Nov. 5, 2003
Myrtle Beach, S.C. – The fifth-ranked Georgia Tech golf team will look to build on its team victory at the Gary Koch Intercollegiate on Oct. 20, when it concludes the fall portion of its schedule by joining a top field at the Hooters Collegiate Match Play Championships in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Nov. 7-9. The event will be a modified double-elimination match-play format and be contested at Barfoot Resort’s par-72, 7,343-yard Dye Course.
Each team match will consist of five 18-hole singles matches, with the team winning three or more matches advancing to the next round.
The Yellow Jackets, who are seeded fifth in the event will open play against 12th-seeded Southern California on Friday morning, with the winner advancing to face the victor of the match between fourth-seeded Georgia and 13th-seed Arizona. The 16-team field includes 11 teams that are currently ranked among the top 16 in the nation according to the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index, including the entire top five with Florida (No.1), Clemson (No. 2), Georgia (No. 3), UCLA (No. 4), and Tech (No. 5).
Tech’s play has steadily improved throughout the fall, topped by the 15-stroke win at the Gary Koch Intercollegiate over the top-ranked Gators. The Jackets boast four players with scoring averages under 73.00, including a trio of players under 72.00. Leading the way this year and in the Hooters Collegiate Match Play event will be rookie Roberto Castro, who holds a 70.73 scoring average and has recorded three top-20 individual finishes and two top 10s. Fellow rookie Kevin Larsen will be Tech’s number two player in the opening-round lineup and currently ranks second on the team with a 71.27 scoring average, having put together three top-20 finishes and a top-10 at the Gary Koch.
The third Yellow Jacket competitor in the event will be junior Chan Wongluekiet, who is fourth on the team with a 72.79 stroke average, and is coming off of a 16th-place finish at the Gary Koch. The final two members of the Tech contingent will be sophomores Thomas Jordan and Mike Barbosa.
The Jackets will be without the services of junior Nicholas Thompson, who currently ranks third on the team with a 71.36. Thompson is recovering from knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus and will return to the lineup for the start of the spring schedule at the Taylor Made/Waikoloa Intercollegiate on Feb. 11-13 in Waikoloa, Hawai’i.
Live scoring and full tournament results of the Hooters Collegiate Match Play Championship will be available at www.golfstatlive.com. A recap of Georgia Tech’s daily results will be posted at www.ramblinwreck.com.
HOOTERS COLLEGIATE MATCH PLAY FIRST-ROUND MATCHES#1 Florida vs. #16 Wichita State#8 Texas vs. #9 Augusta State#4 Georgia vs. #13 Arizona#5 Georgia Tech vs. #12 Southern California#3 Clemson vs. #14 Auburn#6 Arizona State vs. #11 UNLV#7 Oklahoma State vs. #10 Wake Forest#2 UCLA vs. #15 NC State
