Oct. 12, 2008
Macon, Ga. –
On a day when the golf course turned soggy due to intermittent rain, David Dragoo and James White held their games together to post 3-over-par 73s and keep Georgia Tech in a share of the lead after 36 holes of the Brickyard Collegiate golf tournament.
Saturday’s stiff breezes gave way to periodic drizzle that fell harder as the round came to a close on the 7,104-yard, par-70 Brickyard at Riverside Course. Tech, the nation’s 15th-ranked team, played the front nine in 14-over-par, but steadied its play on the back to post a 15-over score of 295.
Complete results and final-round tee times
White, a freshman from Acworth, Ga., overcame a pair of double bogeys on the front side and birdied three holes coming home. Dragoo, a senior from Scottsdale, Ariz., went out in 4-over, but shaved a stroke off par on the backside to keep the Jackets at the top of the leaderboard heading into Monday’s final round.
“We had a tough front nine, going out 14 or 15 over, but we got it back together on the back,” said Tech coach Bruce Heppler. “James and David each had a couple birdies coming in, which helped. The conditions didn’t make a lot of difference. We just got off to a bad start. We played one of the easier holes, a par 5, over par.”
Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech (286 Sunday) and Georgia (285) are tied for the lead at 17-over 577. Clemson (289) is two shots back in fourth place, with Penn State (285) another three strokes back in fifth place. Augusta State (+24), Florida State (+27), Duke (+28), Tennessee-Chattanooga (+30) and Wake Forest (+34) round out the top 10.
“We’re in the last group tomorrow with a chance to win, and that’s what you want anytime you go play,” said Heppler.
First-round leader Cameron Tringale found trouble on his third hole and struggled throughout in shooting a 75, Tech’s highest counting player Sunday. John-Tyler Griffin shot a 74 for the Jackets.
“I had a good warm-up session today and played the first couple of holes well,” said Tringale. “But I hit a bad iron shot on 3, and that started happening more and more.”
Tringale, Griffin and Dragoo each remain in the top 10 individually. Tringale is tied for fourth at 2-over 142, two shots off the lead of Nick Archambault of Penn State (even-par 140). Griffin is in a tie for sixth at 3-over-par 143, while Dragoo is tied with five others at 4-over 144.
White is tied for 34th at 8-over 148, and Chesson Hadlay (80 Sunday) is tied for 70th place at 15-over 155.
BRICKYARD COLLEGIATEBrickyard at Riverside, Macon, Ga.36-hole Results
TOP FIVE TEAMS Georgia Tech, 282-295–577 (+17) Virginia Tech, 291-286–577 (+17) Georgia, 292-285–577 (+17) Clemson, 290-289–579 (+19) Penn State, 297-285–582 (+22)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS Nick Archambault, Penn State, 70-70–140 (E) David May, Clemson, 72-69–141 (+1) Drew Weaver, Virginia Tech, 68-73–141 (+1) Cameron Tringale, Georgia Tech, 67-75–142 (+2) Russell Henley, Georgia, 74-68–142 (+2) John Tyler Griffin, Georgia Tech, 69-74–143 (+3) Phillip Mollica, Clemson, 72-71–143 (+3) David Dragoo, Georgia Tech, 71-73–144 (+4) Five others at 4-over 144
GEORGIA TECH SCORES T4 – Cameron Tringale, 67-75–142 (+2) T6 – John-Tyler Griffin, 69-74–143 (+3) T8 – David Dragoo, 71-73–144 (+4) T34 – James White, 75-73–148 (+8) T70 – Chesson Hadley, 75-80–155 (+15) T52 – Minghao Wang (I), 79-73–152 (+12) 75 – Adam Cohan (I), 79-78–157 (+17)
