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Kirby Smart to play in Peach Bowl golf event with Georgia rival

Palmber-Thombsby:Palmer Thombs•05/01/23•

palmerthombs

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Perry McIntyre

Georgia and Florida (plus South Carolina) are teaming up for the 2023 Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge. Bulldogs’ head coach Kirby Smart is going to team up with former leader of the Gators and Gamecocks Steve Spurrier for the nation’s annual premier collegiate coach golf event to be played this week.

Smart and Spurrier will tee it up at Reynolds Lake Oconee in the two-man scramble format against eight other teams that include coaches from all across the country. Dabo Swinney and Paul Johnson make up an interesting one when it comes to Georgia’s traditional rivals while SEC East competition includes Shane Beamer, Bobby Johnson, Eliah Drinkwitz, Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen.

Team 1: Kirby Smart, Steve Spurrier

Team 2: Dabo Swinney, Steve Spurrier

Team 3: Shane Beamer, Tom O’Brien

Team 4: Mike Norvell, Bobby Johnson

Team 5: Pat Narduzzi, Chan Gailey

Team 6: Dino Babers, Rick Neuheisel

Team 7: Eliah Drinkwitz, Jim Grobe

Team 8: Jeff Monken, Randy Edsall

Team 9: Urban Meyer, Dan Mullen

Proceeds from the event benefit charitable foundations selected by the coaches. A total of $300,000 is on the line May 2 when the first-place duo will split $65,000 between the two winning coaches’ charities, while the remainder of the purse will be divided based on the finish of the other teams. Smart’s charity is the Kirby Smart Family Foundation where he and wife Mary Beth raise money for needy children and families facing adversity. Since its creation in 2007, the golf event has contributed a total of $9 million in scholarship and charity, helping make the Peach Bowl college football’s most charitable bowl organization.

Smart has a unique connection to the Peach Bowl having participated in it this past season. Georgia defeated Ohio State with a go-ahead score with just 55 seconds remaining to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game for the second straight season and third time under Smart. The Bulldogs then took down TCU 65-7 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to bring home the title.

Smart’s Bulldogs also won the Peach Bowl in 2020 when they missed out on the Playoff but still finished in the top 10, winning a matchup against fellow-10 opponent Cincinnati. Both teams would make the College Football Playoff the next season. Smart also played in the Peach Bowl as a player at Georgia.

“Kirby is special to us individually,” Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan said as Georgia accepted its invite to the Peach Bowl this past season. “Not only is he a great guy and a great person, but Kirby is the only player — little trivia for you guys. You might win some beers on this. Kirby is the only guy that’s played in our game, won our game as a player, won the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game in his first game coaching here at Georgia against North Carolina, and also won 2020, won the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl as a coach.  Now all he has to do with is win our Peach Bowl Challenge Golf Tournament, which he’s finished second or third a couple of times. Am I right?”

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