Jackets Hold Position at NCAA Golf Championship – Men’s Golf — Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Carlsbad, Calif. – Playing solidly for the second straight day without world No. 1 Christo Lamprecht, Georgia Tech posted a round of 4-over-par 292 Sunday and held its position, tied for ninth place, after 54 holes of the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship at the Omni LaCosta Resort and Spa. The Yellow Jackets will advance to compete in the final round of stroke play Monday.

Sophomore Hiroshi Tai (Singapore) shot a bogey-free 2-under-par 70, while freshman Kale Fontenot (Lafayette, La.) delivered a 1-under-par 71 to keep their team steady, and the Yellow Jackets largely avoided the pitfalls of the rugged stretch of holes 12 to 17 that undermined Saturday’s second round.

Tech, at 21-over-par 885 for the championship, finished its round comfortably above the 54-hole cutline and stands just one stroke out of eighth place in a bid to reach the match play bracket for the second straight year. Tai, who has a tournament total of 214 (-2), enters Monday’s round just three strokes off the individual lead.

“They’ve played hard. We really had it going again today,” said head coach Bruce Heppler of his team’s performance competing without its best player. “That closing stretch is tough, and we missed some putts coming in, but they’ve had stretches where they’ve played as good as anybody in the field. It’s pretty impressive what they’ve done. (Without Lamprecht), now you’re throwing three guys out there who’ve never played in an NCAA Tournament before the last two rounds. Whether (Lamprecht) plays or not, it doesn’t really matter. We’ll give it a go.”

The 15 surviving teams and individuals will play a fourth and final round of stroke play Monday, beginning at 1:45 p.m. EDT, to determine the individual champion and the eight teams that advance to the match play bracket. The Yellow Jackets will start their round on the 10^th tee beginning at 1:56 p.m. EDT, paired with Texas and Baylor. Golf Channel’s live coverage begins at 6 p.m. EDT.

Of Lamprecht’s chances of returning to action Monday, Heppler said, “I think he feels better. The spasming is gone, but now there’s just pain and stiffness. We’ll do some more treatment and see if we can get him ready. He really wants to play tomorrow. I’m watching him walk up the hill, and it doesn’t look good. Then you’ve got to get through the pain of it all.”

TECH LINEUP – Tai birdied the par-4 4^th hole Sunday and the par-5…