The Tech golf team traveled to Greensboro, N.C. last weekend and won their first tournament of the fall season as they took first place in the UNC-Greensboro Bridgestone Classic. The Jackets trailed the University of Michigan by four strokes by the end of day one, but managed to move past the Wolverines and hold off Virginia for the victory. The Jackets also defeated a field of some of the nation’s highest-ranked teams, including Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Duke.
The Jackets were led by redshirt junior John-Tyler Griffin and sophomore James White. Griffin tied for fourth in the tournament and shot an eight-under-par 208. Griffin’s performance helped Tech to stay close after two rounds, and White led the comeback.
White shot a season-best five-under-par 67 in the tournament’s third and final round. After a bogey on the fifth hole, White rebounded to birdie six of his next eight holes. Senior Chesson Hadley and junior Kyle Scott were also under par on the final day to lead the Jackets to victory.
Four of the Jackets’ five players finished the tournament ranked in the top 14, and the Jackets shot their best score of the season. Their tournament total of 843 topped their previous best, 860, by 17 strokes.
The win provides momentum for the Jackets heading into the spring season. They will travel to Hawaii and Puerto Rico in February and Las Vegas in March. The Jackets will look to work the kinks out of their swings before they enter the ACC Tournament in late April. The Jackets have won the ACC title in two of the last three years.