LOUDON, Tenn. – The No. 13-ranked Georgia Tech golf team finished its season-opening fall tournament tied for fourth, while sophomore Albert Hansson led the Yellow Jackets on the individual leaderboard, tying for eighth at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate.
With a 1-over-par 71 final round on Sunday, Hansson was the only Yellow Jacket to close the tournament under par, finishing at 3-under-par 207. Tech closed with a 10-over-par round of 290 to slip two spots on the final day. The Jackets finished tied with Charlotte with a four-under-par team total of 836. Host No. 17 Tennessee carded a 1-over-par 281 on Sunday to maintain its lead and win the tournament, finishing with a 19-under-par team total of 821 over the 54-hole tournament.
Georgia Tech returns to action at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational, Sept. 19-21, as the defending champions. The tournament will be contested at the Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill.
TECH LINEUP – With a 1-over-par 71 final round, Hansson slipped four spots in the leaderboard to finish tied for eighth at 3-under-par 207 for the tournament. Hansson shared the spot with LSU’s Noah McWilliams. Benjamin Reuter (Naarden, The Netherlands) also posted a 1-over-par 71 on Sunday. Additionally, Tech counted a 3-over-par 73 from Aidan Tran (Fresno, Calif.) and a 5-over-par 75 from Hiroshi Tai (Singapore).
Tran finished tied for 22nd at 211 (+1), while Reuter finished tied for 27th at 212 (+2). Kale Fontenot (Lafayette, La.) posted a 7-over-par 77 to finish tied for 32nd at 213 (+3) and Tai tied for 36th at 214 (+4).
Competing as an individual, Didrik Ringvall Bengtsson (Stockholm, Sweden) finished tied for 83rd at 229 (+19).
TEAM LEADERBOARD – No. 17 Tennessee maintained its lead on Sunday to claim the title with a seven-stroke lead over second-place Ole Miss, which was the only team to record a subpar round on Sunday at 3-under-par 277. LSU took third with a 54-hole team total of 834 (-6), while Charlotte and Georgia Tech tied for fourth at 836 (-4).
Kentucky (+13), East Tennessee State (+16), Iowa (+18), Chattanooga (+18) and Charleston (+19) rounded out the top 10.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Charlotte’s Chase Cline held the 36-hole lead and claimed a share of the individual title when Tennessee’s Reed Lotter jumped eight spots with a 4-under-par 66 on Sunday to finish alongside Cline at 7-under-par 203 for the tournament. Cohen Trolio (Ole Miss) took third at 204 (-6), while Lance Simpson (Tennessee) finished fourth at 205 (-5). There was a three-player tie for fifth at 4-under-par 206 by Evan Rogers (Chattanooga), Jackson Herrington (Tennessee) and Trevor Algya (Loyola Marymount).
A total of 21 players in the 90-player field finished under par for the 54 holes.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – The Visit Knoxville Collegiate was held for the third time with Georgia Tech making its second appearance. Tennessee played host to the field, which included 16 competitive teams. Joining Georgia Tech and host Tennessee in the field were Augusta, Charlotte, Chattanooga, College of Charleston, East Tennessee State, Iowa, Kentucky, LSU, Loyola Marymount, NC State, North Florida, Ole Miss, Toledo and Virginia Tech. Ole Miss (5), Georgia Tech (t-13) and Tennessee (17) were all listed among the top 25 programs in the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll.
The tournament was contested over 54 holes beginning Friday and concluding Sunday at Tennessee National Golf Club, which played a par-70 and measured 7,201 yards.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 31st year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 73 tournaments in his tenure. The Yellow Jackets have won 19 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 34 appearances in the NCAA Championship and been the national runner-up five times. Follow Georgia Tech Golf on social media by liking their Facebook page, or following on X (@GTGolf) and Instagram. For more information on Tech golf, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
