University of Georgia Athletics
Sigg's Strong Fall Continuing
November 04, 2015 | Men's Golf
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
ATLANTA — Greyson Sigg's beard might be in jeopardy, it certainly will be if his mom has her way, but it won't be because of the Georgia junior golfer's play Tuesday in the East Lake Cup.
Sigg battled for 19 holes at East Lake Golf Club on a cool, sometimes misty afternoon, before ultimately falling on the first playoff hole to Illinois' Alex Burge. It was a disappointing end to the round for the brawny-looking Sigg, who had led 3-up after 12 holes in the finals of the match-play event, which featured the four semifinalists from last season's NCAA Championships.
Burge was locked in down the stretch, and his win on the 10th, the duo's first playoff hole, was enough to edge Sigg and give the red-hot Illini, winners of four of their five events this fall, a 3-1-1 victory over the Bulldogs. The only time Sigg trailed the entire match was after the 19th hole.
"That's the nature of our game: you can play good and still get beaten, and that kid just rose to the occasion," Georgia coach Chris Haack said. "He produced at pretty critical times and I think it was awesome just seeing our guys come down toe to toe with one of the best teams in college golf."
Sigg wasn't perfect down the stretch, including a tee shot on the 17th that found the water on the left and allowed Burge to make the match all square going to the par-3 18th. The key, Sigg said, was earlier on the back nine when the Bulldog was three holes ahead. After Sigg went 3-up, Burge won the next two holes.
"I didn't apply too much pressure on him and that's one thing I wish I could have done a better job at," Sigg said.
And credit certainly goes to Burge, who made long birdie putts in excess of 20 feet on Nos. 16 and 17, and then executed an exceptional chip from a difficult lie on 18 for a conceded par.
"Sometimes someone's got to lose and sometimes it's you," Sigg said.
Neither Sigg nor Burge found the green on the 18th, with Burger just off the green on the left but with a bad lie and an awkward stand between the fringe and the bunker. Sigg was about 40 feet from the hole with an uphill chip. His chip ran about 8 feet past the hole, leaving a delicate downhill putt for par.
That putt got even harder after Burge's near-perfect chip from the left, which stopped about 18 inches from the hole. With Burge in at par, Sigg had to make his 8-footer to keep the match going.
Between the bushy beard and Sigg's overall casual demeanor, he gives off an air that he's just out playing with his buddies at the local $20-a-round public course. On Monday and Tuesday he was at East Lake, which annually hosts the season-ending PGA Tour Championship.
Standing over that super-delicate downhill par putt on 18, Sigg gave it a casual-looking tap and then walked after it before it dropped into the cup.
"It was a great putt and obviously I was happy to make that one to take him to extra holes," he said.
"That will be something I'm going to have to reiterate to him, what a big putt he made at 18 when everything was on the line," Haack said. "You've got to try to find the positives in it and there are certainly plenty of them."
While Sigg's parents, David and Karen, were walking the famed East Lake course Tuesday, the subject of the beard was raised. While dad was largely indifferent to it, mom was not. At all.
"She doesn't like it too much," Sigg said, which sure seemed an understatement.
Of course if you think Sigg's beard is a bit much, it's nothing compared to his former teammate Joey Garber's, which looked like it could have housed a family of sparrows.
The beard began to make an appearance in September. Sigg picked up the first win of his collegiate career when he won medalist honors at the season-opening Carmel Cup, held at Pebble Beach, Calif. There was a lot of stubble at Pebble and with the encouragement of associate head coach Jim Douglas, the razor was put away.
After the big win at Pebble, Sigg posted a top-five finish (along with teammate Lee McCoy) at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational in Portland, Ore., in early October. It has, for sure, been a breakthrough fall for the Augusta native.
"He's gotten older and he's gotten better, and I think he's starting to realize how good he can be," Haack said.
Douglas admits to being highly superstitious, adding that golfers are in general and this Georgia bunch in particular. Of Tuesday's loss, he said: "I don't think it's anything that should cause him to shave."
With the holidays coming up and some social engagements on the calendar, Douglas and superstition might not have much say in matter.
"I'll be shocked if it stays around," Sigg said. "I guess we'll see in the next week or so."
Georgia's week was just getting started with the East Lake Cup. On Wednesday, the Bulldogs flew to Hawaii, where they'll compete in the Ka'anapali Collegiate Classic starting Friday.
