Saturday's Report: Jones County/GMC/golf, Henley/GSUs/Open, Bacon; UGA's Bennett/Peach County's Robinson, Hawks, UGA $, Braves; MLB, NBA/Morant, golf/US Open, CWS, colleges, tennis, NHL, NFL

June 17, 2023 Central Georgia Sports Report

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Around/About Central Georgia

Jones Countians lead GMC JC in national golf tournament

A team scoring record wasn’t quite enough for GMC JC in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III men’s golf national championship.

The Bulldogs shot a four-round total of 1,188, but couldn’t catch Sandhills (N.C.), which rolled over the Chautaugua (N.Y.) golf course with a 1,147, 5-under score last week.

GMC finished second for the third straight year.

Jones County grad Nick Johnson’s four-round 288 was good for third among all individuals, one of only three players to shoot even or better, while Brad Hammock – another Greyhound - shot a 295 for eighth. Walter Kelley took 12th and Stephen Bishop 13th.

Johnson, Hammock, Kelley, and Bishop all finished in the top 13 and took home All-America honors.

Johnson’s 288 tied the school mark set by Floris Veth en route to the 2017 individual national title.

Henley steadies, Carr stumbles a little, Grey a lot

Russell Henley is getting used to unpredictable rounds, and he had another one.

Henley couldn’t get on a good stretch and was able to avoid a bad one for a 1-over second round of the U.S. Open in Los Angeles.

And his standing fluctuated, finally settling in a logjam tied for 49th. It was enough to make the cut, his 2-over 142 with a second straight 71.

Georgia Southern alum Ben Carr matched him with that score, going 2 over on Friday. Georgia State’s J.J. Grey almost survived a wretched start, but couldn’t get enough going to make the cut, and finished with a 4-over 144.

Henley got off to a nice start, parring five of his first six holes, with a birdie breaking it up, only for a bogey to drop him back to 2 over and on the cut fringe.

A double bogey – he went from tee to rough to bunker - on 8/17 slowed that momentum, and he had two birdie/bogey stints on the second nine.

Carr was in that group tied for 73rd, with Henley early, courtesy of two bogeys shortly after a birdie to open the day.

He had consecutive birdies follow by a bogey, and had two bogeys and a birdie on the back nine

Grey’s second round started downhill from the get-go, with two bogeys and a double – he went backwards on one shot - in his first three holes. That put him in too big a hole, though he was better the rest of the way, with four birdies and two bogeys keeping him barely alive for the cut – if it moved a bit – until a bogey on his final hole, a 10-footer for par coming up eight inches short.

He finished tied for 80th.

Among those also missing the cut: Jordan Spieth, Taylor Moore, Nick Taylor, Justin Rose, hometowner Max Homa, Keegan Bradley, and Phil Mickelson.

Macon wins on walk-off wild pitch

Jackson Cherry opened the bottom fo the ninth with a single, pinch-hitter Elijah Frank was hit by a pitch, and two wild pitches later, Cherry scooted home with the game-winner in Macon’s 6-5 home win over Lexington County.

Three Macon pitchers teamed for 11 strikeouts and four walks, giving up 10 hits. Connor Hill got the win.

Cherry, John-Reagan Freethy, and Connor Hicks each had two hits for Macon, which got a three-run homer from Jarrett Jenkins.

Macon (6-6) visits Lexington County on Saturday, then visits Forest City on Monday and Lexington County on Wednesday before hosting Florence on Thursday.

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Around/About Georgia

UGA’s Bennett, Peach County’s Robinson get raves from Rams

Everybody but Trae Young is on the Hawks’ block

Georgia ranks fifth in athletics revenue

D/Arnaud powers Braves to romp

MLB/Baseball

Turner goes yard twice, one a slam, in romp of Yankees

Roundup

Nun commends Dodgers on Pride Night, archbishops say blasphemy

Manfred ‘meh’ at Oakland’s reverse boycott

Governor signs funding bill for Athletics’ stadium