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Eatonton, Ga. – Four Georgia Tech players – Noah Norton, Connor Howe, Christo Lamprecht and Will Dickson – shot 1-under-par 71s Saturday for a 4-under-par team total of 284, but the Yellow Jackets fell back to second place after 36 holes the 16th annual Linger Longer Invitational at Great Waters course at Reynolds Plantation.
Tech, ranked No. 40 in the nation in the current Golfstat rankings, is seeking its second straight tournament victory of the spring on the heels of a win at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate three weeks ago, but finds itself five shots behind leader Charlotte head into Sunday’s final round after the 49ers lit up the Great Waters course with an 11-under-par 277.
TECH LINEUP – Tech found birdies a little harder to come by Saturday, recording 18, but the four Jackets who counted toward the team score reduced the mistakes made Friday and played more consistent rounds.
Norton, a senior from Chico, Calif., had five birdies and four bogeys and is tied for fifth place individually at 4-under-par 140. Howe (senior, Ogden, Utah) overcame a double-bogey to start his round with five birdies and two bogeys the rest of the way, while Lamprecht (freshman, George, South Africa) countered four bogeys with an eagle and three birdies, and Dickson (senior, Providence, R.I.) had four birdies and three bogeys. Howe and Lamprecht are tied for ninth place at 142 (-2).
The Jackets continue to lead the field in birdies with 45, but are tied with Charlotte in that department after 36 holes, and lead along in scoring on par-5 holes (-21).
Will Dickson played a solid round Saturday with four birdies. (photos by Clyde Click)
TEAM LEADERBOARD – Charlotte rode a 66 from top player John Gough and a 69 from Matt Sharpstene to race past the Yellow Jackets and take first place by five shots at 14-under-par 562. Tech has a 36-hole total of 567 (-9) with three players in the top 10.
Louisiana Tech posted a 5-under-par round of 283 Saturday and moved into third place at 573 (-3), the only other team under par through 36 holes. Virginia rose to fourth place at 578 (+2) following its 1-under-par round of 287 Saturday. Chattanooga (4-under-par 284 Saturday) and Florida Gulf Coast are tied for fifth place at 581 (+5). Middle Tennessee State was the only other team to post a subpar round Saturday (287, -1) and moved into seventh place at 583 (+7).
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Gough’s 66 Saturday moved him into a tie for the 36-hole lead with first-round leader Connor McKay of Middle Tennessee State at 9-under-par 135, four strokes ahead of the 49ers Sharpstene and Tyran Snyders of Memphis (139, -5).
Tech’s Norton is tied at 4-under-par 140 with Mercer’s Lino Galdin and Virginia’s Wei Wei Gao, followed by Louisiana Tech’s Sam Murphy at 141 (-3). The Jackets’ Howe and Lamprecht are tied with Charlotte’s Trey Tobias in ninth place at 142 (-2).
Fifteen of the 87 players in the field are under par through 36 holes.
"We started our very well but kind of stalled out today. Our four counters all got it to 3- or 4-under but couldn’t really sustain it. Charlotte played a great round and set a great example of the kind of scores that can be posted on this golf course, especially under great weather conditions. Hopefully that’ll be us tomorrow."
Head coach Bruce Heppler
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – The Yellow Jackets are competing in this event for the second time, first since 2013. The Linger Longer Invitational is being conducted at Great Waters, which measures 7,436 yards and plays to a par of 72.
The format is 54 holes, 18 each day beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time from both the first and 10th tees, with the low four individual scores of five each day counting toward the team total. The field includes 15 teams, including co-hosts Kennesaw State and Mercer, as well as Augusta, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, High Point, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Mercer, Middle Tennessee State, North Alabama, Troy, Toledo and Virginia.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and the Support The Swarm Fund, created to give fans an opportunity to help Georgia Tech athletics maintain its recent momentum through the financial challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 26th year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 65 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.
