Emory golf came through with a number of outstanding team and individual accomplishments during the 2018-19 season, which helped maintained its status as one of the top D-III programs in the nation.  

Guided by Head Coach John Sjoberg, some of the Emory highlights included the following:

** Making the school’s 22nd  appearance in the NCAA D-III Championships and the sixth during Sjoberg’s eight-year stint as head coach. 

** Winning its fourth consecutive University Athletic Association title and 19^th in the program’s history.

** Establishing a school seasonal record with a scoring average of 293 strokes per round, bettering the previous mark of 295.2 strokes set in 2017-18.

** In addition to its league title, playing its way to three first-place finishes in tournament action – taking home the top spot out of 18 teams at the season-opening NCAA Preview,  pacing the 18-team field at the Golfweek DIII Fall Invitational and coming away with the No. 1 position out of 30 programs at the prestigious Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational.

** Seeing four of its players recognized as All-Americans, highlighted by Matt Organisak's second-team nod. 

** Having five players bring home PING All-South Region honors - Matt Organisak, senior Connor Yakubov, junior Sam Galloway, sophomore Eric Yiu and freshman Logan Ryan.

** Seeing Connor Yakubov, Matt Organisak and Sam Galloway named Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars for Division III.

** Matt Organisak was tabbed as the UAA Co-Player of the Year, the third straight season he had been selected for that honor.

** Placing five on the All-UAA Team – Matt Organisak, Connor Yakubov,  Eric Yiu and Logan Ryan all on the first team while Sam Galloway garnered second-team acclaim.  In addition, John Sjoberg was named the league’s Coach of the Year for the fifth time.

** The selection of Eric Yiu as the Most Valuable Player at the UAA Championships.

** A final No. 1 national ranking at the end of the regular season as chosen by the Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll.

** Having John Sjoberg selected as one of five finalists for the NCAA Division III Dave Williams Award, which recognizes the national coach of the year, for the second straight campaign.

** Placing four players among 30 Division III semifinalists for the Jack Nicklaus Award -- Matt Organisak, who was honored for the third straight year, Connor Yakubov, Logan Ryan and Eric Yiu. 

** Setting the program's first-, third- and fourth-best scores in school history for 54-hole tournaments.  The Eagles' blazing 10-under par, first-place total of 842 (272-292-278) at the Golfweek DIII Invitational established the all-time mark, smashing the previous standard of 855 set at the 2017 Rhodes College Fall Classic.  The Eagles fired an eight-under par 856 (286-291-279), good for the No. 3 spot all-time at Emory, en route to a runner-up effort at the Gordin Collegiate Classic, while the tournnament-leading 858 (289-283-286) at the Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational represented the school's No. 4 all-time peformance for 54 holes.  In addition, Emory's 866 (300-277-289) at the NCAA Preview tied for the No. 5 slot for the school's top 54-hole score.

** Seeing individual team members account for a total of 51 rounds of par or better during the season.

** Logging four of the school's all-time top eight team rounds, highlighted by a program record 272 at the Golfweek DIII Fall Invitational.

Emory opened the year in an impressive manner by registering a dominating 24-shot win in the NCAA Preview at the Keene Trace Champions Course in Nicholasville, Kentucky.  The Eagles fired a 54-hole score of 866, with three players ending the tourney at par or better.  Matt Organisak paced the team's effort and finished runner-up out of 90 players with a one-under par 215 (72-71-72), which at the time tied the eighth-best individual mark in school history for a 54-hole tournament. Connor Yakubov and Eric Yiu distinguished themselves by deadlocking for third on the leader board at even-par 216.

The Eagles continued the positive momentum from the Preview, playing their way to a No. 2 finish at the Gordin Classic in Columbus, Ohio, with their eight-under performance of 856 (286-291-279) eventually ranking as the program's third all-time top score for a 54-hole competition.  Logan Ryan burst upon the national scene, carding a six-under mark of 210 (70-71-69) that ranked second out of 70 entries on the leader board and at the time third on Emory's all-time ladder (ended the season tied for fourth).  Organisak came through with his second straight solid effort with a third-place showing at five-under 211.

Next up for Emory was an appearance at the 54-hole CMU Tartan Invitational at the Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.  The Eagles and Wittenberg tied for the top spot in the 12-team field before the Tigers prevailed on the first hole of a playoff.  Organisak did bring home medalist honors for the second time in his career, pacing 60 competitors with a three-under score of 213 (73-67-73).

The Emory contingent shined at the Golfweek DIII Fall Invitational, pacing an 18-team field with a school-record 54-hole mark of 10-under par 842 (272-292-278), nine shots better than runner-up Huntingdon College.  The Eagles' opening round score of 272 was a school record, keyed by all four of its scorers bettering par including Eric Yiu who tied the program record for individual low round with a 66.  Ryan and Organisak once again proved to be a formidable 1-2 punch with Ryan placing fourth in the 90-player field with a five under 208 (No. 2 all-time score at Emory for 54-hole tournament) while Organisak pocketed a seventh-place effort at 210. 

