June 18, 2014
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s Ollie Schniederjans has ascended into the No. 1 position in the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings released Wednesday by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
With Stanford’s Patrick Rodgers and defending U.S. Amateur champion Matt Fitzpatrick making their pro debuts this week, the 21-year old Tech rising senior assumed the top spot after winning five collegiate events in 2013-14 and finishing second at the NCAA Championship.
The 21-year-old Powder Springs, Ga., native was named the 2014 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and was a finalist this past year for the Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus awards given to the national player of the year.
Alabama sophomore Robby Shelton is ranked No. 2, followed by incoming Texas freshman Scottie Scheffler, the 2013 U.S. Junior champion. Chang-woo Lee and Gavin Green round out the top five.
Being ranked No. 1 carries importance for amateurs, because the player who holds that position after the U.S. Amateur receives the McCormack Medal, which clinches a berth in both the U.S. and British Open championships.
This week, Schniederjans is playing the Web.com Tour’s Air Capital Classic on a sponsor exemption. Tech graduate Seth Reeves, who is ranked No. 40, is continuing to play as an amateur this summer through the U.S. Amateur, which is being held Aug. 11-18 at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga.
