AU alums Norlander, Everett finish in top 35 at the Palmetto Championship

By Carlos Rodriguez | Sports editor

Three former Augusta University golfers competed at the PGA Tour’s Palmetto Championship at Congaree in Gillisonville, S.C., on June 10-13.

There’s a list of many former AU golfers who’ve went on to play professionally and a handful that are still playing. The former Jaguars that competed in the Palmetto Championship were Henrik Norlander (T-25), Broc Everett (T-35) and Vaughn Taylor (T-52).

“I think it goes to show that Augusta prepares you for that next step,” said Everett. “It proves that Augusta is a place where you can come and get prepared for professional golf.”

Norlander, a standout golfer on the Jaguars 2010 and 2011 national championship teams, finished at 5 under par. He currently is ranked as 134th in the World Golf Rankings. 

Everett shot 3 under par, including almost making at hole in one, on Day One of the tournament. That swing was named the PGA shot of the week. Everett nearly drove the ball in the hole on the par-4, 354-yard 15th hole. Norlander also eagled the 15th hole on the same day.

“I’m pretty happy with the finish, but I know I just have so much left to offer for playing good golf,” said Everett. “I’m excited to get back out there and prove that I can play better than I did this week, even though it was a solid finish.”

Prior to the Palmetto Championship, Everett made three PGA starts and missed the cut in each event. This time around he made his first cut on the PGA Tour. He had qualified for the tournament on Monday, June 7.

“It’s like a step forward in anybody’s career,” he said. “Fortunately, I’ve been close all the other three times, so I knew kind of what to expect like how I’ll be feeling, how I’ll be nervous and kind of how to cope with that. I think that experience really helped me stay calm.”

The West Des Moines, Iowa, native had a successful career during his tenure with the Jaguars. In 2018 he capped off his collegiate career by winning the NCAA Division I individual national title. Everett is the only individual champion in school history.

“I can truthfully say that I don’t think there’s anywhere else I could’ve gone to college that would’ve prepared me for the future as much as Augusta did,” said Everett. 

Taylor shot 2 under par in the final round to finish even at a four-way tie for 52nd. Taylor graduated from Augusta 1999. During his senior year he was named an honorable mention all-American.

In his second career PGA start, 22-year-old Garrick Higgo of South Africa picked up his first PGA tour victory after shooting 11 under, finishing one shot above second place, which consisted of a six-way tie. High had won the Canary Islands Championship back on May 9, when AU alum Maverick Antcliff finished second.

Hudson Swafford, Doc Redman, Jhonattan Vegas, Tyrrell Hatton, Bo Van Pelt and Chesson Hadley all finished tied for second at 10 under. Hadley, the Georgia Tech alumnus, held a commanding four-shot lead after three rounds.

Indeed, in the final round, Hadley led Higgo by three strokes with three holes to play but bogeyed each of the last three holes as Higgo put up his 11-under-par score, which stood up for him to win the tourney..

 Contact Carlos Rodriguez at carlosjr521@gmail.com.

Broc Everett, who won the 2018 NCAA Division I national championship, finished tied 35th at 3 under par in the Palmetto Championship at Congaree. (photo courtesy of the PGA)