Bonds push men's golf team to great heights

When the University of North Georgia (UNG) men's golf team takes the course for the NCAA Division II South/Southeast Regional at the Chattahoochee Golf Club in Gainesville, Georgia, being close to home will be nice, but competing alongside each other in pursuit of their goals will be even more fun for the Nighthawks.

Along with the Greater Gainesville Sports Alliance, UNG will serve as host for the May 10-11 regional, from which the top five teams advance to the NCAA Division II championship, set for May 21-25 at the Orange County National Golf Center in Winter Garden, Florida. Admission is free for fans at the regional. The brotherly bonds formed on and off the course will be on full display as the Nighthawks aim to make more history after already winning the program's first Peach Belt Conference (PBC) championship.

"There are no other guys in the nation I would rather compete with. I love every guy in this lineup and on the team and cannot put into words the amount of trust I have in them to go out there and compete," junior Ethan Day, who is from Dalton, Georgia, said. "There is a lot on the line, but that's what makes us play even better. We all love the pressure, and pressure builds diamonds."

The teams joining UNG in the regional include Lincoln Memorial, Georgia Southwestern, USC Aiken, Lander, Barton, Coker, Columbus State, Wingate, and Lenoir-Rhyne from the Southeast and Nova Southeastern, Lee, Florida Southern, West Florida, Saint Leo, Barry, Union (Tennessee), Shorter, Tampa, and Miles from the South.

UNG has been ranked No. 1 in the nation since the fall, and all the members of the program are grateful for that recognition and what it means for the school. But head coach Bryson Worley and his players remain singularly focused on doing everything they can to ensure they are No. 1 when the national championship trophy is awarded later this month.

"We don't get caught up in the ranking system. We're trying to just stick to the things we can control — like how we prepare and our mindset and approach to tournaments," Worley said. "We'll focus on what works for us, playing as focused as we possibly can and living with the results."

Prior to the 2022 season, UNG had never reached the NCAA championship round in men's golf. It enters this year's NCAA postseason looking for a third NCAA championship appearance in a row as it chases higher goals.

"We are excited about hosting but more excited about going out and showing everyone what we are made of," Jack Vajda, a senior from Canton, Georgia, said. "It'll be nice to see a lot of familiar faces out there, as well." 

Worley and his players point to the depth of the team's 16-player roster as one of the main reasons the team has enjoyed so much success already.

"The culture that we have created here is one of the main reasons that we are so good," Will Chambless, a junior from Macon, Georgia, said. "It takes the whole team to put us in the position that we have been in."

Wherever the rest of this season leads, these Nighthawks are sure to enjoy the ride.

"My favorite part is being able to compete for championships with my best friends. We are all really close, which is what makes us really good," Hughes Threlkeld, a junior from Savannah, Georgia, said. "The best memories really come from the trips and the people on them. So when you are having fun and love the people who you are with, it makes it that much easier to relax on the course and not let one poor shot or bad round get to you."