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'Dawgs on Tour: Snakebit Edition (aka Valspar Championship)

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

If you're reading this, you know all too well the feeling of being "snakebit" - because you're a Georgia fan. And possibly a Braves/Hawks/Falcons fan. Bulldog golfing alums have enjoyed a successful PGA season so far, but only if you're counting a few good rounds, some top 3 finishes, and lots of FedEx points and prize money cumulatively. But no winners. Since November, we haven't see Red & Black in the winners circle, and that is a far cry from last year. So snakebit might be a bit of a over-dramatization as it relates to our success on the PGA Tour, but it does relate to this week's tournament: The Valspar Championship, played at The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resorts in Palm Harbor, FL. (FYI - there is a drink called a "snakebit" that MaconDawg might want to research for Cocktail Thursdays - just sayin').

This used to be the time of year when the Florida Swing would move up the Atlantic coastline to Duval County and play "the fifth major" more commonly called The Players Championship. That is now moved to Mother's Day weekend, so I'll save some 411 on that tourney for later. As a minor, this tournament has moved around on the calendar a bit, but it has found a nice home in mid-March and a very nice course in The Cooperhead. Which, of course, has nicknamed the final three holes "the snake pit". This is definitely a case of marketing, as once Amen Corner became part of Masters lexicon, every course now wants to put a moniker on three consecutive holes and create some buzz (i.e. "Bear Trap" at PGA National). As this tourney doesn't have a lot of tradition (having hopped around), UGA doesn't have a great record here - I can find no Georgia winners of this, and only Ryuji Imada placing in a tie for 2nd in 2008. And it is relatively slim pickings again this year... only four Bulldogs are entered. That is mostly because last week was a high profile tourney, and next week is Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill, another high profile tourney. Not to mention The Masters in 4 weeks. So players are being choosy about how much they travel and play this time of year. Only 5 of the top 10 in the World are entered as well. But it still has some big names (Scott, Rose, Spieth, Furyk, Daly) and this course plays tough if the wind is up.

But here is your guide on who to root for, with world ranking and FedEx Cup ranking in parentheses, respectively:

Harris English (60, 22). I don't know why Harris didn't play last week, but glad he's teeing it up this week. He missed the cut at The Honda two weeks ago, and he has an invite to Augusta, so he'll need to start sharpening up his game.

Hudson Swafford (325, 79). After a good start in the fall (wrap-around season), he has cooled off in 2015 and has missed cuts in 3 of the last 4 (a 34th at Pebble Beach being the other result). He's in good shape for The FedEx Cup, but will quickly fall down the rankings if he doesn't make some cuts and some top 30s.

Kevin Kisner (276, 108). Kevin made the cut at The Honda two weeks ago, but had previously missed 4 cuts in a row. He is not entered in the big money-grab tourneys and invitationals, so he needs to take advantage of regular Tour events like this one.

Brian Harman (85,84). His first Tour win last year has given him some momentum, but he's played sporadically so far this year. I hope he plans to start playing most weeks now that the season has begun in earnest. He's a lefty who hails from Savannah and is known as a "ball striker". That is akin to calling a big lumbering QB "sneaky athletic". It means he doesn't overpower the course. But he's still a good golfer and has the game to compete.

TV coverage is on The Golf Channel Thurs/Fri 3:00-6:00 pm ET, and on Sat/Sun from 1:00-3:00 pm before NBC picks up the Sat/Sun coverage from 3:00-6:00 pm ET. So tune in to watch these guys play some golf: unless UGA happens to be playing two basketball games in Alexander Memorial Coliseum, by which case you are free to watch college basketball.

GO 'DAWGS!!!

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