Bartley Forrester salvaged his round on Sunday and saved Georgia Tech’s golf season at the same time.
Forrester, a junior from Gainesville, birdied the final hole, a 520-yard par 4, to help the No. 11-ranked Yellow Jackets move into a tie for 14th at 37-over par and qualify for the final stroke-play round of the NCAA men’s golf championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.
No. 15-ranked Georgia advanced with a 9-over 289, their best round of the week, and is tied for 12th at 32 over.
Georgia Tech appeared to be in good shape after nine holes, before things went south on the fast, wind-dried greens on the back nine. Forrester was even par through 11, but made three straight bogeys and was one of three Yellow Jackets to bogey the 17th hole, leaving them no room for error at 18.
Forrester said, “I played so solid for 11½ holes and starting leaking oil. I actually didn’t check the online scores the entire time, but I could kind of tell from the way people were talking, the atmosphere, that it was kind of close and down to the wire.”
Forrester hit an excellent drive and stuck his approach to within 17 feet on the final hole, setting up the most important putt of his career.
“I stepped up and hit two perfect shots,” Forrester said. “I just told myself to give the putt a chance, because I had been kind of weak on the speed. I just got it there and it went right in the middle.”
Tech also counted 72s from Christo Lamprecht and Connor Howe and a 75 from Ben Smith, who had not played the first two days.
The top 15 teams advanced to play on Monday, when the field will be cut to the top eight teams for the match play portion that decides the championship.
“You almost have to look at this tournament in terms of checkpoints,” Georgia coach Chris Haack said. “The first one is being in the top 15 after three rounds. We’ve accomplished that, scratching and clawing against the most exceptional programs in the country. Our next one is to make up some ground so we can compete in match play.”
Georgia was very consistent on Sunday. Freshman Maxwell Ford led the team with a 1-over 71, Ben Van Wyk shot 72 and Trent Phillips shot 74.
The other score that counted was a 72 from Connor Creasy, who was subbed into the starting lineup for the third round. Creasy’s only blemish was a triple-bogey at the 230-yard par-3 14th hole. Otherwise the veteran produced five birdies.
“We are just going to stay patient,” Creasy said. “We’ll take the birdies when they come, but we also know pars are really good on this course. We all believe in each other. We know what to do and how to do it. It’s just a matter of executing.”
Credit: Steven Colquitt
Credit: Steven Colquitt
No. 1-ranked Oklahoma hung onto the top spot. The Sooners shot a 277 and stand at 1 under through three rounds, four shots better than rival and No. 2-ranked Oklahoma State at 3 over. First-round leader and No. 3-ranked Vanderbilt, led by individual leader Gordon Sargent, is in third place at 5 over. Sargent shot his second straight 68 and is at 4-under 206.
Arkansas currently holds the No. 8th spot at 26 over. That leaves Georgia and Georgia Tech plenty of ground to make up on Monday.
“I have faith that our players will do everything in their power to take the next step,” Haack said. “If we play our game and take one shot at a time, that will be more than enough.”
Georgia Tech coach Bruce Heppler said, “We play tomorrow. I mean, it’s another round at an NCAA tournament. The eight is maybe just one great round away. But playing tomorrow is way better than not playing tomorrow.”
Georgia Southern finished 25th at 57 over. The Eagles got a 73 from Brantley Baker, 74s from Mason Williams and Wilson Andress and a 76 from Hogan Ingram.
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