Georgia Tech 2020 amateur results | Carolina Trace leaderboard | Wichita Open leaderboard
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s Noah Norton made his debut in a Korn Ferry Tour event last weekend, posting a top-10 finis and earning another start this week, while six of his Yellow Jacket teammates place among the top 20 finishers at the Carolina Trace GCAA Amateur event in North Carolina.
Norton, a senior from Chico, Calif., who nearly won a GCAA Fall Series event two weeks ago, losing the title in a playoff, earned a spot in the field for last weekend’s Wichita Open on the Korn Ferry Tour by virtue of winning the Patriot All-American Invitational last winter. He made the most of it, firing rounds of 68-67-65-68 for a 12-under-par total of 268 and tying for eighth place with former Yellow Jacket All-American Ollie Schniederjans.
The top-10 finish earned Norton another start on the Korn Ferry Tour this week, and he will again join five former Jackets on the tour, as well at PGA Tour member Vincent Whaley, for the Savannah Golf Championship at The Landings Club in Savannah.
Norton competed in his fourth U.S. Amateur last month at Bandon Dunes in Oregon, reaching the round of 32 in match play. Currently No. 54 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Norton is a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) selection and won the Patriot All-America Invitational last December. He finished runner-up to Cooper Dossey in the 2019 North & South Amateur and was the 2017 California State Amateur runner-up.
SMITH, MAO CHALLENGE AT CAROLINA TRACE
Six Georgia Tech players were in the field for last weekend’s Carolina Trace GCAA Amateur in Sanford, N.C., and all of them placed among the top 20 finishers in the 44-player field. Junior Ben Smith (Novi, Mich.) and sophomore Andy Mao (Johns Creek, Ga.) both challenged for the title, sitting 1-2 on the leaderboard after 36 holes, and wound up finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Smith, with a 3-under-par score of 213, and Mao, at 2-over-par 218, were two of only six players to break par over 54 holes at Carolina Trace Golf Club.
Freshman Aidan Kramer (Oviedo, Fla.) had a strong tournament, tying for ninth place at 218 (+2) after getting within two strokes of the lead at the turn on Sunday, while senior Will Dickson (Providence, R.I.) tied for 13th at 219 (+3), junior Connor Howe (Ogden, Utah) finished 19th at 222 (+6) and freshman Adam Bratton (Newburgh, Ind.) tied for 20th (224, +8).
Ben Smith was the 36-hole leader at the Carolina Trace GCAA Amateur.
MORE ON GCAA FALL AMATEUR SERIES
GCAA amateur events are being conducted over two days (Saturday-Sunday or Monday–Tuesday) through mid-November with 54 holes of competition, using either a shotgun or double-tee start format. Both male and female golfers are competing in one tournament using two sets of tees. Tournaments are recognized by the World Amateur Golf Ranking, with points will be awarded accordingly based on the individual participants’ finish against other players of their gender. Events will have a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 84 players, and additional dates and venues may be added.
GCAA Fall Amateur Series schedule
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ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team has completed 25 years under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 64 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.
