Georgia

Tech Golf Closes Fall Schedule with East Lake Cup

Published

1 year ago

October 27, 2024

Tech Golf Closes Fall Schedule with East Lake Cup

THE FLATS – Ranked No. 14 in the latest Scoreboard NCAA Golf Ranking, Georgia Tech’s golf team closes out its fall season by competing in the 10^th annual East Lake Cup, a prestigious event bringing together the 2024 NCAA Championship semifinal teams, men and women, for a three-day stroke and match play competition.

The tournament, held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, begins with a stroke-play round of 18 holes Monday, after which an individual medalist will be crowned, and continues with semifinal matches on Tuesday and concludes third-place and championship matches Wednesday. Seeding for the match play semifinals is based on team standing after Monday’s stroke play round.

The Yellow Jackets finished third in stroke play last year, lost to North Carolina in their semifinal match and defeated Florida in the third-place match. Kale Fontenot (Lafayette, La.), a freshman at the time, won medalist honors.

In four events this fall, Tech recorded a victory at the Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational, where the Yellow Jackets bested No. 2 Arizona State by a stroke and a 15-team field that included 11 other top-25 teams, a seventh-place finish in its home event, the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational last week, and a pair of eighth-place finishes at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate and the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational.

The men’s field for the East Lake Cup also includes defending NCAA Champion Auburn, currently ranked No. 4 in the nation, Florida State (No. 32) and Ohio State (No. 55).

Stroke play begins Monday at 10:30 a.m. for the women’s teams and 11:42 a.m. for the men’s teams. Players are paired in foursomes, one player from each team. Matches begin at 10:40 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. Admission is free.

Head coach Bruce Heppler, in his 30^th year at the helm of the Tech program, has returned four golfers who played significant roles in getting the Yellow Jackets to the semifinals of the NCAA Championship for the second straight year in 2024, including reigning NCAA Champion Hiroshi Tai (Singapore), who became Tech’s fourth national collegiate champion with his one-shot victory last May in Carlsbad, Calif.

Kale Fontenot shows off the Charles R. Yates Trophy after winning medalist honors as a freshman at last year’s East Lake Cup. (photo by Clyde Click)

TECH LINEUP – Redshirt junior Benjamin Reuter (Naarden, The Netherlands) has been Tech’s top player this fall, posting a runner-up finish at Olympia Fields, a tie for 14^th at the Ben Hogan and a tie for 15^th at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate Invitational. He is ranked No. 32 in the Scoreboard NCAA rankings.

Tai, listed on the Fall Watch List for the Fred Haskins Award and as a pre-season All-American by Golfweek magazine and Golf Channel, has three top-20 finishes this fall and is ranked No. 84 in the NCAA Scoreboard rankings. leads the five-man contingent for the Yellow Jackets this weekend. The junior from Singapore won twice as a freshman prior to his NCAA Championship.

They are joined in the lineup for the East Lake Cup by Fontenot, the medalist at last year’s Cup, freshman Albert Hansson (Fiskebäckskil, Sweden), who is ranked No. 112 in the WAGR, and junior Aidan Tran (Fresno, Calif.), who stepped in to play three stroke play rounds and win a match at last year’s NCAA Championship.

EAST LAKE CUP INFORMATION – The 10th annual East Lake Cup takes place Monday through Wednesday at East Lake Golf Club, which hosts the final event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs on the PGA Tour each year. The competition includes each of the four men’s and women’s semifinal teams from the previous year’s NCAA Championship. East Lake Golf Club will measure 7,195 yards and play to a par of 72.

Golf Channel and Peacock will provide live coverage of the competition from 3-6 p.m. each day.

Competition Schedule

Monday, Oct. 28 (stroke play): 10:30 a.m. | Golf Channel coverage: 3-6 p.m. (live); 8-11 p.m. (replay)
Tuesday, Oct. 29 (match play semifinals): 10:40 a.m. | Golf Channel coverage: 3-6 p.m. (live); 8-11 p.m. (replay)
Wednesday, Oct. 31 (match play finals and consolation): 10:40 a.m. | Golf Channel coverage: 3-6 p.m. (live); 8-11 p.m. (replay)

Men’s teams: Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Ohio State; Women’s teams: LSU, Oregon, Southern California, UCLA

Format – The tournament format features 18 holes of stroke play to determine an individual male and female champion, and to set seedings for team match play. There will then be two rounds of match play to determine a team champion, along with a consolation match to determine third place.

Full Steam Ahead

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH GOLF

Georgia Tech’s golf team is in its 30^th year under head coach Bruce Heppler, winning 73 tournaments in his tenure. The Yellow Jackets have won 19 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made 33 appearances in the NCAA Championship and been the national runner-up five times. Follow Georgia Tech Golf on social media by liking their Facebook page, or following on X (@GTGolf) and Instagram. For more information on Tech golf, visit Ramblinwreck.com.

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Police officer killed, another seriously wounded in hotel room shootout in Georgia

Published

5 hours ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

Police officer killed, another seriously wounded in hotel room shootout in Georgia

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — A man being questioned by police at a suburban Atlanta hotel Sunday shot the two officers after inviting them into his room, killing one of them and seriously wounding the other, authorities said.

