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Golfer Macpherson Withdraws From Georgia

Feb 9, 2012

ATHENS, Ga. - Bryden Macpherson, a junior on the Georgia men’s golf team, has withdrawn from the university to return home to Australia, Bulldogs coach Chris Haack announced on Wednesday.

Macpherson plans to train in Australia until late March, when he will return to the United States to play in the Georgia Cup and then The Masters as an amateur. Macpherson earned a berth in The Masters by winning the 2011 British Amateur Championship. Following the Masters, he plans to turn pro and try to earn sponsor’s exemptions for PGA and Nationwide Tour events.

“I am so appreciative of the time I’ve had at Georgia,” Macpherson said. “I have grown as a person and as a golfer, and I’ve made friendships I know will last a lifetime. But I feel the time is right for me to begin pursuing my dream of becoming a professional golfer. And to do that, it’s in my best interest to return to Australia to work. I will miss my Georgia coaches and my teammates, but I fully expect them to go on to have a great rest of the season.”

“Bryden has been a valuable member of our program, and we’re all going to miss him,” Haack said. “He’s been a great golfer to have on the team, and he’s been an even better person. We wish him nothing but the best. Bryden joined us at a time when we really needed him, and he made a lasting impact on our program. We know he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”

With the Bulldogs dealing with depth issues due to injuries, Macpherson arrived from Australia in January of 2010. He posted four top-15 finishes in five events and was chosen as the SEC Freshman of the Year. In 2011, Macpherson was undefeated in the match play portion of the NCAA Championships as the Bulldogs finished as the national runner-up. This season, Macpherson had four top-12 efforts, including a career-best second-place finish at the Adams Cup of Newport. He ends his college career with a scoring average of 73.31 — 22nd on Georgia’s all-time list.

The Bulldogs will return to action Feb. 19-21 in the Puerto Rico Shootout.

Tagged: uga, golf, dawgs, chris haack, bryden macpherson