GAINESVILLE — Spencer Ralston looked relaxed and at home standing on the practice green at Chattahoochee Golf Course, a place he used to roam, and own, during his high school days.
But you could also notice his obvious disappointment that instead of trying to lead the University of Georgia to a national title, he was preparing for a rare interview on a beautiful weekday.
“It’s frustrating,” Ralston said while making the rounds on the beautifully-manicured green. “This time of year is our busy season so it’s strange not being out on the course practicing and playing. But I’m trying to take this time to rest and get ready for whatever happens.”
The now-senior had his final year at UGA snuffed out by the coronavirus as the NCAA shut down the entire spring sports schedule for the 2020 season. But it wasn’t just his senior season that the former Gainesville High golfer had to play for. He was planning to turn pro after this season.
Ralston also had earned a spot in the PGA Tour’s 2020 RBC Heritage, which is traditionally played the week after the Masters in Hilton Head, S.C., after winning the 2019 Players Amateur. He erased an 11-shot deficit with a blistering 63 on the final day to secure the berth. He was supposed to be fine-tuning his game, not doing interviews in his hometown.
In a candid but lighthearted talk with AccessWDUN Thursday at Chattahoochee, Ralston talked putting, superstitions and discussed just what the future holds.
(Click play above to see our video interview with Ralston.)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS FOR SPENCER RALSTON
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
2019-20 (Senior Season):
• Placed eighth in The Carmel Cup and the Crooked Stick Invitational, 15th in the Jim Rivers Invitational, and 18th in the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic.
• Helped the Bulldogs win the team titles in the Jim Rivers Invitational and the Crooked Stick Invitational.
• Serving as the Bulldogs’ team captain.
• Named to the Preseason Haskins Award Watch List.
• Won the 2019 Players Amateur, erasing an 11-shot deficit on the final day and earning a spot in the PGA Tour’s 2020 RBC Heritage.
• Named the recipient of the Doug and Diane Magnus Family Athletic Scholarship.
2018-19 (Junior Season):
• Chosen as an Honorable Mention All-American by PING and the Golf Coaches Association of America.
• Chosen by the GCAA for the Division I PING All-Southeast Region Team.
• Named First-Team All-SEC by the league’s coaches.
• Claimed medalist honors for the first time in his career in the Linger Longer Invitational.
• Named the SEC Golfer of the Week after winning the Linger Longer Invitational.
• Finished second in extra holes in the Sun Bowl Marathon All-America Golf Classic, setting his tournament-best figure of 13-under 200 and matching his low loop of 7-under.
• Finished third in the NCAA Athens Regional to help the Bulldogs claim the team title.
• Placed fourth in the rain-shortened Jim Rivers Intercollegiate.
• Came in ninth in the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic.
• Finished with a scoring average of 70.59, which is the fifth best for a single season in program history. (He now holds Nos. 5 and 7 on Georgia’s all-time list.)
• Finished the season with six top 10s and 10 top 20s.
• Named to the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll.
• Named the recipient of the Doug and Diane Magnus Family Athletic Scholarship.
2017-18 (Sophomore Season):
• Chosen as an Honorable Mention All-American by PING and the Golf Coaches Association of America.
• Named Second-Team All-SEC.
• Named to the PING All-Southeast Region Team by the GCAA.
• Came in a career-best second in the Crooked Stick Invitational and the Linger Longer Invitational.
• His 12-under 204 at the Linger Longer Invitational was a career best.
• His first-round 7-under 65 at the Linger Longer matched his career best.
• Named the recipient of the Doug and Diane Magnus Family Athletic Scholarship.
• Won the Dick Copas Award as the Bulldog with the lowest scoring average.
2016-17 (Freshman Season):
• Named to the SEC’s All-Freshman Team.
• Finished with a scoring average of 71.56.
• Had five top-12 efforts, highlighted by a seventh-place finish in the FAMC Intercollegiate at The Grove.
• Fired a 7-under 64 in the second round and 9-under 204 overall at the Ka’anapali Collegiate to set his career lows.
• His 7-under is the third-lowest loop in school history (one 9-under, seven 8-unders).
• Named the recipient of the Doug and Diane Magnus Family Athletic Scholarship.
GAINESVILLE High School
• Claimed 16 individual high school tournament victories.
• Compiled a career scoring average of 69.7 and set the school and state single-season record of 69.0 in 2015.
• Posted 63s three different times.
• Shot par or better 36 times in 48 tournaments, including 21 times in the 60s.
• Named All-State four times.
• Named the 5A Player of the Year three times.
• Won the Hall County Championship title three times.
• Led Gainesville to 27 tournament titles, including 2013 when it notched the only undefeated season in state history.
(Stats provided by Goergiadogs.com)
