THE FLATS – Defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech, 2018 NCAA Championship runner-up Alabama and NCAA match play participants Duke and Texas A&M are among the 15 teams set to compete in the 13th edition of The Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational hosted by Georgia Tech, Oct. 19-21 at The Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta.
The 54-hole event, which annually attracts one of the strongest fields in college golf, this year has 13 NCAA Championship participants in the field. Clemson, Stanford and UCLA each advanced to the NCAA Championship finals this spring, while Georgia Tech, Florida State, Middle Tennessee State, Southern California, TCU, Virginia and Wake Forest all competed in NCAA regionals. East Tennessee State, the only team besides the host Yellow Jackets to have participated in all 12 previous Collegiate Invitational events, and New Mexico round out the 15-team field.
Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational History
“We’re excited to host what has long been one of college golf’s best events,” said head coach Bruce Heppler. “The Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational has annually been ranked as one of the three of four best collegiate tournaments because of the venue, the strong field and the overall experience that the competitors and teams enjoy. We enjoy showing off The Golf Club of Georgia as well. It is a special place and a major part of our program. The winner will have earned a very special trophy.”
The Collegiate Invitational this year includes five former champions. Tech (2010, 2012) and Clemson (2006, 2009) have each won the tournament twice, while Southern California (2008), UCLA (2011) and Wake Forest (2015) have each won it once. The Crimson Tide, who played in the first five Collegiate Invitationals which were held during the spring season, return to compete again after an eight-year absence.
The roster of competitors throughout the history of the event is littered with current PGA Tour professionals, including Georgia Tech’s Ollie Schniederjans (2013 champion), Roberto Castro, Chesson Hadley, Cameron Tringale and Richy Werenski, Alabama’s Bud Cauley and Michael Thompson, BYU’s Daniel Summerhays, Clemson’s Kyle Stanley, Florida’s Matt Every and Billy Horschel, Florida State’s Jonas Blixt and Brooks Koepka, Georgia’s Brian Harman, Oklahoma State’s Rickie Fowler, Southern California’s Jamie Lovemark, Stanford’s Patrick Rodgers (2012 champion), Texas’ Beau Hossler, UCLA’s Patrick Cantlay and Wake Forest’s Webb Simpson (2007 champion).
The Golf Club of Georgia is home to a pair of the finest courses in the entire state of Georgia. Presently, the Lakeside and Creekside courses are listed among Golf Digest’s “Top 20 Best Courses” in Georgia and have maintained this lofty ranking for many years. The Lakeside course (7,017 yards), on which the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate has been contested each year, received immediate acclaim in 1991 when it was named Best New Private Course in the United States.
Over the years, The Golf Club of Georgia, has hosted PGA Champions Tour events, the historic Georgia Cup which annually pits the reigning amateur champions from the United States and Great Britain prior to their participation at The Masters, U.S. Open qualifiers, the Georgia Amateur and other Georgia PGA sanctioned events.
Admission to The Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational Hosted by Georgia Tech is complimentary and open to the public. For more information, visit GolfClubofGeorgia.com.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team has completed 23 years under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 53 tournaments in his tenure. The Yellow Jackets have won 17 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 32 appearances in the NCAA Championship and been the national runner-up four times. Connect with Georgia Tech Golf on social media by liking their Facebook page, or following on Twitter (@GTGolf) and Instagram. For more information on Tech golf, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
