2015 Azalea Invitational Preview: Top-ranked Conners highlights deep field
3/25/2015 | by Conner Penfold of AmateurGolf.com
see also: View results for Azalea Invitational , Country Club of Charleston
Two participants in this year's Masters Tournament will showcase their game at the Azalea Invitational
CHARLESTON, S.C. —
Two participants in this
year's Masters
Tournament will showcase their game at the
Azalea Invitational,
kicking off Thursday at the Country Club of
Charleston.
The most notable of the duo is 2014 U.S. Amateur runner-up Corey Conners of Canada, who is the No. 1 ranked amateur golfer in the world according to the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com rankings.
Conners, the former Kent State golfer who already has a win in 2015 under his belt at the Lake Macquarie Amateur in Australia, will be playing in his first Azalea Invitational.
Also prepping their game for The
Masters is 2014 U.S.
Mid-Amateur winner Scott Harvey of Greensboro,
North Carolina.
Harvey, 36, knocked off Brad Nurski at
Saucon
Valley to earn his
first trip to The Masters. He has claimed two
victories already in
2015, including
the South American
Amateur and
the rain-shortened Gasparilla
Invitational.
Harvey tied for 31st in the 2014 event and was runner-up to 2013 champion Austin Langdale a year before.
Langdale, now a sophomore
at
Clemson
University,
will be in the field looking for his second
Azalea
title. The South
Carolina native defeated Harvey by two shots
in
the 2013 event.
Langdale will join four of his Clemson Tiger
teammates at the
Country
Club of Charleston, including juniors Cody
Proveaux, Miller Capps,
and
Blake Kennedy, as well as senior Billy
Kennerly.
Langdale finished outside of the top-40 in his attempt to repeat in 2014.
The top junior golfer in the field is
another Canadian, Austin
Connelly. Connelly captured the Jones Cup
Invitational in
February in a playoff
over Kyle Jones of Baylor. The win earned him
an exemption into
the PGA Tour's
2015 McGladrey Classic, the first time such an
exemption has
been granted by the
tournament. Connelly found himself in a
playoff
in the 2014 Jones
Cup, as well,
where he lost to fellow Canadian Conners.
This will be Connelly's first Azalea Invitational.
Other notable players in the field include two former USGA champions, like four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur winner Nathan Smith and 2013 Mid-Amateur champion Mike McCoy. The 2014 Senior Azalea winner Brady Exber of Las Vegas earned an invitation to the event, especially considering his incredible 2014 season where he snagged victories at the British Amateur and Stocker Cup, among others.
The 72-hole event will begin Thursday at The Country Club of Charleston and wrap up on Sunday after a 54-hole cut. The previous two years have been cut short by rain so here's to hoping the weather remains cooperative for the 67th running of the tournament.
Defending champion Will Murphy is not in this year's field; his South Carolina team was invited to compete in the Valspar Intercollegiate at Floridian this week, and has another event next week.
The most notable of the duo is 2014 U.S. Amateur runner-up Corey Conners of Canada, who is the No. 1 ranked amateur golfer in the world according to the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com rankings.
Conners, the former Kent State golfer who already has a win in 2015 under his belt at the Lake Macquarie Amateur in Australia, will be playing in his first Azalea Invitational.
 |
Harvey tied for 31st in the 2014 event and was runner-up to 2013 champion Austin Langdale a year before.
 |
Langdale finished outside of the top-40 in his attempt to repeat in 2014.
 |
This will be Connelly's first Azalea Invitational.
Other notable players in the field include two former USGA champions, like four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur winner Nathan Smith and 2013 Mid-Amateur champion Mike McCoy. The 2014 Senior Azalea winner Brady Exber of Las Vegas earned an invitation to the event, especially considering his incredible 2014 season where he snagged victories at the British Amateur and Stocker Cup, among others.
The 72-hole event will begin Thursday at The Country Club of Charleston and wrap up on Sunday after a 54-hole cut. The previous two years have been cut short by rain so here's to hoping the weather remains cooperative for the 67th running of the tournament.
Defending champion Will Murphy is not in this year's field; his South Carolina team was invited to compete in the Valspar Intercollegiate at Floridian this week, and has another event next week.
Results: Azalea Invitational
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spartanburg, SC | 1000 | 65-67-69-68=269 | |
| 2 | , Brazil | 700 | 68-65-68-70=271 | |
| 3 | , Northern Ireland | 500 | 71-67-67-67=272 | |
| 4 | Franklin, TN | 500 | 71-71-65-66=273 | |
| 5 | New Orleans, LA | 500 | 66-67-73-69=275 |
About the Azalea Invitational
72-hole stroke play championship with a 54-hole cut on a 1925 Seth Raynor design. Good mix of college players, juniors and mid amateurs. 7 spots available in a qualifier. Impressive list of past champions at this traditional event. Reigning USGA cham...
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