Clemson Retains Top Spot In The MasterCard Collegiate Golf Rankings

Oct. 6, 1999

PRINCETON, N.J. – The Clemson University men and the Duke University women are the top-ranked teams in the second edition of the MasterCard Collegiate Golf Rankings. The MasterCard Collegiate Golf Rankings, which are administered by the College Golf Foundation in cooperation with the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA), were voted on by a panel of men’s and women’s collegiate golf coaches.

The MasterCard Collegiate Golf Rankings, the official rankings of the Rolex Collegiate Tour, will be released a total of 19 times throughout the upcoming school year. The next date for release of the MasterCard Collegiate Golf Rankings will be Tuesday, November 2, 1999.

Clemson, which tied for second place at the Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic this past weekend, was voted as the top-ranked men’s team with 273 votes. The Tigers, who held the top spot in the preseason edition of the MasterCard Rankings, also finished second at the Ping/Golfweek Preview last month. Northwestern, which won the team title at the Ping/Golfweek Preview, is ranked second with 243 votes. Rounding out the top five are Georgia (233 votes), ranked No. 3, UNLV (222 votes), ranked No. 4, and Oklahoma State (215 votes), ranked No. 5.

Luke Donald of Northwestern, who was named September’s Rolex College Golfer of the Month yesterday, is the top-ranked men’s individual with 275 votes. Donald, who won the individual medalist honors at the Ping/Golfweek Preview last month, was also the top-ranked individual in the preseason. Jonathan Byrd of Clemson is ranked second with 238 votes. David Gossett of Texas and Charles Howell of Oklahoma State are both tied for the third spot in the rankings, with 217 votes. Rounding out the top five is John Engler of Clemson (210 votes), ranked No. 5.

The latest edition of the MasterCard Collegiate Golf Rankings and information on all College Golf Foundation programs can be found on the CGF’ s web site: http://chili.collegesportsnews.com/cgf/cgf.htm, hosted by College Sports News Daily, the on-line publication of Conference Press Publishing. For the latest college golf news, and news on all college sports, visit College Sports News Daily at: www.collegesportsnews.com.

The CGF, a non-profit organization founded in the spring of 1995 with the corporate support of Rolex Watch U.S.A., and also sustained by an alliance with MasterCard International, is dedicated to the growth and promotion of men’s and women’s collegiate golf.

MASTERCARD COLLEGIATE GOLF RANKINGS DIVISION I MEN’S TEAM RANKINGS ADMINISTERED BY THE CGF IN COOPERATION WITH THE GCAA

SECOND EDITION – OCTOBER 6, 1999

RANK SCHOOL                VOTES1    Clemson               2732    Northwestern          2433    Georgia               2334    UNLV                  2225    Oklahoma State        2156    Arizona State         2117    Georgia Tech          2098    Houston               2009    South Carolina        17810   Brigham Young         16611   Florida               15912   Texas                 15713   North Carolina        13114   Minnesota             12315   UCLA                  11116   New Mexico            10017   Washington            8818   Oklahoma              8119   North Florida         6120   Auburn                5521   Arizona               5422   East Tennessee State  5223   North Carolina State  4024   Pepperdine            3425   TCU                   25