March 19, 2018
Palm City, Fla. – Sophomore Andy Ogletree fired a 3-under-par 68, and freshman Noah Norton added a 2-under-par 69 Monday as third-ranked Georgia Tech posted a 2-under-par 282 team score in the second round and remained tied for seventh place at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational in Palm City, Fla.
Pairings and Live Scoring via Golfstat
TEAM LEADERBOARD – Scores were better across the board Monday at The Floridian National Golf Club as 10 of the 16 teams in the field broke par, as opposed to just three in the opening round Monday. Top-ranked Oklahoma State expanded its first-round lead by posting a 10-under-par 274 and completing 36 holes at 17-under-par 551.
The Cowboys are 12 strokes ahead of ninth-ranked Baylor, who shot 5-under-par 279 and have a tournament total of 5-under-par 463. No. 2 Texas A&M (283 Monday) and No. 23 Florida State (278 Monday) are tied for third place at 564 (-4). No. 12 LSU (279 Monday) is in fifth place at 566 (-2), followed by No. 37 Duke (282 Monday) in sixth place at 568 (even par).
Tech improved its first-round score by five shots yet gained no ground, remaining in a tie for seventh with No. 20 South Florida (280 Monday) at 569 (+1). No. 14 Texas (278 Monday) rose four positions to ninth place at 572 (+4).
The 16-team field is the strongest Tech has faced this spring, with 13 teams ranked among the nation’s top 50 according to Golfstat.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Oklahoma State’s Viktor Hovland, the nation’s No. 5-ranked player, followed his opening 67 with a 6-under-par 65 Monday and took over the individual lead at 10-under-par 132. Baylor’s Matthew Perrine matched his opening 67 and is in second place at 8-under-par 134.
Dan Erickson of Texas A&M, Alex Smalley of Duke and Scottie Scheffler of Texas, who tied Hovland for the low round of the day at 65, are tied for third place at 6-under-par 136. Florida State’s John Pak and Oklahoma State’s Matthew Wolff are tied for sixth at 18 (-4), followed by a group of four players at 139 (-3). Eighteen individuals are in red figures after 36 holes.
TECH LINEUP – Tech struggled early in its round, which began with holes 7 through 10 in the shotgun format, but the Yellow Jackets finished strong with 14 birdies collectively in their finishing holes on the front nine.
Ogletree, a sophomore from Little Rock, Miss., moved into a tie for 13th place along with fellow sophomore Luke Schniederjans (Powder Springs, Ga.), who followed his opening 68 with a 73 on Monday. Ogletree birdied three of his last five holes, and had six birdies altogether in his round Monday.
Norton, a freshman from Chico, Calif., played his last five holes in 3-under-par, moving into a tie for 19th place individually.
Sophomore Tyler Strafaci (Davie, Fla.), who opened defense of his 2017 Valspar title with a 73 Sunday, followed with a 72 (+1) Monday and is tied for 40th place. Senior Chris Petefish (Danville, Calif.), with rounds of 73-74, is tied for 53rd.
COACH Bruce Heppler SAYS – “The course was a little more gettable today, a little less wind. We finished on the most scoreable holes and made up some ground there. Luke birdied his last two to save his round, and Noah and Andy finished up well. The camaraderie is pretty good, and we’re playing for each other, so that’s all pretty positive. (Leader) Oklahoma State is just very good. They won a tournament in San Diego last weekend by 30 shots against the No. 6 team in the country. They’re tall, and they’re long.”
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – Georgia Tech is making its fifth appearance in the Valspar Collegiate Invitational, which began three years ago and has become one of the spring’s premier events at one of Florida’s top golf venues. The 54-hole event will utilize a shotgun start each day (Sunday through Tuesday) at 8 a.m. It is played at the 7,114-yard, par-71 Floridian National Golf Club, part of The Floridian Resort and Spa.
The 12-team field, the strongest the Yellow Jackets have faced this spring, includes 10 teams ranked among the nation’s top 50 according to Golfstat – Oklahoma State (1), Texas A&M (2), Tech (3), LSU (12), Texas (14), Arkansas (16), South Florida (20), Florida State (23), Pepperdine (28) and Duke (35), as well as Houston and Lamar.
The Yellow Jackets won the inaugural event in 2014 and finished second last spring. Sophomore Tyler Strafaci won the individual title last year, while Ollie Schniederjans won medalist honors at the 2014 tournament. A sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship goes to the individual winner.
