Scottsdale, Ariz. – Georgia Tech has advanced to match play at the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship for the first time since 2014 after carding a 4-over-par round of 284 Monday and finishing in a tie for fifth place after 72 holes of stroke play. The Yellow Jackets have drawn the No. 5 seed and will take on No. 4 seed Pepperdine beginning at 10:10 a.m. Monday in one of the four quarterfinal matches at Grayhawk Golf Club.
Meanwhile, Ross Steelman, who shot under par for three straight days to lead the championship after 18, 36 and 54 holes, faltered on his final three holes Monday, shot a 3-over-par 73 and finished tied for runner-up honors behind Florida’s Fred Biondi by one stroke. The senior from Columbia, Mo., stood at 9-under-par for the championship and led by as many as four shots into the back nine Monday, but bogeyed each of his final three holes and posted a 72-hole total of 204 (-6).
“We’ll try and pick him up, but we’re not here if doesn’t play like he played the whole tournament,” said head coach Bruce Heppler. “It’s 72 holes, he played great, and it’s unfortunate. We advance because he played great. He took care of us. We’ll just focus on the team thing tonight, and come out and see what we can do tomorrow.”
“It’s disappointing obviously (to not win the individual title), but we came here to win the team championship, and that’s what we’re going to try and do,” echoed Steelman. “We go out and try and beat the person right in front of you, do that three times, and win the national championship.”
North Carolina, behind a 6-under-par round of 274 Monday, secured the top seed for match play and will take on eighth-seed Arizona State (10:10 a.m. Eastern time), while No. 2 seed Florida takes on No. 7 Virginia (9:20 a.m.). Those winners will face each other in a Tuesday afternoon semifinal. On the other side of the bracket, No. 3 Illinois drew No. 6 Florida (9:20 a.m.), with the winner taking on the Tech-Pepperdine winner in the afternoon.
Tech has advanced to match play for the fifth time since the format was introduced in 2009, and for the first time since 2014 in Hutchinson, Kan. The Yellow Jackets 1-4 all-time in match play at the NCAA Championship, reaching the semifinals in 2013 and losing in the quarterfinals in the other three opportunities. Tech is 3-1-1 in match play in 2022-23, including two wins in the ACC Championship, and has a 28-16-1 record in all match play since 2000.
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