Jackets Take Lead at Carpet Capital Collegiate

Men's GolfSeptember 06, 2019

Jackets Take Lead at Carpet Capital Collegiate

Jackets on top by 6 shots, Schniederjans tied for lead after firing 68 (-4)

Carpet Capital Collegiate official site | Pairings and live scoring via Golfstat

THE FLATS – Luke Schniederjans fired a 4-under-par 68 Friday, leading No. 3 Georgia Tech to a 4-under-par score of 284 and a six-stroke lead after the opening round of the 31^st Carpet Capital Collegiate at The Farm Golf Club in Rocky Face, Ga.

TECH LINEUP – Schniederjans birdied six holes and put the icing on the cake with an eagle-2 at the last, a difficult 417-yard, par 4 finishing hole. The senior All-American from Powder Springs, Ga., who won this event as a freshman, started out hot with four birdies in his first six holes. He gave all but three shots back after a double-bogey at 9, then played the back nine in 3-under-par to finish the day in a tie for first place individually.

Noah Norton was the only other Yellow Jacket under par Friday, posting a 2-under-par 70 that included an eagle at the par-5 15^th, and the junior from Chico, Calif., is tied for third place, two shots off the lead. Senior Tyler Strafaci (Davie, Fla.) and redshirt sophomore Ben Smith (Novi, Mich.) both shot 73 to count for Tech, and are tied for 14^th place.

Freshman Andy Mao (Johns Creek, Ga.), making his collegiate debut, stood 1-under-par through 14 holes but stumbled with a quadruple bogey and a double bogey at 15 and 16 and shot 77. Sophomore Connor Howe (Ogden, Utah), competing as an individual, shot 75 and is tied for 30^th.

Noah Norton fired a 70 and is two shots back of the lead.

TEAM LEADERBOARD – Playing without All-American Andy Ogletree, who is in England this weekend representing the United States at the Walker Cup, Georgia Tech was the only team to post a subpar score Friday, getting as low at 6-under-par before finishing at 284 (-4). The Jackets hold a six-stroke advantage over North Florida (290, +2). The Ospreys played strong golf through 13 holes, getting to 11-under-par, but made just one birdie against 11 bogeys, three double bogeys and a triple bogey over their final five holes.

Clemson, ranked 17^th in the preseason coaches poll, shot 292 (+4) and holds third place, followed by South Florida (293, +5), No. 22 South Carolina (295, +7) and No. 21 Alabama (296, +8).

INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Georgia Tech’s Luke Schniederjans and South Carolina senior Jamie Wilson are tied at the top at 68 (-4), two strokes clear of a group of four players tied for third at 70 (-2), including the Jackets’ Noah Norton, North Florida’s Michael Mattiace and Davis Lee, and South Florida’s Massimo Mbetse.

Seven players are tied for seventh place at even-par 72.

HEAD COACH BRUCE HEPPLER SAYS:

If you look at the way some of those teams finished on the back, we handled those holes pretty well. We played those tough holes pretty even, and we had the right mindset so something good can happen at the end. Andy played 16 great holes, positive start for him. Noah hung in there until the end and made an eagle and great up and down on 18. Luke landed his second shot perfectly (at 18) and just a couple of hops and it went in. We had a North wind today, which make all the hard holes play into the wind. The golf course is probably the best we’ve ever seen it. The rough is up, the greens are great but very fast, so it’s a really good test.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – The Carpet Capital Collegiate is being played through 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 25^th 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.