THE FLATS – Six current and former Georgia Tech golfers begin a busy week in amateur golf Monday and Tuesday, attempting to qualify for the 122nd United States Amateur Championship with a 36-hole final qualifier at the Standard Club in Johns Creek, Ga.
Current Yellow Jackets Bartley Forrester, Connor Howe, Aidan Kramer, Andy Mao and Hiroshi Tai are competing along with former Tech football player R.B. Clyburn at the Standard Club, where the top five finishers will advance to play in the U.S. Amateur, which takes place Aug. 15-21 in Ridgewood, N.J.
The 36-hole competition takes place over two days, concluding Tuesday. Qualifying continues throughout the next month at 94 sites around the nation.
Rising Tech senior Ross Steelman, a quarterfinalist at last year’s U.S. Amateur at Oakmont, Pa., is exempt into the field both as a quarterfinalist from last year and his position (No. 22) in the top 50 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Clyburn also qualified last year but did not advance to match play.
The U.S. Amateur qualifier begins a big week of amateur competition for the Yellow Jackets. Steelman is in the field for the North & South Amateur in Pinehurst, N.C., attempting to become the first Tech champion of the event since Tyler Strafaci in 2020. . Incoming freshman Aidan Tran of Fresno, Calif., who last week qualified to play in the U.S. Junior Amateur and is ranked No. 36 nationally, is competing in the California Amateur Championship in Newport Beach, Calif., while incoming freshman Brady Rackley IV is attempting to qualify for the U.S. Junior Amateur in Athens, Ga., Monday
Christo Lamprecht, who is just outside the top 50 in the WAGR at No. 54, is competing this weekend, July 1-3, for the International Team at the Arnold Palmer Cup in Switzerland.
LAST WEEK’S COMPETITION
Rising junior Aidan Kramer outlasted Tech teammate Andy Mao to win the Rice Planters Amateur championship at Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Kramer birdied the first playoff hole to win after he and Mao tied for first at 11-under-par 205. Kramer became the third Georgia tech golfer to won the Rice Planters, joining Nacho Gervas (1987) and Stewart Cink (1993).
Senior Connor Howe tied for 10th place at the Northeast Amateur in Rumford, R.I., posting a 3-under-par score of 273 on the par-69 Wannamoisett Country Club.
Rising junior Christo Lamprecht tied for ninth place at the European Amateur Championship in Valencia, Spain, with a 1-under-par total of 287, while rising sophomore Benjamin Reuter tied for 39th at 4-over-par 292.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF
Georgia Tech’s golf team has completed 26 years under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 70 tournaments in his tenure. The Yellow Jackets have won 18 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 30 appearances in the NCAA Championship and been the national runner-up four times. Connect with Georgia Tech Golf on social media by liking their Facebook page, or following on Twitter (@GTGolf) and Instagram. For more information on Tech golf, visit Ramblinwreck.com.