After opening the spring portion of the schedule at the Savannah Harbor Classic, Emory defeated Rochester and Carnegie Mellon in match-play competition en route to claiming the UAA title.  Eric Yiu was named the Most Valuable Player of the Championships while Logan Ryan garnered a spot on the all-tournament team.  The Eagles followed their conference title with a championship outing at the Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational, closing out with a 54-hole score of 858 (289-283-286) which marked the program's best-ever mark at that event and good for the No. 4 spot on the school's all-time ladder.  Ryan paced the Emory group with a five-under 211 (73-69-69), tying for fourth overall in the 150-player field, while Connor Yakubov tied for sixth after posting a 212 (74-67-71).  The Eagles would close out the regular season with runner-up performances at the Wynlakes Invitational and the Emory Discover DeKalb Invitational.  Returning to Keene Trace for the NCAA D-III Championships, Emory went through a tough first round, walking off the course with a 321.  The Eagles did shave off 18 strokes the following day, but it wasn't enough to make the cut from 42 teams to 18 for the final two rounds.

Matt Organisak recorded another outstanding season by pacing the team with a school-record average of 72.62 strokes over 24 rounds of play. The Sudbury, Mass., native earned his third straight nod to the PING All-America Second Team while being selected as the UAA’s Co-Player of the Year, the third straight campaign he had been recognized for that honor.  Named one of 30 semifinalists in Division III for the Jack Nicklaus Award a third consecutive campaign, Organisak chalked up a team-leading 13 rounds of par or better and produced four top-five finishes. Named University Athletic Association Golfer of the Week on three occasions in 2018-19, he will head into his senior year in the No. 1 position on the school’s all-time scoring average list at 73.29 strokes over 72 rounds.

Connor Yakubov closed out his fine four-year career averaging 74.1 strokes over 24 rounds, good for 10^th place on the school’s seasonal chart.  Named to a PING Honorable Mention All-American, he also captured his second career All-South Region berth. Yakubov, who scored his fourth career all-UAA award and second nod to the first team, posted nine rounds of par or better including a pair of 67s, one coming at the NCAA Fall Preview and the other at the Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational. He registered a pair of top-10 finishes including a sixth-place effort in the 150-field player at Jekyll Island where his four-under 212 stands eighth on the program's all-time chart for a 54-hole tournament.  He wrapped up his four-year stint as an Eagle in the No. 4 spot on their all-time scoring average list at 74.7 strokes over 90 rounds.

Logan Ryan enjoyed a banner rookie season, culminated with his selection as the Division III Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award winner.  He averaged 73.3 strokes over 24 rounds of play, tying for the No. 4 position on the program's seasonal chart.  Ryan, who recorded a pair of season-best scores of 67, shot par or better on eight occasions and turned in four top-five overall finishes during the year. He ranked as the Eagles' No. 1 performer at the Gordin Classic (2^nd overall out of 70 players), Golfweek DIII Fall Invitational (4^thoverall out of 90 players) and the Jekyll Island Collegiate Invitational (4^th overall out of 150 players).  Ryan was selected to the All-University Athletic Association First Team and was also tabbed as the league's Rookie of the Year Award winner. In addition, he was the South Region Rookie of the Year.

Eric Yiu competed in all nine tournaments and tied Ryan for second on the team and fourth on the Eagles' seasonal chart with an average of 73.3 strokes over 24 rounds. He rang up 11 rounds of par or better, second most on the team, including a program-record tying 66 that he carded at the Golfweek DIII Fall Invitational. He came through with a pair of top-five finishes during the year including a second-place tie out of 82 competitors at the Wynlakes Intercollegiate with a 36-hole effort of one-under par 143. A First-Team All-UAA honoree, he was named the Most Valuable Player at the UAA Championships and tabbed as the conference’s Player of the Week on two occasions.

Sam Galloway earned his initial all-UAA award with a spot on the second team. He played in all nine tournaments and averaged 74.9 strokes over 24 rounds. He chalked up two rounds of par or better including a season-best effort of three-under par 69 at the NCAA Preview. He tied for the team lead and was 13^th on the leader board in a 90-player field at the Savannah Harbor Classic with a 36-hole score of 148.

In addition to their play on the course, Organisak, Yakubov and Galloway were recognized for their academic prowess by being namedSrixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars for Division III.

In addition to Yakubov, the 2018-19 season marked the final years for seniors Noah Apter, Stefano Butti and Anthony Muscato. 

 Honors and Awards