Alabama, NC State, South Carolina and Georgia Tech Qualify for Four-Team Playoff After Regulation
Greensboro, Ga. (April 28, 2015) – Team Georgia Tech outlasted Team Alabama on the fourth and final playoff hole to take a one-stroke victory in the 2015 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament today at Reynolds Plantation outside Atlanta.
The Yellow Jackets’ victory is their second straight and fourth in the last five years. Head Coach Paul Johnson and former hoops star Jon Barry took home $100,000 in charity and scholarship with their win.
“Well, I rode Jon pretty hard today, but in the end, we were able to grind it out,” Johnson said after the round. “I didn’t think we had much of a chance after the front nine, but Jon hit some really good shots and we found a way.”
Georgia Tech, Alabama, South Carolina and NC State all finished the 18 holes at -9 before the four met in the playoff. NC State was eliminated on the first playoff hole with a bogey, South Carolina on the second playoff hole with a bogey. Alabama and Georgia Tech both carded a par on the third playoff hole before the Crimson Tide bowed out with a bogey on the final hole.
“We battled them, but they played well. It was great to be in the final competition,” Saban said of his round with Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. “You have to be a long hitter and Mark hit some great shots out there. It was a lot of fun.”
Johnson and Barry closed with an eagle on 17 and a birdy on 18 to get to -9 and join the playoff.
After the first nine, old nemeses Saban and Spurrier led the field at (-6) with their teammates Mark Ingram and Sterling Sharpe, respectively. Saban led the Alabama team to an eagle on the par-4, hole number three, while Spurrier and Sharpe eagled the par-4 second, to finish strong at the top of the leaderboard as they headed into the Club House at Oconee.
