After seeing its lineup dominated by upperclassmen the previous season, the 2014-15 edition of the Emory golf team did an about-face with a number of new faces gaining valuable experience, which should pay dividends down the road.

For the majority of the season, head coach John Sjoberg went into the team's 10-tournament campaign with a lineup that was comprised of one freshman, one sophomore, two juniors who had combined for 21 round of competitive action heading into the year and one senior.

Playing in the ultra-competitive South Region, which featured 13 of the nation’s top-25 programs, Sjoberg saw his unit go through some growing pains, but at the same time witnessed some outstanding play by various members of the team that should bode well for the future. 

Senior Alex Wunderlich, sophomore Sam Nichamin, freshman Keenan Hickton and junior Vince Sirianni all competed in nine tournaments and logged 19 rounds of action.  Junior Jonathan Gerrard also took to the course in nine tournaments and totaled 18 rounds of competition.  Wunderlich ended the season with the team’s best scoring average with a 76.05 strokes-per-round effort while Hickton stood second at 77.5 strokes per round and Sirianni third at 77.6.   

Wunderlich distinguished himself at the Chick-fil-A Invitational, leading the team and ranking 16^th out of 112 players with a 36-hole score of three-over par 147.  In his last collegiate tournament, the Wolfpack Spring Open in Raleigh, NC, Wunderlich fired team-best 145 over two rounds, tying the team’s best mark of the year for a 36-hole tourney.  Wunderlich closed out his tenure as an Eagle in the No. 7 spot on the program’s career scoring ladder at 76.1 strokes per round.

Hickton was a steady performer for the majority of the season and earned First Team All-University Athletic Association after his fifth-place finish at the conference championships. The rookie also shined at the prestigious Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational, topping the Eagle leader board and placing 19^th overall out of 150 competitors with a three-round effort of 221, tying the 19^th-best mark in school history for a 54-hole event.

Sirianni finished as Emory’s No. 1 performer on three occasions, once competing as an individual.  His best outing came at the Emory Spring Invitational where he ranked third overall out of 72 entries with a one-over par 145. 

Honors and Awards