ASU lands four All-American selections

by Joey Warren, sports information director

Augusta State’s senior trio of Kalle Edberg, Scott Jamieson, and Emmett Turner, along with sophomore Major Manning, have each been named PING All-America selections, according to a recent announcement from the Golf Coaches Association of America. The Jags were just one of three schools in the nation to have four or more All-Americans. The University of Georgia and Oklahoma State University were the others.

It is the first time in school history ASU has had four players named All-America in the same season. The last time ASU had multiple All-America selections was at the conclusion of the 2002-03 season, when Oliver Wilson and Turner received second-team and honorable-mention honors, respectively.

A second-team All-America selection, Edberg led the Jaguars with a 71.94 stroke average—the fifth-best, single-season stroke average in school history—and captured two individual tournament titles. A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Edberg shot a 10-under 203 to claim the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate in Birmingham, Ala., in his first tournament of the season last October. The victory vaulted him all the way to the No. 3 individual ranking in the nation by Golfweek. He also represented his home country at the World Amateur Team Championships in Rio Mar, Puerto Rico, last October, helping lead Sweden to a third-place finish—the highest in the nation’s history—while finishing 15th individually. Edberg posted one of the top individual wins in school history when he posted a five-under 205 total and won the NCAA Central Regional in May at Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course, helping lead the Jags to the team title as well. Edberg tied for the team lead with seven top 20’s, and posted a 3-1 record at this year’s Palmer Cup at Whistling Straits Irish Course.

An honorable-mention All-America pick, Jamieson enjoyed undoubtedly the finest season of his collegiate career as a senior. He paced the team in stroke average for much of the season before finishing with a 72.47 average, second-best on the squad. He led ASU with 16 rounds of par or better and tied for the team lead with seven top-20’s, including six in the spring. A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Jamieson fashioned an incredible spring season, turning in five straight top-13 finishes between the Schenkel E-Z-GO Invitational and the NCAA Central Regional and reaching as high as No. 15 in the Golfweek individual rankings. He tallied his first collegiate victory at The Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate in March with a total of eight-under 205 and nearly matched that effort at the ASU Invitational presented by Administaff, finishing solo second. He earned a spot on the Palmer Cup team as well, posting a 2-2 mark at Whistling Straits. He was also selected the NCAA All-Independent Player-of-the-Year.

An honorable-mention All-America selection for the second time in three seasons, Turner is just one of three players in school history (Jamie Elson and Oliver Wilson are the others) to be selected an All-America in multiple years. He closed out one of the most distinguished careers in ASU Golf history with perhaps his most consistent season as a senior, ranking third on the squad in stroke average at 72.89. His 35 rounds in the 70’s led the team, while his seven top-20’s tied for the team lead and his 14 rounds of par or better was second only to Jamieson’s 16. A two-time NCAA All-Independent Player of the Year and three-time All-Independent first-team selection, Turner was a finalist for the prestigious Byron Nelson Award and was named a Cleveland Golf All-America scholar. As an Academic All-America All-District first-team selection, Turner appeared on the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration.

A native of Greenwood, S.C., Turner tied Oliver Wilson’s school record by firing a career-low, eight-under 64 in his first round of the spring at the TaylorMade/Waikoloa Intercollegiate. His career-best, three-round total of 14-under 202 at the TaylorMade/Waikoloa Intercollegiate was the second-lowest in school history, trailing on Wilson’s 17-under 199 in the 2003 ASU Invitational. He wrapped up his career as the Jags’ all-time leader in tournaments played and rounds played and in third place in school annals in rounds in the 60’s (20) and in fifth place in rounds of par or better (49).

Sophomore Major Manning earned honorable-mention All-America honors as well, giving the Jags four All-America selections in the same season for the first time in school history. Manning paced the Jags at the NCAA Championships at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md., posting a solo fourth-place finish. He shared the first-round lead after firing a five-under 65 and stood at -7 through 14 holes of his second round before a couple of late bogeys derailed his momentum. His four-round total of one-over-281 and his fourth-place showing were the second-best efforts in school history, trailing only Jamie Elson’s nine-under 279 total and second-place finish at the 2001 NCAA Championships at Duke University Golf Club in Durham, N.C.

A native of Daytona Beach, Fla., Manning ranked fourth on the squad in stroke average at 73.03 and had six top-20 finishes in his 11 tournaments. He registered 32 rounds in the 70’s and had 10 rounds of par or better. He finished runnerup in the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship in February after taking a one-shot lead into the final round. He finished no worse than 30th in any of his last four tournaments and had top-20 efforts in three of his last four events.

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