Las Vegas, Nev. – Sophomore Christo Lamprecht fired a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 to take the individual lead, while juniors Connor Howe and Bartley Forrester also broke par Sunday as Georgia Tech shot a 12-under-oar 276 and holds fourth place following the opening round of the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas, Nev.
With three victories in six events during the 2021-22 year, the No. 12-ranked Yellow Jackets are in the hunt for victory number four, just four strokes off the pace of top-ranked Oklahoma. Head coach Bruce Heppler’s Tech squad is part of a 15-team field this weekend that includes seven teams that are ranked in the top 25 of the current Golfstat rankings, nine in the top 50.
Rounds 2 begins at 12 p.m. Monday, and Tech is paired with No. 9 Georgia and Tu.
TECH LINEUP – Lamprecht led the entire field Sunday with his 65 and pace Tech’s 12-under-par effort, which also included 3-under-par 69s from Howe and Forrester on the 7,510-yard, par-72 Southern Highlands Golf Club. Freshman Benjamin Reuter provided the Yellow Jackets’ fourth counting scorer with a 1-under-par 73, while Ross Steelman, Tech’s top-ranked player, struggled to an 8-over-par 80 and didn’t count.
Lamprecht, a sophomore from George, South Africa, birdied holes 5,6,7 and 8 in succession after an even-par start, then added three more birdies on the back nine in posting his 65 and taking a one-stroke lead in the medal race after 18 holes. It was not his best round of the year (he shot 63 in round 2 at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate last fall on the way to a record 54-hole total of 194), but it was his best score this spring in seven rounds. Howe (Ogden, Utah) carded six birdies and three bogeys, and Forrester (Gainesville, Ga.) had five birdies and two bogeys, each posting 3-under-par 69s. They are tied for 22nd place individually.
The 18th-hole, a 622-yard, par-5 finishing hole, proved problematic for the Yellow Jackets, who lost three shots to par there Sunday despite a getting a birdie from Lamprecht. Water is in play along the right side the entire length of the hole, and a few of the Jackets found it.
Similarly to its performance in winning the Watersound Invitational last week, Tech was strong on playing the par-4 holes at Southern Highlands, leading the field at 8-under-par.
Bartley Forrester has shot par or better in six of seven spring rounds. (photo by Ross Obley)
TEAM LEADERBOARD – All five Oklahoma players birdied the final hole, giving the top-ranked Sooners a 20-under-par total of 268 and a seven-stroke cushion on No. 5 Pepperdine, which posted a 15-under-par score of 273. Oklahoma tossed out a 3-under-par 69 from its team score Sunday, counting a 66, a pair of 67s and a 68. The defending NCAA champion Waves finished strong with four birdies om the final hole.
No. 24 Florida posted a 13-under-par 275, followed by the Yellow Jackets at 12-under-par 276. No. 9 Georgia, No. New Mexico and TCU.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Georgia Tech’s Lamprecht has a one-shot lead over Patrick Welch of Oklahoma and Fred Biondi of Florida, who each shot 6-under-par 66.
The Sooners’ Ben Lorenz and Drew Goodman are among seven golfers tied for fourth place at 5-under-par 67. Another 11 players, including Oklahoma’s Chris Gotterup are tied for 11th pace at 4-under-par 68.
The Yellow Jackets’ Howe and Forrester are tied wit five others for 22nd place at 3-under 69. Fifty of the 84 golfers in the field broke par in the opening round.
"It was a good start for us. We’re in the tournament against a really good field on a tough golf course. Christo had a great day, and Connor and Bartley were solid. We lost some shots on the last hole, didn’t play it particularly well, but otherwise it was a good day. The weather conditions are as good as I’ve ever seen them since we’ve been coming out there, and the course is scoreable."
Head coach Bruce Heppler
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – Georgia Tech is competing in the Southern Highlands Collegiate for the 18th time. The Jackets did not play in the event last year, but finished 10th in their last appearance in 2020, the last event Tech played before the spring season shut down due to COVID-19.
Georgia Tech has won the event twice, in 2001 and 2002, but have finished no higher than solo sixth place (2005, 2019) since then. Four Yellow Jackets, all of whom have competed on the PGA Tour, have captured medalist honors, beginning in 1992 when Stewart Cink and David Duval shared the title. Troy Matteson won a share of the title in 2002 with Florida’s Camilo Villegas, and Cameron Tringale win the tournament outright in 2009.
The tournament follows the traditional collegiate 54-hole, 5-count-4, stroke-play format, with 18 holes each Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The event is conducted at Southern Highlands Golf Club, which measures 7,510 yards (par 72), the longest layout on the Yellow Jackets’ schedule. For the second time, the individual champion will receive an exemption into the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, which will take place Oct. 6-9, 2022, at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.
The field includes (with Golfstat ranking) No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 5 Pepperdine, No. 9 Georgia, No. 12 Georgia Tech, No. 15 Texas, No. 19 Illinois, No. 24 Florida, No. 29 New Mexico, No. 35 Northwestern, San Diego, SMU, Southern California, TCU, UCLA and UNLV.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 27th year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 68 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.
