THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s golf team looks to continue its winning ways this weekend with another trip out West, competing Sunday through Tuesday at the Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas, Nev.
With three victories in six events during the 2021-22 year and coming off a five-stroke win last weekend at the Watersound Invitational in Florida, the Yellow Jackets have moved up to No. 12 in this week’s Golfstat rankings, and No. 13 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index. Head coach Bruce Heppler’s Tech squad is part of a 15-team field this weekend that includes seven teams that are ranked in the top 25 of the current Golfstat rankings, nine in the top 50.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION – Georgia Tech is competing in the Southern Highlands Collegiate for the 18th time. The Jackets did not play in the event last year, but finished 10th in their last appearance in 2020, the last event Tech played before the spring season shut down due to COVID-19.
Georgia Tech has won the event twice, in 2001 and 2002, but have finished no higher than solo sixth place (2005, 2019) since then. Four Yellow Jackets, all of whom have competed on the PGA Tour, have captured medalist honors, beginning in 1992 when Stewart Cink and David Duval shared the title. Troy Matteson won a share of the title in 2002 with Florida’s Camilo Villegas, and Cameron Tringale win the tournament outright in 2009.
The tournament follows the traditional collegiate 54-hole, 5-count-4, stroke-play format, with 18 holes each Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The event is conducted at Southern Highlands Golf Club, which measures 7,510 yards (par 72), the longest layout on the Yellow Jackets’ schedule. For the second time, the individual champion will receive an exemption into the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, which will take place Oct. 6-9, 2022, at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.
The field includes (with Golfstat ranking) No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 5 Pepperdine, No. 9 Georgia, No. 12 Georgia Tech, No. 15 Texas, No. 19 Illinois, No. 24 Florida, No. 29 New Mexico, No. 35 Northwestern, San Diego, SMU, Southern California, TCU, UCLA and UNLV.
Ross Steelman has four top-10 finishes in six events this year and is ranked No. 65 in the country. (photo by Ross Obley)
TEAM UPDATE – Tech has four starters back from its 2020-21 squad which finished 15th at the NCAA Championship. Those four players – senior Ben Smith (Novi, Mich.), juniors Connor Howe (Ogden, Utah) and Bartley Forrester (Gainesville, Ga.), and sophomore Christo Lamprecht (George, South Africa) – form the Yellow Jackets’ nucleus along with transfer Ross Steelman (Columbia, Mo.) and freshman Benjamin Reuter (Naarden, The Netherlands).
After winning the Maui Jim Intercollegiate and the Hamptons Intercollegiate in the fall, they opened the spring with a seventh-place showing at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate in Hawai’i and a victory last weekend at the Watersound Invitational in Panama City Beach, Fla., against a field of 12 Atlantic Coast Conference teams and two Southeastern Conference stalwarts – Alabama and Arkansas.
Each of the Yellow Jackets except Reuter has at least two top-10 finishes this year, and three Tech players are listed among Golfstat’s top 75 players nationally. Steelman has finished in the top 10 of both spring events, including a runner-up finish at Watersound, has four top-10s in six events this year, and holds the highest Golfstat ranking (No. 65) among the Yellow Jackets. The junior leads the Jackets in stroke average with an even 70.00. Forrester (No. 159) has finished in the top-10 three times, including a tie for fourth last weekend at Watersound, and has averaged 70.94 over 18 rounds. Lamprecht (No. 71), with a 70.28 average and Howe (No. 75), averaging 70.50, each have two top-10 finishes.
TECH LINEUP – For the second straight tournament, Tech’s lineup will include Steelman, Lamprecht, Howe, Forrester and Reuter. Steelman was the individual runner-up at the Watersound Invitational, while Forrester tied for fourth place.
Ross Steelman (Junior, Columbia, Mo.) – Has four top-10 finishes in six events this year, including a runner-up showing at the Watersound Invitational and a tie for eighth place at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate … Pacing the Jackets in stroke average with an even 70.00 over 18 rouds … Tied for ninth place at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate and was runner-up at the Hamptons Intercollegiate in the fall … Currently ranked No. 65 in Golfstat and No. 57 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index, No. 47 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking … Second-team All-Southeastern Conference last spring, ranked No. 28 national ranking in Golfstat … Tied for third at the 2021 NCAA Noblesville Regional, has two victories in his collegiate career … Reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur last summer, along with a T-3 at the Monroe Invitational, T-11 at the Northeast Amateur.
Christo Lamprecht (Sophomore, George, South Africa) – Tallest player ever in Tech program at 6-foot-8 … Tied for 42nd at Tech’s spring opener (Amer Ari Intercollegiate) and 23rd at the Watersound Invitational … No. 2 among the Jackets in stroke average at 70.28 … Currently ranked No. 71 in both Golfstat and the Golfweek/Sagarin Index … No. 91 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking … Runner-up at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate with a program-record 54-hole score of 194 (-16), tied for 10th at the Windon Memorial and 14th at the Hamptons Intercollegiate.
Connor Howe (Junior, Ogden, Utah) – Ranks No. 64 in the PGA Tour University ranking, No. 75 in Golfstat and No. 83 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index, the highest rankings of his career … Tied for 13th at the Watersound Invitational and 43rd at the Amer Ari Intercollegiate this spring … Fourth on the team in stroke average at 70.50 … Won the Patriot All-America Amateur tournament in December … Tied for 7th at the Windon Memorial Classic and the Hamptons Intercollegiate, and tied for 19th at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate in the fall … T-5 at the Southern Amateur, T-7 at the Monroe Invitational and T-11 at the Dogwood Invitational last summer … No. 84 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Bartley Forrester (Junior, Gainesville, Ga.) – Having the best year of his career to this point, posting three top-10 finishes in six events, including a tie for fourth last time out at the Watersound Invitational … Tied for sixth place at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate competing as an individual (63 in the final round) and seventh at the Hamptons Intercollegiate … No. 159 in the Golfstat ranking and No. 125 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index, the highest standing of his career … Stroke average is an even 70.94 over 18 rounds … Qualified for the 2021 U.S. Amateur and posted a T-20 at the Monroe Invitational last summer … Co-medalist the 2020 Puerto Rico Classic.
Benjamin Reuter (Freshman, Naarden, The Netherlands) – Tied for 30th in Tech’s spring opener in Hawai’i and 34th at the Watersound Invitational this spring … Moved up to No. 195 in the Golfstat rankings, No. 196 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Index … Played three times in the fall, earning his best finish with a tie for 13th at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate … Also tied for 21st at the Hamptons Intercollegiate … Stroke average is an even 71.40 over 15 rounds … Won the Dutch National Championship and reached match play at the U.S. Junior Amateur last summer … Ranked No. 159 in World Amateur Golf Ranking, No. 113 in European Golf Ranking.
Head coach Bruce Heppler
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ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 27th year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 66 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.