THE FLATS – Will Dickson captures his first professional title with a playoff victory on the GPro Tour … David Duval getting the rust off on PGA Tour Champions … Stewart Cink to defend RBC Heritage title … Yellow Jackets shut out from the weekend at Honda Classic … More details below in this week’s Georgia Tech #ProJackets Report.
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WILL DICKSON GETS FIRST PRO TITLE
The first professional title won by a member of Georgia Tech’s 2022 graduating class goes to Will Dickson, who won a playoff for the $10,000 top prize at the Daytona Open last week.
Dickson, one of the top players from the Northeast when he came out of high school in Providence, R.I., and signed with the Yellow Jackets, fought through injuries and other hurdles during his four years on The Flats before enjoying a productive senior year.
Last week, he shot rounds of 67-68-67 for a 14-under-par total of 202, and won the title with a birdie on the third playoff hole to outlast J.C. Solomon of Auburn, Ala.
The GPro Tour resumes March 16-18 with the Statesboro (Ga.) Open.
#PROJACKETS
Congratulations to @will_dicksongt on his first professional victory! Wins playoff for GPro Tour Daytona Open. pic.twitter.com/k7uKLfO1RV— Georgia Tech Golf (@GTGolf) February 25, 2022
2012 #RIGAJunior Champion @will_dicksongt claimed his first professional victory in the @GProTour Daytona Open.
Results: https://t.co/IFHYQBEr3G
📸: @GTGolf pic.twitter.com/QUL7rzlLbP
— Rhode Island Golf Association (@RIGAlinks) February 25, 2022
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RHODE ISLAND’S DICKSON BEGINS FIRST FULL SEASON IN PRO GOLF
Will Dickson made history in Rhode Island with four straight high school golf state titles. Then, he played four years at Georgia Tech.
Now, the 23-year-old is embarking on his professional golf career down in Florida on the Emerald Coast Golf Tour.
“I’m really excited, and that’s the cool thing is now I get to plan my own schedule. In college, you just took it one tournament at a time, you did not even know if you were going to play in the next event. Where as now, if you pay the money, you are in. So, I have 15 to 20 tournaments at least to look forward to the rest of the year,” said Dickson.
Like a baseball player, Dickson will be working his was up the golf tours in the near future.
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JACKETS SHUT OUT OF WEEKEND AT HONDA CLASSIC
For the first time this season, Georgia Tech’s participants all missed the cut at last weekend’s Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Seth Reeves, Richy Werenski and Vincent Whaley all missed the cut by two strokes after posting 36-hole scores f 145 (+5), while Stewart Cink missed with a score of 152 (+12) at PGA National Golf Club.
The PGA Tour stages two event this weekend, continuing the Florida Swing this weekend with the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando and conducting the Puerto Rico Open.
Cameron Tringale and Whaley are in the field at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, while 2014 Puerto Rico champion Chesson Hadley, Reeves and Werenski head to Rio Grande.
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DUVAL “GETTING THE RUST OFF”
David Duval, who hasn’t played a full schedule in nearly a decade, said he’s “just getting the rust off” entering his third PGA Tour Champions start this weekend.
After turning 50 in November, Duval started to get the competitive itch again and is planning to play a full PGA Tour Champions schedule and cut back on his TV work to see how he stacks up with the over-50 crowd.
“It’s just getting the rust off more than anything, figuring out the routines of it again, budgeting your time because there is something to just naturally getting into that flow of knowing how to get everything you need to get done in a day,” Duval said ahead of the Cologuard Classic at Tucson National.
In his first two events, Duval tied for 34th at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii and then tied for 68th after finishing 11 over at the Chubb Classic in Florida last week.
PGA Tour Champions Leaderboard
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CINK SET TO DEFEND TITLE AT RBC HERITAGE
The Heritage Classic Foundation announced Monday morning professional golfer Stewart Cink will defend his title at South Carolina’s annual PGA Tour event, The RBC Heritage.
Cink will be competing for a chance to take home his fourth plaid jacket, he won his first in 2000 and his second in 2004. His third RBC Heritage victory was his second of the 2021 season, breaking an 11-year winless streak. The win also made him the third player with three or more victories at Harbour Town, joining Davis Love III (five) and Hale Irwin (three).
Cink, a Georgia Tech grad and Atlanta, Ga., resident shot a 16-under 126 in the first two rounds, shattering the lowest 36-hole score at Harbour Town of 13-under 129 shared by Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson. Cink added a 69 on Saturday to reach 18 under, two better than Justin Leonard’s recording-breaking 54-hole score in 2002. Cink hugged his son and caddie Reagan, after he closed out his four-shot victory with a par on 18. His wife Lisa and their other son, Connor were in the gallery cheering him on. The 48-year-old has earned eight victories on the PGA Tour and has competed in every RBC Heritage since 2000.
