GRAND HAVEN, Mich. – With a pair of subpar rounds from returners Albert Hansson (Fiskebäckskil, Sweden) and Kale Fontenot (Lafayette, La.), Georgia Tech golf battled through adversity to maintain its team lead at the Folds of Honor Collegiate with an even-par team total of 284 on Tuesday. Freshman Max Emberson (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), who opened his collegiate career with an 8-under-par showing on Monday, remains atop the individual leaderboard through 36 holes.
With a two-day total of 556 (-12), No. 22 Georgia Tech enters Wednesday’s final round with a one-stroke team lead over Notre Dame and Texas in a share for second. Tech has two Yellow Jackets in the top-5 individually as Emberson closed his second round with a birdie on nine to regain sole control of the individual lead, and Hansson sits in a tie for 5th at 4-under-par.
“We hung in tough today after some difficult holes,” commented head coach Ryan Hybl. “I love that, and the way we battled, more than when we play well.”
The men’s field returns to an afternoon slot on Wednesday for the final round.
Jackets Maintain Lead at Folds of Honor Collegiate
No. 22 Georgia Tech holds lead after 36 holes; Emberson leads individually
Albert Hansson recorded Tech's low round of the day with a 2-under-par 69 (photo courtesy of GCAA)TECH LINEUP – Hansson, who shot a 2-under-par opening round on Monday, made the turn at 3-under after an eagle on 18 (Tech started on hole 10), before a pair of bogeys bookended a birdie on 6 for the junior. After two days, Hansson sits at 4-under-par 138, climbing three spots into a tie for fifth. Hansson became the second Yellow Jacket to eagle hole No. 18 in the tournament.
Fontenot answered for the Jackets on Tuesday, posting a 1-under-par 70 after not counting towards the team score on Monday. The senior played a nearly flawless second round with two birdies and a bogey to close the front nine. Fontenot is 2-over for the tournament and tied for 29th.
Emberson shook off a slow start to the round as the freshman stood 5-over through his first six holes, but closed his front nine with birdie-par-eagle to chip away. Emberson has now recorded an eagle on 18 both days of the tournament. The freshman played a clean back nine before moving back into sole possession of first-place with a birdie on nine to finish 1-over for the day. After two rounds, Emberson is 7-under-par and holds a one stroke lead entering the final round.
Andrew Ferworn (Houston, Texas) was Tech’s final countable score with a 2-over-par 73. The Jacket recorded birdies on 11, 6, and 7 and is tied for 26th with a two-day total of 143. Carson Baez (Davenport, Fla.) finished with a 4-over-par 75 and did not count to the team score.
TEAM LEADERBOARD – Georgia Tech battled back-and-forth for the lead, holding its position atop the standings. However, Notre Dame and Texas sit just one stroke back in a tie for second as the Fighting Irish were 7-under on the day and the Longhorns posted the lowest team score of the morning at 12-under.
Alabama sits in fourth at 563 (-5), while Cincinnati climbed three spots into fifth-place at even-par 568.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Shaping up to be a highly-competitive final round on Wednesday, only three strokes differentiate the top eight individuals. Emberson enters the final 18 in the lead at 7-under-par, while Vaughn Harber (Ohio State), Jacob Modleski (Notre Dame) and Daniel Bennett (Texas) are tied for second at 6-under-par. Four golfers, including Tech’s Hansson, are tied for fifth at 4-under-par.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – The Folds of Honor Collegiate is being held for the fifth time with Georgia Tech making its debut appearance. Michigan State, Florida State, Golf Coaches Association of America and HNS Sports Group are host partners with Folds of Honor for the annual event. No. 12 Texas, No. 16 Alabama, No. 17 Florida State and No. 28 Notre Dame join the No. 22 Yellow Jackets in a variety of preseason polls. Alabama returns as the 2025 Folds of Honor Collegiate champions, while Alabama’s William Jennings took home the individual title.
EVENT DETAILS
Folds of Honor Collegiate
- Dates: September 7-9 (stroke play, 54 holes)
- Format: 18 holes Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
- Venue: American Dunes Golf Club (par 71, 7,213 yards)
- Participating teams (14): Air Force, Alabama, Army West Point, Cincinnati, Florida A&M, Georgia Tech, Grand Valley State, Kansas, Michigan State, Navy, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and 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 begins a new era under head coach Ryan Hybl, who was announced as the program’s sixth head coach in program history in May. 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.