Atlanta, Ga. – Albert Hansson fired a 4-under-par 68, and Kale Fontenot added a 3-under par 69 Monday, finishing third and fourth in the individual race and leading Georgia Tech’s 14th-ranked golf team to the top seed for match play at the 10th annual East Lake Cup.
The East Lake Cup brings together the 2024 NCAA Championship semifinal teams for a three-day stroke and match play competition. Tech’s 8-under-par score of 280 was one stroke better than 4th-ranked Auburn and Florida State (7-under-par 281), who battled in the championship match at the NCAA Championship last May. Ohio State, the fourth NCAA semifinalist, shot 2-over-par 290 and will be the No. 4 seed.
The Yellow Jackets and Buckeyes will face off in one semifinal match at East Lake Golf Club Tuesday, while the Tigers and Seminoles will engage in a rematch of the 2024 NCAA Championship title contest. Competition begins at 10:40 a.m. The winners will meet in the championship match Wednesday, and the losers will play for third place.
Tech finished third in stroke play last year when the East Lake Cup was held at Atlanta Athletic Club, lost to North Carolina in their semifinal match and defeated Florida in the third-place match. Fontenot, a freshman at the time, won medalist honors.
TECH LINEUP – Tech started strong and grabbed the team lead early, traded the top spot with FSU for a time on the back nine, but took the lead for good when Hansson dropped a birdie putt at the par-4 16th hole. Hansson and Fontenot each birdied the par-5 18th hole to hold off the Seminoles.
Hanson, a freshman from Fiskebäckskil, Sweden, had five birdies and an eagle on his card Monday, posting his best round of the fall. Fontenot, a sophomore from Lafayette, La., who shot 68 last year at Atlanta Athletic Club, had four birdies and a bogey on his card Monday.
“I felt pretty good, yeah,” said Hansson. “I’ve been struggling the last few months with some short game and putting, but I felt a little better coming into this week. I had a good feeling this morning.”
Redshirt junior Benjamin Reuter (Naarden, The Netherlands), Tech’s top player this fall ranked No. 32 in the nation, shot a 2-under-par 70 for the Jackets, while defending NCAA individual champion Hiroshi Tai (Singapore) added a 1-over-par 73.
Junior Aidan Tran (Fresno, Calif.) shot 78 and did not count toward Tech’s team total.
Freshman Albert Hansson led the Jackets Monday with a 4-under-par 68, finishing in third place…
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