Oct. 10, 2005
ATLANTA – For the second time in three months, Georgia Tech’s golf program has been named the best in the country by a major golf magazine. Golfweek magazine, based on a six-year compilation of its Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index, has ranked the Yellow Jackets the best program in the nation.
In August, Golf Digest magazine rated Tech’s program the nation’s best based on a compilation of factors including performance, academic stature, climate, coaching and facilities.
Tech has never won a national championship in golf, but it has performed at a consistently high level, finishing in the top five of the NCAA Championship five times in the last six years, including three runner-up finishes.
The staff of Golfweek magazine wrote, “Georgia Tech makes a habit of beating the best. The Yellow Jackets may have not won a national championship the last six years, but their overall head-to-head record and winning percentage puts them atop Golfweek’s all-time rankings list.
“Georgia Tech has been the best team in the last six seasons when it comes to the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. Golfweek combined its College Rankings from the past six seasons to come up with the cumulative list.
“Although Bruce Heppler’s Tech teams have come close in the last six seasons at the NCAA Championship – three runner-up finishes, a fourth and fifth – they have been unable to close the deal.
“Still, of all Division I teams, Georgia Tech has the fewest head-to-head losses in the last six years. Tech has an overall record of 942-212-12 (.813 winning percentage).
“Rounding out the top five is No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 5 Florida. Tech has an overall head-to-head winning record against Clemson, Florida and Georgia, but is tied with Oklahoma State. However, the Cowboys’ overall winning percentage of .773 is much less than Tech’s.”
Tech also earned high marks last spring in a rating compiled by Sports Illustrated’s website, SI.com, ranking No. 3 among programs over the last 20 years, taking into account the number of national titles, number of first-team All-Americans, names that have come out of the program and the success the program has shown at the NCAA Championships in the recent past.
Golfweek's All-time Men's Top 10Note: Rankings based on 1999-00 through 2004-05 seasons.Rank School Rating1 Georgia Tech 70.782 Clemson 70.863 Georgia 70.994 Oklahoma State 71.095 Florida 71.166 Texas 71.517 Arizona 71.608 Arizona State 71.659 UNLV 71.6710 Wake Forest 71.70
