Feb. 24, 2015
Rio Grande, P.R. – Georgia Tech’s golf team, ranked fourth in the nation by the Golf Coaches Association of America, shot 5-over-par 293 Tuesday and remained in second place at the conclusion of the Puerto Rico Classic in Rio Grande, P.R.
Complete Results | Puerto Rico Individual Event
TECH LINEUP – Anders Albertson led the way for Tech Tuesday with a 2-under-par 70, while Ollie Schniederjans shot even-par 72, freshman Michael Pisciotta added a 3-over-par 75 and Vincent Whaley a 4-over-par 76 for the Yellow Jackets’ counting scores. Freshman Jacob Joiner shot 77 (+5). In the accompanying individual event, freshman Chris Petefish shot 1-under-par 70 and shared first place at even-par 213 along with Jaime Lopez Rivarola.
The Yellow Jackets had a difficult time on the front nine at the Rio Mar River Course, with 13 bogeys and a trio of double-bogeys, but rallied to play the back nine in 4-under-par to maintain their position.
TEAM LEADERBOARD – Georgia Tech finished at 5-under-par 859 but slipped to seven shots further back of Georgia, which shot 291 Tuesday and completed 54 holes at 12-under-par 852. Alabama (ranked 11th) and Oklahoma (No. 22) tied for third place at 865 (+1), while Purdue finishes fifth at 876 (+3). Those three teams and NC State, which finished 10th, were the only teams to break par on Tuesday. Clemson finished sixth, Michigan seventh and Virginia Tech eighth.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Dru Love (69 Tuesday) of Alabama and Scott Vincent (68) of Virginia Tech finished as co-medalists with 54-hole totals of 209 (-7), and Clemson’s Billy Kennerly was third at 210 (-6). Alabama’s Robby Shelton and Georgia’s Lee McCoy and Sepp Straka tied for seventh at 211 (-5).
Albertson and Schniederjans finished just out of the top 10 with 2-under-par 214 scores. Pisciotta tied for 22nd at 218 (+2) in an encouraging performance in his first collegiate event counting for his team. Joiner tied for 27th at 219 (+3), and Whaley tied for 37th at 223 (+7).
COACH Bruce Heppler SAYS – “It was a tough start to the day, but each player battled until the end. This place has worn out some first-timers in the past, and it was encouraging for our new guys to play in the last groups on the final day. The only way to get comfortable in those situations is to be there. A positive event overall.”
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – The Puerto Rico Classic is a typical 54-hole collegiate event, with the low four scores out of five counting each day. The 16-year-old event is played on the Rio Mar Beach Resort and Spa River Course (6,902 yards, par 72) in Rio Grande, P.R. The 15-team field featured nine teams in the current Golfweek/Sagarin top-50, including Georgia Tech (6), North Carolina (9), Alabama (11), Oklahoma (22), Virginia Tech (28), Clemson (30), East Tennessee State (32), Georgia (39), North Carolina State (47), UNC Greensboro (56), Michigan (63), Purdue (70), Minnesota (99), Tulsa (120) and Nebraska (207). Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Alabama, Virginia Tech and Purdue all reached last year’s NCAA Championship.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY – Georgia Tech has played in the Puerto Rico Classic every year the event has been held and won the event four times (2000, 2001, 2002, 2005). Three Yellow Jackets have won medalist honors (Troy Matteson, 2002, Roberto Castro, 2007, James White, 2011). Tech has also been the runner-up three times, most recently last year by four shots to Alabama. The Jackets shot a team total of 819 (41-under-par).
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 20th year under head coach Bruce Heppler. The Yellow Jackets have won 15 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 27 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 (@GT_Golf). For more information on Tech golf, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
