LOUDON, Tenn. – Hiroshi Tai turned in a 2-under-par 68 second round to lead No. 13 Georgia Tech in Saturday action at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate. Tai was one of three Yellow Jackets to enter the clubhouse under par for the day as Tech posted a four-under-par round of 276 to slide up one spot into second place, just six strokes off the lead.
After making the turn at even, Tai carded birdies on holes 11 and 13 to move to two-under. The senior’s performance catapulted him into a tie for 20th in the individual standings, finishing 36 holes at 1-under-par 139. Sophomore Albert Hansson (Fiskebäckskil, Sweden) and senior Aidan Tran (Fresno, Calif.) also broke par on the day, both at 1-under at the par-70 Tennessee National Golf Club. Georgia Tech (546, -14) is six strokes off the leader, No. 13 Tennessee (540, -20), and bests third-place Charlotte by five strokes.
The final round of the 54-hole event is set to begin at 7:30 am on Sunday with Tech teeing off at 12:25 pm.
TECH LINEUP – Hansson moved into a tie for fourth place, following up his strong performance on Friday with a one-under-par 69 on Saturday. Fontenot, who led the Jackets in the first round at 4-under, remained steady on Saturday, and is also tied for fourth with Hansson, both at 4-under-par 136.
Highlighted by an eagle on 13, Tran turned in a one-under-par 69 and is tied for 16th after two rounds at 2-under-par 138. Benjamin Reuter (Naarden, The Netherlands) stands in a tie for 31st at 1-over-par 141 after a 3-over-par second round, decorated by an eagle on 13.
Competing as an individual, Didrik Ringvall Bengtsson (Stockholm, Sweden) is tied for 75th at 149 (+9).
TEAM LEADERBOARD – No. 17, and host, Tennessee recorded a 5-under-par round of 275 on Saturday to remain in first place entering Sunday’s final round. Georgia Tech stands six strokes off the lead, while Charlotte slipped into a tie for third-place with Ole Miss at 9-under-par 551. LSU closes out the top five on the team leaderboard at 8-under-par 552.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Charlotte’s Chase Cline continues to lead the tournament on the individual leaderboard and is tied for first alongside Tennessee’s Bruce Murphy at 7-under-par 133. The duo hold a one-stroke lead over Cohen Trolio of Ole Miss in third-place before Fontenot and Hansson stand in a five-way tie for fourth place at 4-under-par 136.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – The Visit Knoxville Collegiate is being held for the third time with Georgia Tech making its second appearance. Tennessee plays host to the field, which includes 16 competitive teams. Joining Georgia Tech and host Tennessee in the field are Augusta, Charlotte, Chattanooga, College of Charleston, East Tennessee State, Iowa, Kentucky, LSU, Loyola Marymount, NC State, North Florida, Ole Miss, Toledo and Virginia Tech. Ole Miss (5), Georgia Tech (t-13) and Tennessee (17) are all listed among the top 25 programs in the Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll.
The tournament will be contested over 54 holes beginning Friday and concluding Sunday at Tennessee National Golf Club, which plays a par-70 and measures 7,201 yards. Tee times begin at 7:50 am Eastern time both Friday and Saturday.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and 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 31st year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 73 tournaments in his tenure. The Yellow Jackets have won 19 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 34 appearances in the NCAA Championship and been the national runner-up five times. Follow Georgia Tech Golf on social media by liking their Facebook page, or following on X (@GTGolf) and Instagram. For more information on Tech golf, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
