Freshman Max Emberson turned his collegiate debut into a victory as Georgia Tech swept the team and individual titles at the Folds of Honor Collegiate to open the 2026-27 season.
The Yellow Jackets entered Wednesday with a one-shot advantage and produced a 6-under 278 in the final round to finish at 18-under 834, five shots clear of Notre Dame and Texas.
It was a winning start to the Ryan Hybl era at Georgia Tech and marked the 52nd tournament victory of Hybl's coaching career.
Georgia Tech pulls away in final round
After rounds of 272 and 284, Georgia Tech faced a tight final-day battle with Notre Dame and Texas. The Yellow Jackets separated themselves with three under-par individual rounds and finished as the only team to break 280 Wednesday.
Notre Dame and Texas shared second at 13-under 839, eight shots ahead of fourth-place Cincinnati, which surged with a final-round 274 to finish at 10-under 842. Alabama rounded out the top five at 8-under 844.
Georgia Tech's strength on the par 4s proved particularly important. The Yellow Jackets led the field with a 3.97 scoring average, playing the par 4s at 5-under, and also recorded a tournament-best four eagles.
Emberson completes memorable debut
Emberson began the final round with a one-shot individual lead and quickly created separation, making two birdies and an eagle over his first six holes.
After a bogey at No. 7, he steadied himself with nine consecutive pars before adding a birdie at the 17th. A closing par completed a 4-under 67 and an 11-under 202 total.
The freshman finished two shots ahead of Texas' Daniel Bennett, who closed with a 68 for 9-under 204. Kansas' William Baker shot 67 to take third at 8-under 205, while Ohio State's Vaughn Harber finished fourth at 7-under 206 and Notre Dame's Jacob Modleski was fifth at 6-under 207.
Emberson's rounds of 63-72-67 made him the first true Georgia Tech freshman to win a multi-team tournament in his collegiate debut since Luke Schniederjans captured the 2016 Carpet Capital Collegiate.
Georgia Tech's Albert Hansson also finished inside the top 10, sharing sixth at 5-under 208 after three consecutive rounds of 70 or better.
Round 2 report -
Georgia Tech held onto its lead at the Folds of Honor Collegiate, but the Yellow Jackets will have little room for error after Notre Dame and Texas closed the gap during Tuesday's second round.
Tech followed its opening 12-under 272 with a 284 to sit at 12-under 556 through 36 holes. Notre Dame shot 7-under 277 and Texas produced the round of the day with a 12-under 272, leaving both teams one shot behind at 11-under 557.
Alabama is fourth at 5-under 563, while Cincinnati moved up three places to fifth at even-par 568.
Freshman Max Emberson also retained his position atop the individual leaderboard despite an eventful second round.
After opening with an 8-under 63, Emberson found himself 5-over through his first six holes Tuesday. He responded with a birdie-par-eagle finish to his opening nine, making an eagle at the par-5 18th for the second consecutive day.
Emberson played his final nine without a bogey and birdied his last hole to salvage a 1-over 72. At 7-under 135, he carries a one-shot lead into the final round.
Three players are tied for second at 6-under 136: Ohio State's Vaughn Harber, Notre Dame's Jacob Modleski and Texas' Daniel Bennett. Bennett made one of the day's biggest moves with a 5-under 66.
Georgia Tech's Albert Hansson is also firmly in the individual title race. Hansson matched his opening 69 with another 2-under 69, highlighted by an eagle at No. 18. At 4-under 138, he shares fifth with William Baker of Kansas, Timmy Hollenbeck of Cincinnati and Jack Mitchell of Alabama.
With just three shots separating the top eight players and only one separating the top three teams, both titles remain wide open heading into Wednesday's final round.
This is a live report from the Folds of Honor Collegiate. Follow along for more updates as the tournament unfolds.
Round 1 report -
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.
