March 10, 2002
LAS VEGAS – A pair of record-setting streaks continued for the Georgia Tech golf team, as the Yellow Jackets won their school-record fourth-straight team title and junior Troy Matteson won his third-straight individual crown at the Las Vegas Collegiate. Tech won the event for the second-straight year by 19 shots at the par-72, 7,381-yard Southern Highlands Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nev.
The top-ranked Yellow Jackets continued what has been a dominant run over the past four months, turning into high gear over the final 36 holes in Las Vegas and lapping the field with a 7-under-par score of 281 on Sunday. That total put Tech at 20-under-par, 287-275-281-844 for the tournament, its second-best 54-hole score of the year. The victory is Tech’s fifth of the year, tying both the 2001 and 1993 teams for the most wins in a season. The Yellow Jackets have now won 13 of their last 30 tournaments since the 1999-2000 season.
Tech outdistanced host UNLV for the team title, as the Rebels were the only other team to finish the tournament under par, completing the tournament at 1-under-par, 288-284-291-863.
Matteson was impressive for the third-straight week, carding a final-round score of 3-under-par 69, to share medallist honors with Florida’s Camilo Villegas at 8-under-par, 70-69-69-208. Matteson becomes the first Yellow Jacket ever to win three-straight tournaments, as he won the Taylor Made/Waikoloa Intercollegiate and the Puerto Rico Classic to open the spring.
Joining Matteson in the top 10 was freshman Chan Wongluekiet, who rallied over the final two rounds after an opening score of 80, to finish the tournament with a closing score of 2-under-par, 70 and finish at even-par, 80-66-70-216. Wongluekiet’s second-round score of 66, was the lowest in the tournament and the lowest for Wongluekiet this year.
Senior Kris Mikkelsen and rookie Nick Thompson followed Wongluekiet in the individual standings, as they were both among seven players tied for 12th place at 1-over-par, 217, with their scores of 71-75-71-217 and 69-71-77-217 respectively. The final Yellow Jacket individual in the field was senior Matt Weibring, who also played well over the final 36 holes to finish as part of an eight-player logjam in 19th place at 2-over-par, 77-70-71-218.
Georgia Tech will now have some time off before returning to action at the Ping/U.S. Collegiate Championships on April 5-7 at Tucson National Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz.
FINAL TEAM SCORES1. Georgia Tech 287-276-281-8442. UNLV 288-284-291-8633. NC State 291-293-281-8654. Clemson 293-291-283-8675. Georgia 288-282-302-8726. Florida 288-292-295-875 TCU 293-293-291-8758. Arizona 293-293-291-877 Houston 296-289-292-87710. Ohio State 299-294-299-89211. Oklahoma State 300-297-297-89412. Arizona State 304-291-307-89513. New Mexico 291-305-300-89614. Alabama 308-291-307-90615. Air Force 315-302-300-91716. Kent State 319-305-309-933
TOP-10 INDIVIDUALS AND TECH PLAYERS 1. Troy Matteson, Georgia Tech 70-69-69-208 Camilo Villegas, Florida 68-69-71-208 3. Ryan Hybl, Georgia 69-69-73-211 4. Fernando Mechereffe, NC State 74-72-67-213 5. Brett Foulds, UNLV 73-69-73-215 Gregg Jones, Clemson 74-71-70-215 Brad McIntosh, Houston 73-72-70-215 Ryan Moore, UNLV 74-68-73-215 Chez Reavie, Arizona State 76-67-72-215 10. Garth Mulroy, NC State 71-73-72-216 Chan Wongluekiet, Georgia Tech 80-66-70-216
GEORGIA TECH INDIVIDUALS T12. Kris Mikkelsen 71-75-71-217 Nick Thompson 69-71-77-217 T19. Matt Weibring 77-70-71-217
