THE FLATS – Georgia Tech heads South to the Florida for its second event of the spring, competing Sunday through Tuesday at the Watersound Invitational in Panama City Beach, Fla.
After winning twice in the fall and finishing the season No. 20 in the Golfstat rankings (No. 17 in Golfweek/Sagarin and No. 18 in the Bushnell Coaches poll), head coach Bruce Heppler has his Yellow Jackets competing in a 14-team field that includes 12 Atlantic Coast Conference teams and two from the Southeastern Conference. Five teams are ranked in the top 25 of the current Golfstat rankings, 11 in the top 50.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – Georgia Tech is in the Watersound Invitational for the second straight year. The tournament follows the traditional collegiate 54-hole, 5-count-4, stroke-play format, with 18 holes each Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The event this year will be contested at Shark’s Tooth Golf Club, a venue measuring 7,202 yards (par 72) that will also serve as the venue for the ACC Championship in April.
This tournament was held in mid-January a year ago, the Jackets’ first tournament in a packed spring schedule that followed an idle fall brought on by COVID. Tech finished seventh in a limited 10-team field that included all ACC teams.
The field includes (with Golfstat ranking) No. 33 Alabama, No. 6 Arkansas, Boston College, No. 26 Clemson, No. 53 Duke, No. 35 Florida State, No. 17 Georgia Tech, No. 32 Louisville, No. 4 North Carolina, No. 34 NC State, No. 15 Notre Dame, No. 37 Virginia, No. 62 Virginia Tech and No. 12 Wake Forest.
Ross Steelman was Tech’s top finisher (T-8) in the Yellow Jackets’ spring opener in Hawai’i and carries a Golfstat ranking of No. 100. (photo by Todd Drexler)
TEAM UPDATE – Tech has four starters back from its 2020-21 squad which finished 15th at the NCAA Championship. Those four players – senior Ben Smith (Novi, Mich.), juniors Connor Howe (Ogden, Utah) and Bartley Forrester (Gainesville, Ga.), and sophomore Christo Lamprecht (George, South Africa) – form the Yellow Jackets’ nucleus along with transfer Ross Steelman (Columbia, Mo.) and freshman Benjamin Reuter (Naarden, The Netherlands).
After winning the Maui Jim Intercollegiate and the Hamptons Intercollegiate in the fall, they opened the spring with a seventh-place showing at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate in Hawai’i.
Lamprecht leads Tech in stroke average (69.87) with top-10 finishes in the Maui Jim and the Windon, and remains the Jackets’ top-ranked player at No. 59 in Golfstat. Howe also had a pair of top-10 finishes, at the Windon and the Hamptons, before winning the prestigious Patriot All-America Amateur in December, and is ranked No. 88. Steelman (No. 94), Tech’s top finisher in Hawai’I with a tie for eighth, and Forrester (No. 209) also turned in a pair of top-10s in the fall. Reuter tied for 30th place in Hawai’i and is ranked No. 198.
TECH LINEUP – Tech’s lineup for the Watersound Invitational, in order, will include Lamprecht, Steelman, Howe, Reuter and Forrester. Smith will join a group of players competing as individuals at an alternate course.
Christo Lamprecht (Sophomore, George, South Africa) – Tallest player ever in Tech program at 6-foot-8 … Runner-up at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate with a program-record 54-hole score of 194 (-16), tied for 10th at the Windon Memorial and 14th at the Hamptons Intercollegiate … Tied for 42nd at Tech’s spring opener (Amer Ari Intercollegiate) … Leads the Jackets in stroke average at 69.87 … Currently Tech’s highest ranked player at No. 59 in Golfstat and No. 63 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index … No. 89 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Ross Steelman (Junior, Columbia, Mo.) – Tied for eighth place at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate to lead the Jackets, his third top-10 of the year … Tied for ninth place at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate and was runner-up at the Hamptons Intercollegiate in the fall … Currently ranked No. 94 in Golfstat and No. 74 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index, No. 51 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking … Second-best stroke average on the team at 70.00 … Second-team All-Southeastern Conference last spring, ranked No. 28 national ranking in Golfstat … Tied for third at the NCAA Noblesville Regional … Reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur last summer, along with a T-3 at the Monroe Invitational, T-11 at the Northeast Amateur.
Connor Howe (Junior, Ogden, Utah) – Ranks No. 62 in the PGA Tour University ranking, No. 88 in Golfstat and No. 92 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index … Won the Patriot All-America Amateur tournament in December … Tied for 7th at the Windon Memorial Classic and the Hamptons Intercollegiate, and tied for 19th at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate … Stroke average of 70.33 is No. 3 on the team … T-5 at the Southern Amateur, T-7 at the Monroe Invitational and T-11 at the Dogwood Invitational last summer … No. 82 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Benjamin Reuter (Freshman, Naarden, The Netherlands) – Tied for 30th in Tech’s spring opener in Hawai’i and moved up to No. 198 in the Golfstat rankings, No. 185 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Indez … Played three times in the fall, earning his best finish with a tie for 13th at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate … Also tied for 21st at the Hamptons Intercollegiate … Stroke average is an even 71.00 over 12 rounds … Won the Dutch National Championship and reached match play at the U.S. Junior Amateur last summer … Ranked No. 176 in World Amateur Golf Ranking, No. 113 in European Golf Ranking.
Bartley Forrester (Junior, Gainesville, Ga.) – Tied for sixth place at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate competing as an amateur (63 in the final round) and seventh at the Hamptons Intercollegiate … No. 209 in the Golfstat ranking and No. 169 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index … Stroke average is an even 71.00 over 15 rounds … Qualified for the 2021 U.S. Amateur and posted a T-20 at the Monroe Invitational last summer … High finish last spring was T-18 at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate … Co-medalist the 2020 Puerto Rico Classic.
Ben Smith (Senior, Novi, Mich.) – Ranks No. 84 in the PGA Tour University ranking … Started well at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate (71-71 competing as an individual), but fell back in the final round … Posted a high finish last fall of T21 at the Hamptons Intercollegiate, and had a 72.17 stroke average over 12 rounds … T-8 at Monroe Invitational, T-10 at Northeast Amateur last summer … Tied for eighth at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, and tied for ninth at the Calusa Cup last spring.
Head coach Bruce Heppler
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 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 27th year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 66 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.
