Freshman Max Emberson could hardly have asked for a better start to his college career.
Making his Georgia Tech debut, Emberson fired an 8-under 63 to take a two-shot individual lead and propel No. 22 Georgia Tech to the top of the team standings after the opening round of the Folds of Honor Collegiate.
The Thousand Oaks, Calif., native wasted little time settling into collegiate golf. Emberson made six birdies on the front nine and turned at 6-under before adding another memorable finish with a birdie-eagle combination on Nos. 17 and 18.
His round featured seven birdies, an eagle and just one bogey, giving him a two-shot cushion over Ohio State's Vaughn Harber, who opened with a 6-under 65.
Florida State's Shawn Coultoff, competing as an individual, sits third after a 4-under 67. Eduardo Derbez of Texas, Jacob Modleski of Notre Dame, Julian Menser of Michigan State and William Baker of Kansas share fourth at 3-under following rounds of 68.
Georgia Tech opens seven-shot lead
Emberson's 63 led a balanced Georgia Tech performance, with all four counting scores coming in under par.
Albert Hansson added a 2-under 69 to sit tied for eighth individually, while Andrew Ferworn and Carson Baez each opened with 1-under 70s in their Georgia Tech debuts.
The Yellow Jackets combined for a 12-under 272, establishing a seven-shot advantage over Michigan State, which finished at 5-under 279.
Notre Dame is another shot back in third at 4-under 280, followed by Kansas at 1-under 283. Alabama rounds out the top five at even-par 284.
With two rounds remaining, Georgia Tech already has separation on the team leaderboard, while Emberson will begin the second round with an opportunity to build on a debut that immediately put him at the center of the individual title race.
This is a live report from the Folds of Honor Collegiate. Follow along for more updates as the tournament unfolds.
