June 13, 2014
By Matt Winkeljohn
The Good Word
If you learned anything at Georgia Tech, it should have been that there often is more than one way to engineer – or re-engineer. Anders Albertson is proof.
He and fellow rising senior Ollie Schniederjans, who will be the only two significant carryover members of the Yellow Jackets’ golf team to the next school year, have gone about their business is nearly opposite fashions of late.
Schniederjans, who verged on winning national player of the year awards, shut himself down after the Jackets were eliminated by Oklahoma State in a national quarterfinal match a little more than two weeks ago.
He said, as was chronicled here yesterday, that he was burned out mentally. He flamed out five days after the NCAAs with a two-round showing in a U.S. Open sectional qualifier that was more Paul Johnson than Ollie: 83-76.
Those were, frankly, the two least impressive competitive rounds he’d shot in at least a year, and they were back-to-back.
So, he kicked the game of golf to the curb for a few days and withdrew from an amateur tournament this week that he’d signed up for as a backup in the event he did not qualify for the U.S. Open.
Albertson?
He went right back at it, cranking up all the machinery as soon as possible.
He is not only playing this week, having shot rounds out 71-70 to tie for 33rd in the Monroe Invitational outside of Rochester, N.Y., but he picked up his clubs quickly after the NCAA drama in Kansas.
“I was practicing next day. I had a different experience; my game wasn’t going well. It didn’t fit with me how I performed,” he said after Thursday’s round at the Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, N.Y. “Some guys are different.”
Albertson, who won the 2013 ACC title, had a rock solid fall for the Jackets before an erratic spring.
Perhaps his life has interfered with golf. Who knows?
He hasn’t been content with the way he’s played so he’s playing more.
Where Schniederjans opted to go give himself a break with the goal of getting back on beam, Albertson raced back into the search for his rhythm. He jumped right back
He has found it, sort of.
“I shot 71-70 first two rounds. It’s OK. I haven’t scored my best. I kind of finished poorly [Wednesday],” he said. “[Thursday], I didn’t make many putts. I think I can have two good rounds next two days.”
For what it’s worth, Albertson thinks the Jackets can have another good season even though Seth Reeves, Bo Andrews and Richy Werenski (who is making his pro debut this week) have graduated.
A few of the chaps who figure to help the Jackets chase another ACC title are in New York as well.
Andrews is bunking, sort of, with Albertson. They are staying with the same host family at the Monroe.
They have Tech company at the tournament, too.
Michael Hines and Drew Czuchry, who both redshirted the past school year, are priming for their sophomore and senior seasons, respectively. Hines (71-72) is tied for 45th, and Czuchry (77-73) is tied for 74th out of 78.
Rising sophomore Vincent Whaley (70-76), is there as well, tied for 60th.
Although his final college season is not foremost on Albertson’s mind, he’s given next season thought. The Jackets have an outstanding recruiting class on the way to The Flats with freshmen Chris Petefish, Michael Pisciotta, Jacob Joiner and James Clark, and Albertson is convinced Tech will keep stroking.
“It’s by no means a re-building year. Those guys are expected to carry on from where everybody else left off. It’s not about the name of the player; it’s about the name on your back,” Anders said.
“Ollie and I will do our best to show them what they need to do, and we expect to go in there and win the ACC champ again and compete for an NCAA championship.”
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