Clemson Second After First Round Of Las Vegas Classic

March 10, 2001

LAS VEGAS – John Engler and Jani Saari both shot two-under-par 70s to lead Clemson to a second place ranking after the first round of the Las Vegas Classic. The event is being played over three days at the Rio Secco Golf Course in Las Vegas. The first round was delayed for two hours due to rain and the players did not finish until 9:15 PM Eastern time.

Engler and Saari are tied for second after the first day. They were two of the seven players who shot an under par round on the 7,332-yard course, the longest course Clemson has ever played in a team tournament. Engler had a 35-35 round, while Saari had nines of 36 and 34. The leader is Jeff Quinney of Arizona State.

Clemson senior Lucas Glover, the Tigers low stroke average player this year, shot a 76. He had a 41 on the back, then finished strong with a 35. D.J. Trahan, the defending individual medalist of this event, shot a 77 in the first round, while Gregg Jones posted an 80.

Georgia Tech shot a 292 team score and holds a one stroke lead on the Tigers, who shot 293. The two teams, ranked one-two in the nation, have played in five previous tournaments. Tech has been one stroke lower than Clemson in those five tournaments combined.

TCU is third with a 294 score, while Florida is fourth at 297. NC State shot a 299 and is fifth. Georgia and Oklahoma State, the most two recent NCAA Champions, are tied for sixth at 300. Houston is eighth at 301.