THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s Noah Norton won his first major amateur tournament Tuesday, capturing a one-stroke victory at the Patriot All-America in Litchfield Park, Ariz., after carding a final-round 69.
The Yellow Jacket junior from Chico, Calif., No. 22 in the Scratch Players Amateur Ranking and No. 85 in the World Amateur Golf ranking, finished with a 7-under-par score of 203 over 54 holes at Wigwam Golf Club, posting rounds of 70-65-68. He finished one shot ahead of a trio of top collegiate golfers including Mason Overstreet of Arkansas, Jackson Suber of Mississippi and Sam Choi of New Mexico.
After beginning Tuesday’s final round in a three-way tie for the 36-hole lead, Norton made his move on the back nine with three birdies in a four-hole stretch from 10 through 13. He parred the last five holes and secured the victory when Choi made bogey at 18.
It was the culmination of a strong 2019 for Norton, who made the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team for the second time in the spring, then qualified for the U.S. Open in Pebble Beach, Calif., reached the finals of the North & South Amateur in Pinehurst, N.C., and reached match play in the U.S. Amateur, also at Pinehurst.
Noah Norton is the 2019 Patriot All-America Champion 🏆 #PatriotGolfAZ pic.twitter.com/lWMAtzZLry
— Patriot All-America (@PatriotAllAm) December 31, 2019
The jacket sealed the deal🏆@noahnorton36, you made your battle buddy Army Sergeant Michael S. Curry proud! #PatriotGolfAZ pic.twitter.com/Vxj82S31ZY
— Patriot All-America (@PatriotAllAm) January 1, 2020
Norton helped the Yellow Jackets finish the fall season No. 3 in the Bushnell Coaches Poll by the Golf Coaches Association, and No. 3 in the Golfstat rankings, which determines seeding for NCAA regional play in May. Tech is No. 2 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index.
Tech won three of its four events in the fall season, finishing the campaign by sweeping matches against No. 33 California, No. 23 UCLA and No. 5 Duke at the Cypress Point Classic in late October. The Yellow Jackets won their first two events of the fall, both stroke play tournaments, winning the Carpet Capital Collegiate by 20 strokes over North Florida and sharing the title at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational with No. 11 Baylor.
Norton tied for ninth at the Olympia Fields event for his high finish in the fall, and won two matches to help the Jackets win the title at Cypress Point.
Tech opens its spring season Feb. 6-8 with the Amer Ari Invitational on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
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ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 25th year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 62 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.
