peach Belt Conference has had the #1-ranked team in the nation at some point during the season in each of the past seven years.

Columbus State finished third at the NCAA National Championships last spring, getting to within three shots of the lead on two separate occasions in the final round. The Cougars lost All-American Andrew Georgiou to graduation but do return Steven Paine and Michael Hicks, both of whom were named GCAA All-America honorable mentions a year ago. Hicks was also named to the GCAA Ping All-Freshman team.

USC Aiken is coming off a 2008-09 season that saw them win four tournaments overall and reach the #1 national ranking. Four seniors return for the 09-10 year, but the team will have to replace All-Conference standouts Roberto Diaz and Matt Giftos. Kevin Grady and Justin Thompson both return for their senior seasons while seven newcomers will make their debuts.

Clayton State won their first PBC Championship in 2009 and individual medalist Wade Binfield returns for his senior season after being named an All-America honorable mention. Neil Thomas also returns for his senior year but the Lakers will have to find a way to fill the void left by 2008 PBC Champion and 2009 Player of the Year Will Wilcox.

Lander finished fifth at the PBC Championships and 10th at the NCAA Regionals last year. The Bearcats return four of their five starters in last year’s PBC Championships including All-Conference standout Charlie Hoyle. Senior Bryan Newton also returns along with juniors Seb Brown and Roberto Nasalli-Rocca.

The 2009-10 season will begin next Monday with the Kiawah Island Intercollegiate, hosted by USC Aiken. The event will feature USCA, GCSU and North Georgia, whose golf team will be playing in their first-ever tournament as the program was launched over the summer.

You can see the full GCAA poll here.