September 7, 2014

Schniederjans Wins, @GT_Golf 2nd at Carpet Capital

Sept. 7, 2014

Rocky Face, Ga. – Ollie Schniederjans backed up his 64 Saturday with a 4-under-par 68 Sunday to secure a 2-stroke win in the medal race, while No. 3-ranked Georgia Tech finished second by a shot to South Carolina in the team race at the Carpet Capital Collegiate in Rocky Face, Ga.

Schniederjans, the world’s No. 1-ranked amateur player, held off a challenge by Alabama’s Robby Shelton, the world’s No. 2-ranked amateur, by playing the final seven holes 5-under-par Sunday. It was the sixth career victory for the senior All-American from Powder Springs, Ga., tying him with Troy Matteson for the third most in Tech history, one behind Matt Kuchar and two shy of David Duval and Bryce Molder, who had eight each.

The reigning Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year held the 36-hole lead after his stellar round Saturday and was 2-under-par for his round Sunday before he ran aground briefly, bogeying 8, 9 and 10 to fall off the lead. Schniederjans reversed the skid by making eagle at the short par-5 12th, then birdied 13, 15 and 18 coming home. He finished 54 holes at 12-under-par 204, with Shelton posting a 10-under-par total of 206.

“I had a lot of adrenaline all day. It was very important for me to get off to a good start,” said Schniederjans, who bogeyed the final two holes in last year’s event to finish in a tie for medalist honors. “I played unbelievably well for the first seven holes but I was only 2-under. Then out of nowhere I got loose. I got off kilter with my swing for a few holes. It should have been four bogeys in a row. But I made the eagle on 12, I almost birdied 14, then I got up and down from a tough spot on 16.

“This one will be really special to me for a long time. It’s the first one of the year, on a special course, we host the tournament, and to come out and do that is like a dream.”

Meanwhile, Anders Albertson and Michael Hines each shot 2-under-par 70, and freshman Jacob Joiner fired a closing 72 to help the Yellow Jackets post an 8-under-par round of 280 and a 54-hole score of 849 (-15). After the dust settled on a day in which five teams shared the lead at the outset and six teams were within two shots of the lead at one point, Tech fell one stroke shy defending its 2013 title. South Carolina, coached by former Tech All-American Bill McDonald, got three sub-70 scores and had the day’s best round at 12-under-par 276, finishing at 16-under-par 848 for the tournament.

Tech has finished first or second in its last five events dating back to last spring’s Valspar Invitational, and in 10 of its last 13 stroke-play events dating back to the 2013 NCAA Championship.

“I think we’ll remember some shots that got away from us after the rain delay Friday, but we were tied for the lead today when we started, and we were in the mix all day,” said head coach Bruce Heppler, beginning his 20th season at Tech. “Michael Hines had a good round today, and Jacob Joiner was even par, so we had a lot of good, positive stuff. It was good to see them fight all the way home and see that they can be part of a good team.”

Auburn and Kennesaw State tied for third at 12-under-par 852, followed by top-ranked Alabama, NCAA champions the past two years, at 11-under-par 853.

Albertson, a senior from Woodstock, Ga., shook off a tough opening round to finish 67-70 on the weekend and tied for 18th place at 2-under-par 214. Drew Czuchry, a senior from Auburn, Ga., shot 75 Sunday but tied for 32nd (218, +2), his best career finish in his first tournament for Tech in two years. Hines tied for 46th (221, +5), and Joiner tied for 53rd (224, +8). Sophomore Vincent Whaley, competing as an individual, tied for 23rd and finished even par (216) for 54 holes.

Tech returns to action Sept. 19-21 with the DICK’S Sporting Goods Challenge in Kingston Springs, Tenn.

CARPET CAPITAL COLLEGIATEThe Farm Golf Club, Rocky Face, Ga.Final Results

Team Leaders 1 South Carolina 291 281 276 848 -16 2 Georgia Tech 293 276 280 849 -15 T3 Auburn 294 275 283 852 -12 T3 Kennesaw State 281 288 283 852 -12 5 Alabama 286 283 284 853 -11 T6 Clemson 287 284 284 855 -9 T6 LSU 282 287 286 855 -9 8 Wake Forest 286 287 286 859 -5 9 North Carolina 286 291 284 861 -3 10 Chattanooga 291 282 293 866 +2 11 Tennessee 296 280 296 872 +8 12 North Florida 300 292 294 886 +22 13 Florida 312 288 297 897 +33 14 Middle Tennessee St. 300 299 308 907 +43

Individual Leaders 1 Ollie Schniederjans Georgia Tech 72 64 68 204 -12 2 Robby Shelton Alabama 69 68 69 206 -10 3 Stewart Jolly LSU 71 70 66 207 -9 T4 Davis Womble Wake Forest 68 70 71 209 -7 T4 Will Starke South Carolina 73 67 69 209 -7 T4 Cody Proveaux Clemson 70 71 68 209 -7 T4 Matt Gilchrest Auburn 73 66 70 209 -7 T8 Will Murphy South Carolina 75 70 66 211 -5 T8 Jimmy Beck Kennesaw State 68 73 70 211 -5