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Olympia Fields, Ill. – Andy Ogletree fired an even-par 70 Saturday as No. 3 Georgia Tech battled windy conditions to post a 7-over-par 287 and slip to second place after 36 holes at the Olympia Fields Country Club/Fighting Illini Invitational. The Yellow Jackets, who trail for the first time in five rounds this fall, enter Sunday’s final round one shot behind No. 20 Baylor.
TECH LINEUP – Ogletree, a senior from Little Rock, Miss., started his Saturday round with a birdie and got to 2-under-par with a birdie at No. 8, but could only muster two bogeys and eight pars the rest of the way in battling to his 70. Coupled with his Friday 69, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion is two shots off the lead for medalist honors at 1-under-par 139.
The Yellow Jackets’ score of 287 Saturday was the second-best score of the day, matched by No. 10 Pepperdine and No. 23 North Carolina and beaten only by the Bears, who posted a 1-over-par 281. Tech was able to muster just four birdies on the back nine as winds blew in the 15-20 mile-per-hour range and stormy conditions threatened throughout at Olympia Fields Country Club.
Tech still leads the field in par-4 scoring (4.13) and is second in most birdies made (26).
Redshirt sophomore Ben Smith (Novi, Mich.) and senior Luke Schniederjans (Powder Springs, Ga.) each shot 2-over-par 72, while junior Noah Norton (Chico, Calif.) added a 3-over 73. Senior Tyler Strafaci (Davie, Fla.) struggled to a 78.
Ben Smith shot his second straight 72 Saturday and is tied for 24th place individually.
TEAM LEADERBOARD – Led by Johnny Keefer’s 69, Baylor improved its Friday score by two strokes and moved atop the leaderboard at 564 (+4), one ahead of the Yellow Jackets, who finished 36 holes at 565 (+5). No. 10 Pepperdine is in third place at 567 (+7).
North Carolina, which got a 69 from Ryan Gerard, stayed with the leaders but remain another six strokes back in fourth place at 573 (+13), followed by host and No. 19 Illinois, led by Michael Feagles’ 67, at 576 (+16). The next five teams, No. 1 Texas (577), No. 14 Texas A&M (578), No. 25 Florida (579), Florida State (579) and No. 4 Oklahoma State (580) are all within four strokes of the Tar Heels.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Oklahoma State’s Austin Eckroat matched Feagles’ low round of the day (67) and assumed the individual lead at 3-under-par 137, one shot ahead of Baylor’s Cooper Dossey (138, -2), who posted a 70 Saturday.
Ogletree has a two-round total of 139 (-1) and is tied with the Longhorns’ Cole Hammer, Pepperdine’s William Mouw and Florida State’s Jamie Li. Hammer and Mouw each shot 68 Saturday.
John Axelsen of Florida and the Waves’ Joe Highsmith are tied for seventh place at even-par 140.
Norton is in a group of four players tied for 15th place individually at 142 (+2), while Schniederjans is one of five individuals tied for 19th place at 143 (+3). Smith is tied for 24th place at 144 (+4).
"A very challenging day for sure. I thought we handled it pretty well. We started off last and got the worst of it, wind and rain. But we played the last four or five holes pretty even, hung in there well."
–Head coach Bruce Heppler
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – Georgia Tech is competing in this event for the second time, and first since 2006, at the famed Olympia Fields Country Club (7,219 yards, par 70), which has hosted two U.S. Open Championships and two PGA Championships. The final round is set for 8 a.m. Eastern time Sunday, with the Yellow Jackets in the final pairing with Baylor and Pepperdine, starting at 10 a.m.
Olympia Fields, hosted by the University of Illinois’ golf program, annually attracts one of the strong fields in college golf, and this year brings in 10 of the nation’s top 25 teams as ranked in the preseason by the Golf Coaches Association of America. The 15-team field includes Alabama (21), Baylor (20), California (16), Florida State (27), Florida (25), Georgia Tech (3), Indiana, UNLV, North Carolina (23), Northwestern, Oklahoma State (4), Pepperdine (10), Texas (1) and Texas A&M (14). The host Illini are ranked 19th.
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.
