Men's golf team was built for this moment

The fact that the University of North Georgia (UNG) men's golf team is about to start the NCAA Division II championship as the No. 1 team in the nation is no accident. A mix of players recruited out of high school and transfers all teamed up with this week in mind. The NCAA championship tees off May 21 at Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge in Winter Garden, Florida.

UNG's players begin teeing off at 10:26 a.m. May 21 with live statistics available to follow their progress.

The first three days include 54 holes of stroke play, followed by quarterfinals and semifinals of medal match play May 24 and the championship medal match play May 25.

Hughes Threlkeld, a junior from Savannah, Georgia, could see the way the program was developing before he became a Nighthawk.

"I wanted to be part of a really good team with great guys. I believed in Coach Worley and what he was building," Threlkeld said. "When I came on my visit here, I really loved the campus and could tell that the team was really close with each other."

Senior Jack Vajda, who transferred in this season from Augusta University, similarly could see the potential of UNG, which reached the NCAA championship for the first two times in 2022 and 2023 before winning the NCAA South/Southeast Regional for the first time this year. That came after the program's first Peach Belt Conference (PBC) championship this April.  

"I chose to play at North Georgia for this opportunity — to win and compete at a high level and all attempt to achieve the ultimate prize," Vajda said.

Graduate student Will Chambless is in his second season with the Nighthawks after starting his college career at Georgia State University. The Macon, Georgia, native didn't know much about UNG other than that it was a bona fide national contender.

"It's really exciting to be here at this point. I'm ready to get this tournament going," Chambless said. "This is what we have been playing and practicing for all year, and now it's time to go take care of business."

Vajda, the South/Southeast Regional individual champion, has been named a finalist for the 2024 NCAA Division II Jack Nicklaus Award presented by Workday. The Canton, Georgia, native is one of just five Division II players to be named a finalist. The award is presented to the National Player of the Year in NCAA Divisions I, II and III, as well as NAIA and NJCAA.

Vajda, Chambless and junior Ethan Day are all three PING Southeast All-Region selections by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Vajda has seven top-10 finishes, including three individual medalist honors, with Chambless recording four top-10s and Day adding three top-10s this season.  

For head coach Bryson Worley, seeing it all come together has been amazing.

"I have enjoyed the relationships and watching this entire roster compete and push each other to an elite level," Worley said. "We've been fortunate enough to win six tournaments with six different lineups. That feat is unheard of and a testament to the depth of the program."