The suspect, who was shot by one of the officers, was undergoing medical treatment and expected to survive, Gwinnett County Police Chief J.D. McClure said during a news conference.

The shootout happened Sunday morning near Stone Mountain, about 25 miles northeast of Atlanta. The officers were dispatched to the hotel after a caller in another state reported someone had fraudulently used their credit card there, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. The agency said the front desk clerk directed the officers to the room of the person who had used the credit card.

McClure said the suspect greeted the officers at the door to his room and invited them inside.

“They began discussing the scenario or the incident with him,” McClure said. “And at some point the suspect produced a handgun and, in an unprovoked attack, fired at our Gwinnett County police officers.”

Officer Pradeep Tamang, 25, died of his injuries at a hospital, McClure said. A native of Nepal, Tamang had joined the Police Department last year.

Office David Reed was hospitalized in serious condition but stable Sunday afternoon, the police chief said.

“This is the latest reminder of the dangers law enforcement face on a daily basis, and we are grateful for every one that puts themselves in harm’s way to protect their fellow Georgians,” Gov. Brian Kemp said on X.

McClure identified the shooting suspect as 35-year-old Kevin Andrews of Decatur, Ga. It was not immediately known whether Andrews had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

The investigation has been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which customarily handles shootings involving law enforcement officers in the state. McClure said it would be up to the GBI and local prosecutors to decide what charges to bring against Andrews.

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Georgia brothers sentenced for Georgia Lottery fraud scheme

Published

17 hours ago

February 1, 2026

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Georgia brothers sentenced for Georgia Lottery fraud scheme

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. – Two Georgia brothers have been sentenced after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said they defrauded the Georgia Lottery more than a dozen times over a years-long period.

Brothers accused of lottery fraud

What we know:

Quinton Watts, 27, and Phillip Watts, 31, both of Sparta, were sentenced Thursday after being arrested for defrauding the lottery.

The GBI began investigating the men in August 2024 at the request of the Georgia Lottery Commission. Agents said the brothers stole money from video poker-style machines—commonly known as Coin Operated Amusement Machines (COAM)—across more than 12 counties between June 2021 and September 2024.

The two were charged with multiple felony charges, including racketeering, lottery ticket fraud, theft by taking, and possession of tools for the commission of a crime.

Lottery fraud sentencing

What’s next:

Columbia County Superior Court Judge Barry A. Fleming sentenced Quinton Watts to 20 years in prison, followed by 45 years of probation. Phillip Watts was sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by 35 years of probation. Both men were ordered to pay $86,000 in restitution to the Georgia Lottery Commission. Judge Fleming also banned both men from Columbia County, prohibited them from entering any stores involved in the case, and barred them from playing COAMs.

What are COAMs?

Dig deeper:

COAMs are arcade-style machines regulated by the Georgia Lottery and are typically found inside gas stations and convenience stores. The machines award points that can be exchanged for in-store items, gas credits, or Georgia Lottery tickets. The machines are legal as long as they are properly licensed. Under Georgia law, customers may only redeem credits for specific non-cash rewards.

The Source: Information in this article came from a release posted on the GBI’s website.

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Social media reacts to UNC controlling Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon

Published

1 day ago

January 31, 2026

Press Room

Social media reacts to UNC controlling Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon

What did social media have to say after UNC beat Georgia Tech on a snowy, Saturday afternoon in Atlanta?

An easy, dominant win is the best way for teams to keep their fans happy. That’s exactly what the UNC basketball team did on Saturday afternoon, controlling Georgia Tech from start to finish in a 91-75 victory.

North Carolina (17-4, 5-3 ACC) won its second-straight conference road game, a welcomed sight after losing its first three. The Tar Heels shot a solid 46 percent (36-of-79) from the field and, perhaps a more impressive mark, sank 92% (11-of-12) of their free throw attemps.

UNC took amazing care of the basketball, turning the ball over twice compared to 12 turnovers for the host Yellow Jackets (11-11, 2-7 ACC), who lost their third-consecutive outing. North Carolina scored a whopping 18 points off Tech’s 12 turnovers, which averages out to 1.5 points per turnover.

If you predicted Caleb Wilson to have another big game, you guessed correctly. Wilson finished his afternoon with a team-high 22 points, his 15th time reaching the 20-point plateau this season. This broke a previous tie with Tyler Hansbrough, the best collegiate basketball player to come through Chapel Hill, for most 20-point games by a freshman.

Henri Veesaar continued showcasing why he’s a top center in the country, recording a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double. Seth Trimble stepped up to lead the Tar Heels’ backcourt, recording 18 points (most amongst guards), four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Luka Bogavac made his case for a starting lineup return, netting 16 points off the bench.

UNC makes its long-awaited return home on Monday evening, hosting Syracuse in a 7 p.m. tip-off. For now, though, North Carolina players, coaches and fans can celebrate alike.

Take a look at social media for some postgame reactions from Saturday’s domination of Georgia Tech, which proved a needed big win before a big week ahead: