Stanford, Calif. – Bartley Forrester fired a 4-under-par 66 to lead four Georgia Tech players under par Thursday, and the 11th-ranked Yellow Jackets posted a 9-under-par 271 total to tie for third place after the opening round of The Goodwin.
The three highest-ranked teams in the 28-team field are at the top of the leaderboard after round 1 as the 11th-ranked Yellow Jackets, looking for their fourth victory of the 2021-22 academic year, are tied with No. 9 Washington, two strokes behind No. 14 Stanford and one behind SMU.
Tech is paired again with Washington and Northwestern again for round 2 on Friday, beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern time from the 10th tee.
TECH LINEUP – Forrester birdied his final two holes and had five altogether against one bogey in his opening trip around the par-70 Stanford Golf Course, posting his best round since his closing 63 back on Sept. 12 at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate. He is tied for eighth place individually. The junior from Gainesville, Ga., has finished under par in each of the Jackets’ first three events this spring and is 15-under-par collectively over 10 rounds.
Christo Lamprecht and Connor Howe each shot 2-under-par 68 for Tech, while Ben Smith added a 1-under-par 69 to give the Jackets their 9-under-par round. Freshman Benjamin Reuter (Naarden, The Netherlands) did not count after carding a 1-over-par 71.
Howe, a junior from Ogden, Utah, who has scored under par in seven of 10 rounds this spring, started strong with four birdies and no bogeys on the front side at Stanford. Lamprecht, a sophomore from George, South Africa, got to 4-under-par through 15 holes but finished with bogeys on 17 and 18. Howe and Lamprecht are tied for 27th individually. Smith, a senior from Novi, Mich.), started his round with a bogey on the par-5 first hole but played 3-under-par from there with five birdies, and is tied for 40th place.
Junior Andy Mao (Johns Creek, Ga.), competing as an individual, shot 73 (+3).
Bartley Forrester had a five-birdie, one-bogey 66 Thursday to pace the Jackets. (photo by Ross Obley)
TEAM LEADERBOARD – Seven strokes separate the top 10 teams on the leaderboard. No. 14 Stanford rode low rounds by Barclay Brown (64) and Karl Vilips (65) to post a 12-under-par 268 and take a two-stroke lead over SMU after the first round. The Mustangs, who had all five of their players break par Thursday, recorded four eagles on the front nine and scored 14-under-par on the par-5 holes and finished the round at 10-under-par 270.
No. 9 Washington, led by a 65 from Noah Wolsey and two other subpar rounds, and No. 11 Georgia Tech with its four subpar rounds, are tied for third place at 9-under-par 271.
Nevada and Brigham Young are tied for fifth place at 272 (-8), followed by San Diego at 274 (-6). Northwestern, Little Rock and UCLA are tied for eighth place at 275 (-5).
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Stanford’s Brown and San Jose State’s Kristopher Styles shot the best rounds of the day, 6-under-par 64, and share the first-round individual lead. The Cardinal’s Karl Vilips and five others shot 5-under-par 65 and are tied for third place.
The Yellow Jackets’ Bartley Forrester is in a group of eight players tied for eighth place at 4-under-par 66.
Eleven players shot 67 and are tied for 16th place, while Tech’s Christo Lamprecht and Connor Howe are in a group of 113 players who carded 2-under-par 68 and are tied for 27th place.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – This is Georgia Tech’s second appearance at The Goodwin, named for legendary Cardinal head coach and the third time Yellow Jackets have played an event at the Stanford Golf Course (6,732 yards, par 70), having competed in an NCAA regional tournament there in 2017. The format is 54 holes, 18 each day beginning at 10 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.
Tech, No. 8 Washington and No. 14 Stanford, the host, are the highest ranked teams in the field, which also includes Brigham Young, California, Cal Poly, Colorado, Denver, Drexel, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Tech, Hawaii-Hilo, Howard, Long Beach State, Miami (Ohio), Nevada, Northwestern, Oregon, Rutgers, Saint Mary’s, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose State, SMU, Stanford, UC Davis, UCLA, Washington State and Wofford.
Host Stanford has won the tournament 16 times since the inaugural event in 1968. Past individual winners include major golf champions Tom Watson and Corey Pavin, as well as veteran PGA Tour pros like Duffy Waldorf and Billy Mayfair, and younger pros like Nick Taylor, Patrick Rodgers, Maverick McNealy and Brandon Wu.
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 68 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.
