Feb. 24, 2002
Rio Mar, P.R. – The Georgia Tech men’s golf team put on a scoring display on the first day of play at the Puerto Rico Classic, placing all of its players in the top 20 of the event and carding a 13-under-par score of 275 over the 6,945-yard, par-72 Rio Mar Country Club’s River Course layout in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tech is the defending champion in the event.
The top-ranked Yellow Jackets’ score of 275 on the opening day was a season low for the team and placed Tech four shots ahead of second-place Clemson, which finished day one with a score of 9-under-par 279. The Jackets and Tigers appear to be setting up a two-team race for the title as they are the only teams under par following the opening round.
Tech was led by senior Kris Mikkelsen, who fired a season-low score of 5-under-par, 33-34-67 and is the event’s individual leader after 18 holes by one shot. Clemson’s Ben Duncan is alone in second place one stroke behind Mikkelsen at 4-under-par, 32-36-68.
A pair of Yellow Jackets are only two shots off of Mikkelsen’s pace and are part of a five-way tie for third place at 3-under-par. Included in the group is junior Troy Matteson, who is coming off of his first career win in Hawaii a week ago, and finished with a score of 35-34-69. Senior Matt Weibring is also among the group at 3-under-par after his opening score of 33-36-69.
Freshman Nick Thompson is the fourth Tech player in the top 10, as he is part of a six-way tie for eighth place after his score of 2-under-par, 37-33-70 over the first 18 holes of play. Thompson’s round was punctuated by a hole-in-one on the par three, 185-yard 14th hole. Rounding out the Yellow Jacket contingent in the field is rookie Chan Wongluekiet, who is part of a six-player logjam in 19th place at even-par, 34-38-72. Although a solid score, Wongluekiet’s opening-round effort did not factor in Tech’s day-one scoring total.
The Puerto Rico Classic will continue on Monday with the second round of play and conclude on Tuesday with the final 18 holes of competition. The Yellow Jackets will be paired in threesomes with Clemson and Texas in the second round.
TEAM SCORES AFTER 18 HOLES 1. Georgia Tech 275 2. Clemson 279 3. Texas 289 Colorado 289 5. Florida 293 Purdue 293 Georgia 293 8. Minnesota 294 9. East Tennessee St. 295 Oklahoma 295 11. Duke 296 12. Northwestern 299 Virginia 299 14. NC State 303 15. Kent State 308
TOP-10 INDIVIDUALS AND TECH PLAYERS 1. Kris Mikkelsen, Georgia Tech 33-34-67 2. Ben Duncan, Clemson 32-36-68 3. Troy Matteson, Georgia Tech 35-34-69 Gregg Jones, Clemson 33-36-69 Matt Weibring, Georgia Tech 33-36-69 Joe Liley, Colorado 35-34-69 John Klauk, Texas 35-34-69 8. Ryan Hybl Georgia 34-36-70 J.J. Wall, Texas 34-36-70 Matthew Zions, Colorado 38-32-70 Wilhelm Schauman, Minnesota 37-33-70 Nick Thompson, Georgia Tech 37-33-70 Justin Smith, Minnesota 37-33-70
GEORGIA TECH INDIVIDUALS T19. Chan Wongluekiet, Georgia Tech 34-38-72
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