THE FLATS – No. 13 Georgia Tech golf is set to return to competition this weekend at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational. The Yellow Jackets return for the 2025 edition as reigning champions of the tournament, having captured the title last year.
Last season, Benjamin Reuter (Naarden, The Netherlands) closed out the final round of competition at 2-under par to help secure Georgia Tech’s first victory of the season, besting then-No. 2 Arizona by one shot. The Jackets earned the win with a tournament record score of 828 (-12) led by Reuter’s 8-under-par total of 202, placing him runner-up in the prestigious tournament. Tech shot an 8-under-par 272 in the final round, erasing a seven-stroke lead held by Arizona after 36 holes. The win marked the 73rd under head coach Bruce Heppler, who began his 31st year at the helm of the program at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate earlier this month.
Georgia Tech opened the fall season tying for fourth place with a team total of 836 (-4) at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate. Sophomore Albert Hansson (Fiskebäckskil, Sweden) led the Jackets on the individual leaderboard, tying for eighth at 3-under-par 207. Senior Aidan Tran (Fresno, Calif.) finished tied for 22nd in the tournament at 211 (+1), while Reuter also finished in the top 30, tying for 27th at 212 (+2).
TECH LINEUP – Hansson, Tran, Reuter, Kale Fontenot (Lafayette, La.) and Hiroshi Tai (Singapore) will complete Tech’s starting lineup in Olympia Fields. Fontenot finished the season-opener in Knoxville tied for 32nd, while Tai sat tied for 36th.
In last season’s victory at Olympia Fields, Tai tied for sixth place individually at 3-under-par 207 for his ninth top-10 finish in his career. Fontenot led the Jackets in the final round with a 4-under-par 66 to finish tied for 28th place overall. Hansson finished in a tie for 37th place as a freshman last season.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – In its 19th edition, the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational welcomes the nation’s top teams to the Olympia Fields Country Club. Illinois plays host to the field, which includes 15 competitive teams. Joining Georgia Tech and host Illinois in the field are Alabama, Arizona State, Baylor, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, LMU, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. The competitive field consists of 11 teams ranked in the preseason Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll including reigning NCAA Champion Oklahoma State (1), Texas (3), Florida (4), Arizona State (6), Florida State (9), Illinois (11), Georgia Tech (t-13), Texas Tech (t-15), Alabama (18) and Texas A&M (20). Additionally, Stanford received votes in the preseason poll. Amongst the field, 12 of the 15 teams competed in the 2025 NCAA Regionals, with 10 advancing to NCAA Championship stroke play.
The tournament will be contested over 54 holes beginning Friday and concluding Sunday at Olympia Fields Country Club, which plays a par-70 and measures 7,353 yards. Tee times begin at 9 a.m. Eastern time both Friday and Saturday, and 8:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.
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 is in its 31st 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.
