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 The Augusta State men’s golf program has established itself as one of the nation’s best. A quick look
at NCAA Championship appearances over the past 14 years is a testament to that fact. Only a dozen
NCAA Division I schools can boast of advancing to more NCAA Championships than the Jaguars over that
span. By qualifying for the 2005 NCAA Championships in Owings Mills, Md., Augusta State made its
ninth trip in the last 14 years to intercollegiate golf’s ultimate stage.
Entering the 1995-96 season, Augusta State was one of only 15 Division I programs to have qualified
for the NCAA Championships for the three consecutive years of 1993, 1994 and 1995. The Jaguars were
in the company of such prestigious collegiate golf programs as Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Clemson,
Florida, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Texas, UNLV and Wake Forest.
The 1992-93 squad might have felt out of place in its first postseason appearance at the NCAA East
Regional in Opelika, Ala. Augusta State finished in the eighth and final qualifying spot in District III North,,
and of the 16 teams from District III North and South, the Jaguars were the only unranked team
to advance to a regional. But that fact didn’t deter them from making history on the Grand National Lake
Course.
The Jags fired a three-day total of three-under 861, which at the time marked the second-best
three-round total in school history. Their third-place finish in the East Regional earned the Jags
their first-ever berth in the NCAA Championships. Gladly accepting the role of Cinderella, ASU
found itself in fourth place after the opening round at the Champions Golf Course in Lexington,
Ky. ASU easily survived the 36-hole cut, eventually finishing 13th in the 30-team field.
The 1993-94 squad battled to earn its spot at the NCAA Championships. The Jags, trailing by
four strokes heading into the final round at the 1994 East Regional, rallied to overtake South
Alabama and claim the final qualifying spot. Jonathan Shiflet’s two-under 70 proved to be the
difference maker. The squad didn’t fare quite as well in its return trip to the NCAA Championships,
however, missing the cut at Stonebridge Country Club in McKinney, Texas.
A year later, the Jaguars again found themselves having to make a comeback at the 1995 East
Regional in New Haven, Conn. ASU was up to the task, overcoming a four-stroke deficit at Yale
University Course to overtake Virginia and Central Florida and forge a tie for 10th place with
Alabama. By virtue of their finish, the Jags advanced to the NCAA Championships for the third
consecutive year, traveling to Columbus, Ohio and Ohio State’s famed Scarlet Course. Though
ASU missed the cut by nine shots, it finished 24th and ahead of such quality programs as Georgia
Tech, East Tennessee State and Kent State.
 After missing the postseason in 1996 and 1997, Augusta State made its fourth NCAA Regional
appearance during the 1997-98 season. The Jaguars arrived at Melrose Golf Club in
Daufuskie Island, S.C. for the East Regional fresh off a dominating regular season. The Jags won
a then school-record five tournaments in 10 starts and didn’t let up, finishing ninth to earn a berth
in the NCAA Championships at The Championship Golf Course in Albuquerque, N.M. ASU failed
to survive the cut, although senior Vaughn Taylor enjoyed a nice showing, posting rounds of 72
and 70, respectively.
Jay Seawell took over ASU golf’s top post at the beginning of the 1998-99 season, and the
Jags didn’t miss a beat. Though they arrived at the 1999 East Regional at Rhode Island Country
Club in Barrington, R.I., with a lineup that featured a senior, a sophomore and three freshmen,
they didn’t disappoint.
Again faced with an uphill climb entering the final round, the Jags delivered once more,
carding a five-under 283 to force a three-team playoff with Clemson and Mississippi State for the
final two spots. ASU then won the playoff, securing a berth in the NCAA Championships at
Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minneapolis, Minn. The Jags failed to make the cut, although
freshman Jamie Elson made the cut as an individual and posted a tie for 39th following rounds
of 70-80-75-77.
Perhaps the real breakthrough for Augusta State Golf came at the end of the 2000-01 season.
After failing to advance to the NCAA Championships in 2000, ASU bounced back with one of the
top seasons in school history in 2000-01. The Jags took a different route to the NCAA Championships,
earning a bid to the NCAA Central Regional at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.
ASU emerged unscathed, shooting the low round of the final round, a five-over 293, to finish
seventh and earn a trip to Durham, N.C., and the Duke University Golf Club.
