Alpharetta, Ga. – Hiroshi Tai opened defense of his 2022 individual title with a 2-under-par 70 Friday, and senior Aidan Kramer matched him as No. 12 Georgia Tech posted a 5-under-par score of 283 and sit in fifth place after the opening round of the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational.
The Jackets are eight strokes behind 11th-ranked East Tennessee State, who shot 13-under-par 275 over the Lakeside Course and leads by three over No. 25 Virginia. Tai and Kramer are tied for 13th place individually, three strokes off the pace.
The tournament continues at 9 a.m. Saturday morning for round 2, with Tech’s “A” group paired with the Buccaneers and Southern California. The Yellow Jackets’ “B” team begins at 9:55 a.m. Pairings for the Sunday’s final round will be set based on the leaderboard through the conclusion of 36 holes.
TECH LINEUP – Tai, a sophomore from Singapore who scored a one-stroke victory at last year’s event, and Kramer, a senior from Oviedo, Fla., both bounced back from a pair of early bogeys Friday to play their final 12 holes 4-under-par for Tech’s “A” team. Junior Christo Lamprecht (George, South Africa), who has a victory and a runner-up finish already this fall, chimed in with a 1-under-par 71 and is tied for 26th place individually.
Senior Bartley Forrester (Gainesville, Ga.) and sophomore Aidan Tran (Fresno, Calif.) each posted even-par 72s for the Jackets, tied for 37th place.
Tech’s “B” group posted a team total of 294 (+6), led by graduate senior Andy Mao (Johns Creek, Ga.), who shot even-par 72. Senior Adam Bratton (Newburgh, Ind.), sophomore Brady Rackley (Atlanta, Ga.) and freshman Carson Kim (Yorba Linda, Calif.) each carded 2-over-par 74s.
Hiroshi Tai, the 2022 GCOGC champion, led the Jackets Friday with a 2-under-par 70. (photo by Clyde Click)
TEAM LEADERBOARD – Led by Algot Kleen’s 5-under-par 67, four East Tennessee State players broke par to give the Buccaneers a 13-under-par score of 275 for the opening round and a three-stroke lead over Virginia (278, -10).
Wake Forest is in third place at 7-under-par 281, followed by No. 5 Tennessee and No. 21 Texas A&M tied for fifth at 282 (-6). Tech (283, -5), No. 7 Washington (284, -4), No. 26 Duke (285, -3) are next, with Northwestern and Southern California tied for ninth at 286 (-2).
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Kleen, a junior at ETSU, and Virginia junior Paul Chang led the field Friday, each carding a 5-under-par 67. Four players,…
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