Jackets in 8th at Cabo Collegiate

Los Cabos, Mexico – Hiroshi Tai (Singapore) responded in second round action of the Cabo Collegiate with a team-best 5-under-par 66. The senior jumped 19 spots on the individual leaderboard into a tie for sixth with a two-day total of 137 (-5). As a team, the Yellow Jackets recorded a four-over-par 288 on Monday to slip into eighth place at 571 (+3).

No. 9 Arkansas recorded the lowest team round on Monday with a 14-under-par 270 to move into first place on the team leaderboard, jumping No. 11 Oklahoma State which held the lead after round one. Oklahoma State moved to second with a 10-under-par 274 second round.

The competitive field in Los Cabos features 10 programs ranked in the latest Scorecard rankings – No. 5 Vanderbilt, No. 7 Arizona State, No. 9 Arkansas, No. 11 Oklahoma State, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 17 Georgia Tech, No. 18 Tennessee, No. 20 Stanford, No. 27 Arizona State and No. 36 Florida State. Cal, Houston, Loyola (Md.), Rice and UC Santa Barbara round out the field.

In addition to the team title, for the third year in a row – and fourth overall – the tournament will once again provide the individual champion exemption to play on the PGA TOUR.  This year’s winner earns an exemption to play in the World Wide Technology Championship at Diamante Cabo San Lucas in November.

Final round action begins at 10:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday with another shotgun start.

Hiroshi Tai fired Tech’s lowest second round with a 5-under-par 66 on Monday. (Photo by Darren Carroll)

TECH LINEUP – After an even-par opening round on Sunday, Tai fired off six birdies to one bogey on Monday for a 5-under-par 66. He was one of only 26 golfers to record a sub-par round on Monday and enters the final round in a three-way tie for sixth place at 137 (-5).

Benjamin Reuter (Naarden, The Netherlands) carded a 2-over-par 73 and is tied for 19^th (141, -1), while Albert Hansson (Fiskebäckskil, Sweden) shot a 3-over-par 74 and stands in 67^th (151, +9) after 36 holes.

Aidan Tran (Fresno, Calif.), who led the Jackets in round one, recorded a 4-over-par 75 on Monday, to move into a tie for 26^th (143, +1).

Recording one of only 11 eagles on the day, Kale Fontenot (Lafayette, La.) posted an eight-over-par 79 and did not factor into the team’s score. Fontenot is tied for 76^th (155, +13).

TEAM LEADERBOARD – Just one stroke off the lead after round one, Arkansas took over the top spot with a 14-under-par 270 second round. The Razorbacks enter the final round with a three-stroke advantage at 551 (-17).

Oklahoma State stands in second place (554, -14), while Arizona State holds third-place (557, -11). Rice maintained its position in fourth (560, -8), while Ole Miss rounds out the top five at 563 (-5). Tennessee sits in sixth (564, -4) and Arizona holds a two-stroke lead over the Jackets in seventh (569, +1).

INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Preston Scott of Oklahoma State carded the lowest individual round to move into first place on the individual leaderboard. With an 8-under-par 63 on Monday, Scott heads into the final round with a two-day total of 130 (-12) and a six-stroke lead.

California’s Ziqin Zhou moved into a four-way tie for second at 136 (-6) with Gerardo Gomez (Arkansas), Michael Mjaaseth (Arizona State) and Erich Fortlage (Arkansas). Three golfers are tied for sixth (136, -5) – Tai, Henry Daly (Rice) and Tom Fischer (Ole Miss).

After two rounds, only 22 players remain under par, including Tai and Reuter.

EVENT DETAILS

CABO Collegiate

• Dates: March 1-3 (stroke play, 54 holes)
• Format: 18 holes Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
• Venue: Twin Dolphin Club (par 71, 7,156 yards)
• Participating teams (15): Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, California, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Houston, Loyola (Md.), Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Rice, Stanford, Tennessee, UC Santa Barbara, Vanderbilt

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ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF

Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 31^st year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 73 tournaments in his tenure. The Yellow Jackets have won 19 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 34 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.