All the Jags did at Duke was play their way into a tie for fourth after two rounds, finish in
seventh place -- their best showing in school history -- and make the cut for the first time in its last
five NCAA Championship appearances. Junior Jamie Elson, playing in what would turn out to be
his final event for ASU, went out in style. The first two-time All-America selection in ASU history,
Elson fired rounds of 73-65-70-71 to take second place individually, three shots behind medalist
Nick Gilliam of Florida.
The Jaguars then raised the bar in 2001-02, earning their fifth straight trip to the NCAA
Regionals. They ran into a severe test at Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek in Roswell, Ga.,
but were up to the challenge, finishing fourth and qualifying for their
fourth trip to the NCAA Championships in the last five years. Junior
Oliver Wilson, who would later be named the first first-team All-
America in school history, paced ASU with a tie for 13th at four-over
220.
Ohio State University Club’s Scarlet Course was the setting for
Augusta State golf’s finest moment to date. ASU overcame brutal
course conditions and threatening weather to post the top finish in
program history. The Jaguars, who entered the final round in 14th
place, responded with the low round of the tournament, a three-under
281 that catapulted the Jags to a fifth-place finish. Three ASU players
— Jay Haas, Jr., Emmett Turner and Wilson — carded rounds of oneunder
70, while Michael Webb managed an even-par 71 and Scott
Jamieson added a three-over 74.
Following the season, head coach Jay Seawell resigned to take
over the Alabama men’s golf program. On Sept. 16, 2002, former
North Carolina State assistant coach Josh Gregory was introduced as
ASU’s new men’s head coach and director of golf.
All Gregory did in his first season was guide the Jaguars to their top season in school history.
ASU won six times during the 2002-03 campaign, including an amazing stretch of four straight
and five out of six during the middle of the season. The win total not only established a new
school record, it propelled the Jaguars into the national spotlight.
ASU ended the fall ranked No. 2 in the nation, the highest ranking in school history, and spent
most of the spring in that exact same spot. In fact, the Jaguars received first-place votes throughout
the season and knocked off Clemson, the top-ranked team the entire year, four times during
2002-03.
The Jags got the attention of the entire college golf world when they captured the PING/
Golfweek Preview in October, 2002, at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla., for their first
victory of the year. ASU then won the Duke Classic before defeating Clemson in the finals of the
Hooters Collegiate Match Play.
The Jags began their spring in similar fashion, capturing both the Gator Invitational and the
Mercedes-Benz Collegiate on back to-back weekends. ASU then closed its regular season in
style, again outgunning Clemson to take the Cleveland Golf/ASU Invitational. ASU set school
and tournament records with an electrifying final round of 21-under 267 at Forest Hills Golf Club
and a three-round total of 44-under 820. Gregory was later named the NCAA All-Independent
Coach-of-the-Year.
 ASU went on to qualify for the NCAA Regionals for the sixth straight season and advanced to
the NCAA Championships in for the eighth time in 11 years. The Jags finished seventh, tying for
the second-best finish in school history.
In 2004, Augusta State made its seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA Regionals, taking 19th
place at The Course at Yale in New Haven, Conn.
The Jags’ No. 2 seed in the 2005 Central Regional at Warren Golf Course in South Bend, Ind.,
marked the highest seeding ever for an ASU golf team in an NCAA Regional.
In their eighth consecutive Regional appearance, the Jags captured their first regional title
in school history. ASU trailed top-ranked and top-seeded Oklahoma State by three shots entering
the final round, but fired a one-over 281 to overtake the Cowboys and claim a nine-shot victory.
Jaguar senior Kalle Edberg claimed medalist honors with a three-round total of
five-under 205. Edberg holed a bunker shot on the par-five, 565-yard 17th hole to
overtake Oklahoma State freshman Pablo Martin and parred the difficult par-four,
455-yard 18th for a one-stroke victory.
ASU went on to post a 10th-place finish at the NCAA Championships at Caves
Valley Golf Club in Owings, Md. The effort marked the fourth time in the past five
seasons the Jags finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships. Sophomore
Major Manning paced ASU with a tie for fourth.
Manning was one of four Jags to earn All-America honors, joining the senior trio
of Kalle Edberg, Scott Jamieson and Emmett Turner. Only two other prorgrams in
the nation had more All-America selections than the Jags.
Edberg and Jamieson went on to be named to the European Palmer Cup team.
Bouyed by their four tournament victories on the season, including arguably the
biggest win in school history at the regional, ASU finished the season with a final
ranking of No. 5 in the nation.
Prior to the 2005-06 season, the ASU men’s golf program was ranked the No.
11 program all-time according to Golfweek magazine.
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