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THE FLATS – Luke Schniederjans fired a 5-under-par 67 and Tyler Strafaci added a 3-under 69 Saturday as No. 3 Georgia Tech built its lead to 12 strokes over North Florida after two rounds of the 31st Carpet Capital Collegiate at The Farm Golf Club in Rocky Face, Ga.
The Yellow Jackets will look for their 10th title in the team’s traditional season-opener when they begin Sunday’s final round at 9:40 a.m., paired with the Ospreys and No. 21 Alabama. Schniederjans, a senior from Powder Springs, Ga., goes for his second win in the tournament.
TECH LINEUP – Seniors Schniederjans (Powder Springs, Ga.) and Strafaci (Davie, Fla.) carried the day on a day when Tech was missing junior Noah Norton, who came up with back spasms and was unable to play, meaning the Yellow Jackets would have no high score to drop. Still, the Jackets were the only team to finish the round under par as a team at 3-under-par 285.
Schniederjans racked up eight birdies and leads the field with 14 over two rounds, finishing 36 holes at 9-under-par 135 and grabbing the outright lead in the medal race. Strafaci posted five birdies against a pair of bogeys for his 69 and is tied for second.
Freshman Andy Mao (Johns Creek, Ga.) chipped in with a 1-under-par 71 with six birdies on his card, and is tied for third in most birdies for the tournament (10). Redshirt sophomore Ben Smith (Novi, Mich.) shot 78.
The Jackets have piled up 43 birdies over two days despite the difficulty of the golf course, 10 more than North Florida.
TEAM LEADERBOARD – Tech has a 36-hole total of 569 (-7), the only team of the 15 in the field that has shot under par each day. North Florida sits 12 shots back at 581 (+5), with No. 21 Alabama in third at 585 (+9). No. 23 Clemson is fourth at 587 (+11), followed by South Florida (589, +13).
South Carolina (592), East Tennessee State, Charlotte and Colorado State (all at 593) and Tennessee (598) round out the top 10.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Schniederjans’ 67 was the low round of the day, giving him a 9-under-par total of 135. Charlotte’s Mark Boucher matched Schniederjans on Saturday, but the 49ers senior sits seven strokes back at 2-under-par 142, tied with Strafaci. North Florida’s Michael Mattiace headlines a group of seven players tied for fourth at 1-under-par 143.
Head coach Bruce Heppler says:
"That’s kind of what we need, and [Tech’s seniors] were solid today. Today was really special day because everything counted. Ty finished much better today and played the back nine really well. For Luke, it’s his last year, and he’s an All-American. It’s different level of focus, he’s zeroed in and he’s playing great. Andy has played 33 really good holes. He’s had a couple holes give him trouble, but he just smiles about it and moves on. He’s made 10 birdies over two days, so that means he’s really playing good golf. To shoot under par without Noah was a really good day."
Freshman Andy Mao has carded 10 birdies over 36 holes, tied for third in the field.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – The Carpet Capital Collegiate concludes Sunday at The Farm Golf Club, a 7,180-yard, par 72 layout designed by Tom Fazio near Dalton, Ga. The Yellow Jackets have been the institutional host of this event since its inception in 1989, winning or sharing nine titles, most recently last fall with Tennessee. The 15-team field for this year’s event includes Clemson and Virginia from the Atlantic Coast Conference, as well as Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee from the Southeastern Conference.
TECH’S CARPET CAPITAL COLLEGIATE HISTORY – Georgia Tech has won or shared the title at the Carpet Capital Collegiate nine times in its 30-year history, including being co-champions each of the past two years. Clemson has won four times, Alabama three. A Yellow Jacket has won medalist honors nine times, including four of the past five years (Luke Schniederjans in 2016, Jacob Joiner in 2015, Ollie Schniederjans in 2013 and 2014). Current PGA Tour pros Stewart Cink, Chesson Hadley, Troy Matteson and Bryce Molder also have claimed victory at The Farm, with Molder taking the title three consecutive times between 1998 and 1999, when the event moved from the spring to the fall schedule.
ACC NETWORK HAS LAUNCHED!
The ACC Network is a linear and digital platform dedicated to 24/7 coverage of ACC sports that launched on Aug. 22, 2019. It will exclusively televise approximately 450 live events each year, including 40 football games (beginning with Georgia Tech’s 2019 season opener at Clemson on Aug. 29), as well as 150 men’s and women’s basketball contests.
Don’t get shut out! For more information and to learn if your cable/satellite/digital provider is carrying the ACC Network, visit GetACCN.com. Georgia Tech fans whose cable/satellite/digital providers aren’t carrying the ACC Network are urged to contact their providers and ask for the ACC Network to be a part of their subscription.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 25th year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 59 tournaments in his tenure. The Yellow Jackets have won 18 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 29 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.
