Lake Buena Vista, Fla. – The second-ranked Georgia Tech men’s golf team used yet another solid team round of 8-under-par 280 to claim the school’s seventh Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and the sixth since 1991. The 54-hole event was held at Walt Disney World’s 7093-yard, par-73 Magnolia Course.
The Yellow Jackets came on strong in the closing holes and passed second-round leader Wake Forest before opening up an advantage over second-place finisher Clemson over the final nine holes of play. Tech recorded the low team round of the day, finishing with the 8-under-par total of 280, and a 54-hole score of 19-under-par 280-285-280=845. The total was the Jackets’ lowest in the ACC tournament since a three-day 843 effort in 1998. The win now gives Tech five team victories on the year, including an impressive four during the spring schedule alone. Clemson placed second, eight shots off the pace with an 11-under-par score of 284-284-285=853.
Senior Bryce Molder led the Yellow Jackets in the event, as he finished second by firing the day’s low round, a 6-under-par 66 over the final 18 holes to finish at 11-under-par 69-70-66=205. That total matched the lowest 54-hole ACC tourney score in school history, tying Bob McDonnell in 1985 as he carded a 68-69-68=205. Molder finished just two shots off the pace of individual medalist John Engler of Clemson, who continued his solid play in the final day with a 5-under-par 67 to finish at 13-under-par 66-70-67=203.
Two other Tech individuals joined Molder in the top 10, as junior Kris Mikkelsen and sophomore Troy Matteson placed sixth and tenth respectively. Mikkelsen finished the event in a three-way tie for sixth with a 3-under-par score of 69-73-71=213. Latimer was one of two players tied for tenth at 1-under-par 70-74-71=215. All five of the Yellow Jackets in the field placed in the top 15, as junior Matt Weibring and senior Wes Latimer were 12th and 15th in the individual standings. Weibring was part of a three-way tie for 12th at even-par 73-71-72=216, while Latimer was one of three players in 15th place at 72-71-75=218.
The Yellow Jackets will take a couple of weeks off before heading to Williamsburg, Va., on May 17-19 to compete at the NCAA East Regional. The top eight teams in that event will earn a trip to Durham, N.C., for the NCAA Championships on May 30-June 2.
