Tech, Lamprecht Are Runners-Up at Watersound Invitational – Men’s Golf — Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Panama City Beach, Fla. – Led by Hiroshi Tai’s 6-under-par 66 and a 68 from Bartley Forrester, Georgia Tech posted the best team score in Wednesday’s final round (a 12-under-par 276) and tied for second place at the Watersound Invitational.

Christo Lamprecht, whose second-round 65 vaulted him into the 36-hole lead, shot 1-under-par 71 Wednesday and finished second by one stroke to Florida State’s Gray Albright, finishing as the runner-up here for the second consecutive year. The senior from George, South Africa was unable to capture his fourth career tournament victory and third this year, but did log his 15^th career top-5 finish.

Against a field in which seven of the 12 teams are ranked in the top 25 of the current Scoreboard NCAA Golf Ranking, and eight are listed among the top 50, Georgia Tech posted its second runner-up finish of the 2032-24 academic year. The Yellow Jackets return to action March 4-5 with the Lamkin Invitational in Chula Vista, Calif.

TECH LINEUP – Three Yellow Jackets finished among the top 13 individuals. Lamprecht took solo second place with a 9-under-par total of 207, while Tai (6-under-par 210) tied for seventh place for his best finish this year and fifth top-10 of his career, and freshman Kale Fontenot (4-under-par 212) tied for 14^th despite not counting for Tech Wednesday after carding a 1-over-par 73.

Tai’s 66 matched the low round of the day. The sophomore from Singapore had just one bogey and recorded five birdies and an eagle to post his second top-10 finish in two tries at the Shark’s Tooth Golf Club. Lamprecht gave up his lead after playing the front nine 1-over-par, rallied on the back nine with three birdies but came up one stroke short of winning.

Bartley Forrester rebounded from a 79 Tuesday to post his best round of the tournament. After a bogey-free front nine with two birdies, the senior from Gainesville, Ga., strung together four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back side. He tied for 37^th place with a 2-over-par 218.

Freshman Carson Kim (Yorba Linda, Calif.) delivered a 1-under-par 71 for Tech’s fourth counting score Wednesday and tied for 56^th place.

Sophomore Aidan Tran (Fresno, Calif.), competing as an individual, shot 70 Wednesday and tied for 37^th place.

Christo Lamprecht finished as the runner-up for the second straight year at the Watersound Invitational. (photo by Ross Obley)

TEAM LEADERBOARD – Vanderbilt, with four players in the top 13 individually, shot 8-under-par 280…