Augusta, GA
Masters invites NCAA champ Gordon Sargent, Japan’s Kazuki Higa
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Masters expanded its attain to elite amateurs on Thursday when it provided a particular invitation to NCAA champion Gordon Sargent, the primary time in additional than 20 years an novice obtained such an invite.
Augusta Nationwide additionally awarded a particular invitation to Kazuki Higa, who gained 4 occasions on the Japan Golf Tour and captured the cash record final yr.
Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership and the Masters Match, stated Higa and Sargent have accepted their invites to compete within the 2023 Masters.
Each gamers will probably be first-time contributors.
“The Masters Match prioritizes alternatives to raise each novice {and professional} golf world wide,” Ridley stated. “Thus, now we have prolonged invites to 2 deserving gamers not in any other case certified. Whether or not on the worldwide stage or on the elite novice degree, every participant has showcased their expertise prior to now yr. We stay up for internet hosting them at Augusta Nationwide in April.”
Higa, 27, has seen six profession victories on the Japan Golf Tour, 4 in 2022. He completed first on the Japan Golf Tour’s Order of Benefit final yr. He ranks 68 within the Official World Golf Rating.
Sargent, a 19-year-old sophomore at Vanderbilt, is the reigning NCAA Division I Males’s Particular person Champion. He’s ranked 3 within the World Beginner Golf Rating.
The final novice to earn a particular invitation was Aaron Baddeley of Australia in 2000, who was 18 when he beat a discipline that included Greg Norman and Colin Montgomerie to win the Australian Open.
The Masters has a historical past of taking care of elite amateurs, as soon as inviting the Walker Cup crew till the late Eighties. It presently invitations the U.S. Beginner champion and runner-up, the British Beginner champion, the U.S. Mid-Beginner champion and winners of the Asia-Pacific and Latin American novice occasions it helped create.
Higa’s invitation was anticipated. The Masters has a historical past of inviting worldwide gamers who’ve had sterling seasons with out having common entry to the PGA Tour. The final particular invitation went to Shigo Imahira of Japan in 2019.
Higa is No. 68 on the planet and his 4 wins on the Japan Golf Tour embody the Dunlop Phoenix in November, one of many strongest fields of the yr in Japan.
The invites carry the present discipline to 80 gamers.
Three qualification standards stay lively:
- Winner of the 2023 Latin America Beginner Championship.
- Winners of upcoming PGA Tour occasions that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship.
- The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Rating printed through the week previous to the Match.
Copyright 2023 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
3rd suspect arrested in November murder near Paine College
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A third suspect has been arrested in connection with the November shooting death of a 32-year-old on Verdery Street, according to authorities.
Myron Garnett, 32, of Verdery Street, was shot at least one time and pronounced dead at 9:43 p.m., according to Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen.
In March, authorities announced they were searching for Cameron Williams, 19.
On Thursday, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshal’s Southeast Fugitive Task Force arrested Williams on a grand jury arrest warrant.
MORE CSRA CRIME COVERAGE:
Williams is the third suspect connected to this case. In December, Anthony Williams, 20, was arrested and charged with murder, according to Richmond County jail records.
In November, Shakeichia Jackson, 30, was arrested and booked. She’s also charged with murder.
Copyright 2023 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Ossoff to mark hospital, airport improvements in Augusta
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is scheduled to be in Augusta on Friday.
The Democratic senator from Georgia will join Wellstar MCG Health in marking the delivery of two new MRI suites.
That’ll be at 9:30 in the morning.
Then at 11, he will join Augusta Regional Airport and community leaders for a ribbon-cutting celebrating the recent passenger terminal upgrades.
It comes as Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock are announcing $3 million in funding for both the Augusta Regional and Daniel Field airports.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
AU president gives final State of the University address
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – On Wednesday, Augusta University President Brooks Keel gave his final State of the University address.
Keel is retiring this summer.
In the address, Keel highlighted past and present accomplishments.
He mentioned things like the largest freshman class ever with 10,000 students, the Wellstar MCG Health partnership, the new statewide transfer program for cybersecurity degrees and the 35% increase in academic programs since 2015.
The university also seen a 32% increase in degrees awarded since 2015.
Keel says it’s not just his final State of the University address. It’s his best one yet because it’s the most they have ever accomplished.
It’s an address that is bittersweet.
“We are sad that Dr. Keel is leaving. He’s just such a nice guy. He has guided the ship through name changes, through difficult times. But the one thing that his legacy will be is that he has set us up for the future,” said Angel Lovett, director of parent and family engagement.
It’s also a time to celebrate everything they’ve added.
“The name change, the building of the math and science, getting us a new parking deck, the new dorms,” said Lovett.
Russell Keen, executive vice president for administration and chief of staff, said: “If you look at where we were in 2015 to where we are today, it’s a remarkably different institution with remarkable support from the campus and the community.”
At a time when enrollment is tough for lots of universities, AU saw an increase.
“The five years prior to him getting here, it decreased 3% every year. And so, if you look at where we are this year, we’ve increased 27% in our enrollment over the last nine years, which is huge,” said Keen.
Keel has just 46 days left at the university before his retirement. He says he is excited to continue to watch the university grow.
“Thank you all so much for what you do day in and day out to make this place. You have a lot to be proud of, because of these folks sitting to your left and your right. We look forward to following this place from afar and watching the great progress that you make. So, thank you so much, and one more time, Go Jags,” said Keel.
While talking about what’s in store for the university, Keel signed off saying the future is bright for Augusta University.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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