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SPORTS

SPORTS BRIEFS: Team Georgia golfers top Florida, Alabama

Staff Reports
news@onlineathens.com

LOCAL

Team Georgia golfers

top Florida, Alabama

JUPITER, FL. — Team Georgia, featuring Savannah’s Doug Hanzel and Jack Hall, continued its stellar play on Sunday to compile a total of 23 points on the weekend and win the 2017 Southeastern Challenge Match.

Florida placed second with 21.5 points while Alabama finished third with 18.5 points. The 16th playing of this three-state competition took place this weekend at The Bear’s Club.

During Sunday’s three-ball singles matches, Team Georgia earned 10 points. The big scorers were Dalton’s Vance Embry, McDonough’s Justin Connelly and Savannah’s Hanzel, who led the way with each earning two points on the day. Taylor Smith of Convington, Bob Royak of Alpharetta and John Engler Jr. of Augusta each picked up one point.

This biennial competition features 12-man teams made up of top mid-amateurs and seniors from Georgia, Florida and Alabama competing over two days.

Team Georgia has now won seven Southeastern Challenge Matches (1990, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2017).

Florida (1989, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2010, 2013, 2015) has eight victories and Alabama has one (1991).

STATE

MLS All-Star Game

in Atlanta in 2018

ATLANTA — Atlanta’s new stadium has landed another big event.

Major League Soccer announced Monday that its 2018 All-Star Game will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, one day after Atlanta United set records for single-game and season attendance.

“We’re honored,” United owner Arthur Blank said at a news conference attended by MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “We will not let you down.”

Mercedes-Benz Stadium already landed the College Football Playoff championship game, which will be held in January, as well as the 2019 Super Bowl and the men’s basketball Final Four in 2020.

“The record is now complete,” Mayor Kasim Reed said. “We have this amazing event coming to the city of Atlanta.”

The midseason All-Star Game features a squad of the top MLS players against a leading international team, which will be announced later. In this year’s game, Real Madrid defeated the MLS on penalty kicks before a sold-out crowd at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

Garber said Atlanta beat out three other cities for the right to host the game. He declined to name the other bidders, but said United was an obvious choice after the success of its inaugural season.

“I can say without hesitation that the launch of this team is one of the most, if not the most, impressive and successful team launches in the history of professional sports,” Garber said.

United averaged 48,200 per game despite having to play the first half of the season at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium because of delays in completing the $1.5 billion stadium near downtown Atlanta. That easily eclipsed the record set two years ago by the league’s flagship franchise in Seattle.

United also broke its own single-game record with a crowd of 71,874 for its regular-season finale against Toronto FC on Sunday.

“There was a passion in the city of Atlanta for this sport that has literally woven our city together in a way that I haven’t seen before,” Reed said. “We are just getting started.”

The season isn’t over yet.

Atlanta qualified for the playoffs and will host a knockout-round game against Columbus on Thursday night.

ACC honors for

Georgia Tech’s Devine

ATLANTA – Georgia Tech senior left guard Shamire Devine has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week, the ACC announced on Monday.

The award comes on the strength of Devine’s performance in Georgia Tech’s 38-24 win over Wake Forest on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The 6-7, 380-pounder recorded 10 knockdowns, many at the point of attack, to help pave the way for the Yellow Jackets’ 427 rushing yards.

The recognition is the first of Devine’s career but the third for a Yellow Jacket in Tech’s past four games. Sophomore left guard Parker Braun earned the award after taking 22 defenders to the ground in Georgia Tech’s 35-17 win over Pitt on Sept. 23, and sophomore center Kenny Cooper took home the honor after registering 10 knockdowns in the Jackets’ 33-7 win over North Carolina on Sept. 30.

NATIONAL

Virginia Tech, South Carolina will play for hurricane relief

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina and Virginia Tech men’s basketball teams will play an exhibition contest next month and funds raised from the game will go to hurricane relief efforts in Florida, Puerto Rico and Texas.

The game, “Hoops 4 Hurricane Relief,” will take place Nov. 5 at Colonial Life Arena. Tickets will cost $10. Anyone who donates $250 or more will receive two premium seats for the matchup along with two passes to the McGuire Club at the arena during the game.

South Carolina coach Frank Martin said the National Association of Basketball Coaches board of directors asked the NCAA to consider letting schools play exhibitions to help those areas affected by recent storms. Martin said the NCAA should be commended for agreeing.

Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams said he is honored to take part in the event.

UNC: point guard Berry

out 4 weeks with broken hand

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina point guard Joel Berry II will miss about four weeks after suffering a broken bone in his right hand.

The school announced Berry’s injury Monday but didn’t provide details on how Berry was hurt. The reigning national champion’s opener is less than three weeks away, coming Nov. 10 against Northern Iowa.

Berry averaged 14.7 points last season. He was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring 22 points in the win against Gonzaga for the program’s sixth NCAA championship. That also made him only the seventh player to score at least 20 points in consecutive national-title games dating to UNC’s 2016 loss to Villanova.

Berry’s injury could mean sophomore Seventh Woods or freshman Jalek Felton see more time at the point until the senior’s return.

INTERNATIONAL

Ronaldo is 5-time winner

of FIFA player award

LONDON — Cristiano Ronaldo has caught up with Lionel Messi to become a five-time winner of FIFA’s best player award.

The Real Madrid forward was crowned player of the year on Monday at the FIFA Best ceremony at the London Palladium theater attended by runner-up Messi and third-placed Neymar.

A second successive honor for Ronaldo was expected after a season in which the Portuguese eclipsed his award counterparts in the trophy stakes.

As well as Spanish league and Spanish Super Cup success, Ronaldo scored twice in the Champions League final against Juventus to win European soccer’s elite competition for the third time in four seasons.

Ronaldo’s coach at Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, was crowned coach of the year.

FIFA has shifted its award ceremony from its usual January slot to October so players are judged across a season — based on the typical European schedule — rather than the calendar year.

The women’s award honored the Netherlands’ success at the European Championship in August. Lieke Martens, who scored in the final win over Denmark, won the player’s award and Sarina Wiegman collected the coaching accolade.

The Puskas Award for best goal went to Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud for a scorpion-style kick. The Puskas Award-winning goal from an overhead back-heeled strike came on New Year’s Day in Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the English Premier League.