Tech Golf Finishes 8th at Visit Knoxville Collegiate

Loudon, Tenn. – Freshman Albert Hansson (Fiskebäckskil, Sweden) shot a 1-under-par 69 Sunday to pace Georgia Tech, and the 11^th-ranked Yellow Jackets closed with a 1-over-par round of 281 and placed eighth at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate.

Defending NCAA Champion Hiroshi Tai (Singapore), who shot 1-over-par 71 in the final round at Tennessee National Golf Club, tied for 12^th place individually at 2-under-par 208, 10 shots off the pace, while Hansson (1-under-par 209) tied for 18^th in his collegiate debut. Tech’s 5-over-par team total of 845 was 28 strokes off the pace of champion LSU.

Tech returns to action Sept. 20-22 at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational at Olympia Fields, Ill.

TECH LINEUP – Hansson, who finished the summer ranked No. 27 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, recorded three birdies and one bogey on the way to his team-low round Sunday. Tai birdied three holes but was unable to remain under par for his round after a double-bogey at the par-3 17^th. Each player birdied 11 of his 54 holes in the tournament.

Tech counted an even-par 70 from junior Aidan Tran (Fresno, Calif.) and a 1-over-par 71 from redshirt junior Benjamin Reuter (Naarden, The Netherlands) Sunday, while sophomore Carson Kim (Yorba Linda, Calif.) posted a 74. Reuter finished in a tie for 40^th place at 215 (+5), while Tran tied for 48^th at 216 (+6), and Kim tied for 66^th at 222 (+12).

 

Defending NCAA champion Hiroshi Tai was Tech’s top finisher, tying for 12th place. (photo by Clyde Click)

 

TEAM LEADERBOARD – The tournament remained a two-team race between LSU, the first-round leader, and Ole Miss, the 36-hole leader. The Tigers (817, -23) posted an even-par round Sunday to regain the lead and win the event by two strokes over the Rebels (819, -21), who shot 3-over-par in the final 18 holes.

They lapped the rest of the 16-team field. Host Tennessee and South Carolina tied for third place at 4-under-par 836. Mississippi State (+1), South Florida (+3), Charlotte (+3), Tech (+5), Indiana (+9) and Charleston (+10) rounded out the top 10 teams in the 16-team field.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – LSU’s Algot Kleen (12-under-par 198) shot 3-under-par 67 Sunday to score a four-stroke victory over Ole Miss’ Cameron Tankersley (8-under-par 202).

Four players – Tennessee’s Lance Simpson, Ole Miss’ Michael La Sasso, USF’s Jake Peacock and Mississippi State’s Garrett Endicott – tied for third place at 6-under-par 204.

Twenty of the 92 players in the field finished under par for 54 holes.

 

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – The Visit Knoxville Collegiate was held for the second time, and the Yellow Jackets are making their first appearance. Tennessee hosts the 16-team event, which is being contested over 54 holes beginning Friday and concluding Sunday at Tennessee National Golf Club, which plays to a par-70 and measures 7,280 yards.

Participating teams include Charlotte, Cincinnati, College of Charleston, East Tennessee State, Georgia Tech, Indiana, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, North Florida, Penn State, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin. Tennessee (7), Tech (11) and Ole Miss (13) are listed among the top 25 in the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll, while four other teams received votes.

 

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ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF

Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 30^th year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 72 tournaments in his tenure. The Yellow Jackets have won 19 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 33 appearances in the NCAA Championship and been the national runner-up five times. Follow Georgia Tech Golf on social media by liking their Facebook page, or following on X (@GTGolf) and Instagram. For more information on Tech golf, visit Ramblinwreck.com.