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Chris Haack said. " he="" produced="" at="" pretty="" critical="" times="" and="" i="" think="" it="" was="" awesome="" just="" seeing="" our="" guys="" come="" down="" toe="" to="" toe="" with="" one="" of="" the="" best="" teams="" in="" college="" golf."="" sigg="" wasn't="" perfect="" down="" the="" stretch,="" including="" a="" tee="" shot="" on="" the="" 17th="" that="" found="" the="" water="" on="" the="" left="" and="" allowed="" burge="" to="" make="" the="" match="" all="" square="" going="" to="" the="" par-3="" 18th.="" the="" key,="" sigg="" said,="" was="" earlier="" on="" the="" back="" nine="" when="" the="" bulldog="" was="" three="" holes="" ahead.="" after="" going="" 3-up,="" burge="" won="" the="" next="" three="" holes.="" "i="" didn't="" apply="" too="" much="" pressure="" on="" him="" and="" that's="" one="" thing="" i="" wish="" i="" could="" have="" done="" a="" better="" job="" at,"="" sigg="" said.="" and="" credit="" certainly="" goes="" to="" burge,="" who="" made="" long="" birdie="" putts="" in="" excess="" of="" 20="" feet="" on="" nos.="" 16="" and="" 17,="" and="" then="" executed="" an="" exceptional="" chip="" from="" a="" difficult="" lie="" on="" 18="" for="" a="" conceded="" par.="" "sometimes="" someone's="" got="" to="" lose="" and="" sometimes="" it's="" you,"="" sigg="" said.="" neither="" sigg="" nor="" burge="" found="" the="" green="" on="" the="" 18th,="" with="" burger="" just="" off="" the="" green="" on="" the="" left="" but="" with="" a="" bad="" lie="" and="" an="" awkward="" stand="" between="" the="" fringe="" and="" the="" bunker.="" sigg="" was="" about="" 40="" feet="" from="" the="" hole="" with="" an="" uphill="" chip.="" his="" chip="" ran="" about="" 8="" feet="" past="" the="" hole,="" leaving="" a="" delicate="" downhill="" putt="" for="" par.="" that="" putt="" got="" even="" harder="" after="" burge's="" near-perfect="" chip="" from="" the="" left,="" which="" stopped="" about="" 18="" inches="" from="" the="" hole.="" with="" burge="" in="" at="" par,="" sigg="" had="" to="" make="" his="" 8-footer="" to="" keep="" the="" match="" going.="" between="" the="" bushy="" beard="" and="" sigg's="" overall="" casual="" demeanor,="" he="" gives="" off="" an="" air="" that="" he's="" just="" out="" playing="" with="" his="" buddies="" at="" the="" local="" $20-a-round="" public="" course.="" on="" monday="" and="" tuesday="" he="" was="" at="" east="" lake,="" which="" annually="" hosts="" the="" season-ending="" pga="" tour="" championship.="" standing="" over="" that="" super-delicate="" downhill="" par="" putt="" on="" 18,="" sigg="" gave="" it="" a="" casual-looking="" tap="" and="" then="" walked="" after="" it="" before="" it="" dropped="" into="" the="" cup.="" "it="" was="" a="" great="" putt="" and="" obviously="" i="" was="" happy="" to="" make="" that="" one="" to="" take="" him="" to="" extra="" holes,"="" he="" said.="" "that="" will="" be="" something="" i'm="" going="" to="" have="" to="" reiterate="" to="" him,="" what="" a="" big="" putt="" he="" made="" at="" 18="" when="" everything="" was="" on="" the="" line,"="" haack="" said.="" "you've="" got="" to="" try="" to="" find="" the="" positives="" in="" it="" and="" there="" are="" certainly="" plenty="" of="" them."="" while="" sigg's="" parents,="" david="" and="" karen,="" were="" walking="" the="" famed="" east="" lake="" course="" tuesday,="" the="" subject="" of="" the="" beard="" was="" raised.="" while="" dad="" was="" largely="" indifferent="" to="" it,="" mom="" was="" not.="" at="" all.="" "she="" doesn't="" like="" it="" too="" much,"="" sigg="" said,="" which="" sure="" seemed="" an="" understatement.="" of="" course="" if="" you="" think="" sigg's="" beard="" is="" a="" bit="" much,="" it's="" nothing="" compared="" to="" his="" former="" teammate="" joey="" garber's,="" which="" looked="" like="" it="" could="" have="" housed="" a="" family="" of="" sparrows.="" the="" beard="" began="" to="" make="" an="" appearance="" in="" september.="" sigg="" picked="" up="" the="" first="" win="" of="" his="" collegiate="" career="" when="" he="" won="" medalist="" honors="" at="" the="" season-opening="" carmel="" cup,="" held="" at="" pebble="" beach,="" calif.="" there="" was="" a="" lot="" of="" stubble="" at="" pebble="" and="" with="" the="" encouragement="" of="" associate="" head="" coach="" jim="" douglas,="" the="" razor="" was="" put="" away.="" after="" the="" big="" win="" at="" pebble,="" sigg="" posted="" a="" top-five="" finish="" (along="" with="" teammate="" lee="" mccoy)="" at="" the="" nike="" golf="" collegiate="" invitational="" in="" portland,="" ore.,="" in="" early="" october.="" it="" has,="" for="" sure,="" been="" a="" breakthrough="" fall="" for="" the="" augusta="" native.="" "he's="" gotten="" older="" and="" he's="" gotten="" better,="" and="" i="" think="" he's="" starting="" to="" realize="" how="" good="" he="" can="" be,"="" haack="" said.="" douglas="" admits="" to="" being="" highly="" superstitious,="" adding="" that="" golfers="" are="" in="" general="" and="" this="" georgia="" bunch="" in="" particular.="" of="" tuesday's="" loss,="" he="" said:="" "i="" don't="" think="" it's="" anything="" that="" should="" cause="" him="" to="" shave."="" with="" the="" holidays="" coming="" up="" and="" some="" social="" engagements="" on="" the="" calendar,="" douglas="" and="" superstition="" might="" not="" have="" much="" say="" in="" matter.="" "i'll="" be="" shocked="" if="" it="" stays="" around,"="" sigg="" said.="" "i="" guess="" we'll="" see="" in="" the="" next="" week="" or="" so."="" georgia's="" week="" was="" just="" getting="" started="" with="" the="" east="" lake="" cup.="" on="" wednesday,="" the="" bulldogs="" flew="" to="" hawaii,="" where="" they'll="" compete="" in="" the="" ka'anapali="" collegiate="" classic="" starting="" friday.="" john="" frierson="" is="" the="" staff="" writer="" for="" the="" uga="" athletic="" association="" and="" curator="" of="" the="" ita="" men's="" tennis="" hall="" of="" fame.="" you="" can="" find="" his="" work="" at:="" http:/www.georgiadogs.com/ot/frierson-files.html.="" he's="" also="" on="" twitter:="" @friersonfiles="" and="" @itahalloffame."="">Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.