Harris English may have a 2:30 tee time in the “biggest tournament he’s ever played in,” but that doesn’t mean he’s immune from taking his final exam.

English simply had to make accommodations, moving up his HACE 3200 final from 11:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. so that he could have enough turnaround time to properly prepare as he and teammate Russell Henley make their professional debut today on their home course.

“I’ll probably wake up early, eat some breakfast, study a little, take the test, and then come out here and chill, take it easy, and get ready for my round,” English said. “But I’ll definitely be grinding for that test in the morning.”

Attempting to juggle playing in their first pro event -— the Nationwide Tour’s Stadion Athens Classic at the UGA Golf Course — and preparing for upcoming finals, all while attending their last weeks of classes, hasn’t been an easy task for English and Henley.

“I have a final on Monday and a presentation that I’m missing [today] that I’m going to have to write a paper for instead, which is going to be not fun,” Henley said. “I wish it was a different time of the year, but at the same time it’s fine. I’m going to make it through it, I just have to do a little studying here and there.”

Despite being an amateur player amongst a throng of seasoned professionals, Henley and English’s expectations remain unchanged from a tournament on their collegiate schedule.

“I’m playing to win, I’m not afraid to say that,” Henley said. “I don’t play in any golf tournaments just to come out and make the cut.”

With former Georgia players Kevin Kisner, Chris Kirk, Brendon Todd, Brian Harman, and Justin Bolli in the field this week, assistant coach Jason Payne isn’t picking any favorites, but he’d be hard-pressed to bet against his two current star juniors.

Athens plays host to Bulldogs past and present in the annual Stadion Athens Classic, a part of the Nationwide Tour. PHOTO BY KATHERINE POSS.

Athens plays host to Bulldogs past and present in the annual Stadion Athens Classic, a part of the Nationwide Tour. PHOTO BY KATHERINE POSS.

“It’s going to be hard to overlook Harris and Russell playing this place all year, seeing them day in and day out, playing right here in their own backyard, I think those guys will be in contention,” Payne said. “I tell you if they aren’t in contention, it’d really be a surprise.”

Although it may sound outlandish to think two college players can compete in a throng of seasoned professionals, it’s not unprecedented. 

Rickie Fowler, as a 20-year-old sophomore at Oklahoma State, finished second after losing out in a playoff in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational last summer. 

Daniel Summerhays, then a player at Brigham Young University, won the same tournament as an amateur in 2007.

“It definitely shows you that amateurs can play [out here],” English said. “Especially Rickie — he’s my age, and he’s like 40th on the money list on the PGA Tour right now. 

It just kind of shows you that we can play with these guys, and we’ve just got to get the confidence up and keep doing what were doing.”

And Fowler and Summerhays didn’t have the advantage of playing their home course, although Henley says the golf course “normally is not this hard.”

“[The course] is long and hard and greens are firm and fast, so I think its going to play difficult,” Kisner said. “It’s one of the hardest we play all year, top five for sure.”

While the event being staged on their home course gives English and Henley an opportunity, it also meant a sacrifice was in order for their other teammates. 

Head coach Chris Haack decided to have everyone on his team, except English and Henley, clean out their lockers for the week, giving them up to former Georgia players in the field for the week.

“That was Coach’s decision to have us give them up, but none of us mind because it’s great to have some of the former players come in and get to use our lockers,” redshirt freshman T.J. Mitchell said.

Both English and Henley earned their spots in the tournament over their teammates by being the two Georgia players with the lowest scoring averages on the season. Each player is being funded through sponsor exemptions.

Henley will have a lot of familiar faces in his group, as his older brother, Adam Henley, will be on the bag for him this week. 

Former teammate Brian Harman, who played with English and Henley during their freshman and sophomore seasons, happens to be paired with Henley for the first two rounds as well.

“I’ve played a lot of golf with Harman,” Henley said,  

“I think we’re going to have a good time.”