Tigers Head to Oregon

Clemson, S.C.—Clemson heads back on the road this weekend (Oct. 1-3) to Oregon to compete in the Nike Elite Championship at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. It marks Clemson’s second plane trip in as many weeks as Larry Penley’s Tigers are coming off a sixth-place finish at the Trinity Forest Invitational in Dallas, Tex.  

Clemson will be one of 10 top 25 teams competing in the championship for the Nike Elite, perhaps the top fall tournament of the men’s college golf schedule.     It is one of two trips to Oregon for the Clemson golf team this year, as the spring schedule calls for Clemson to compete in the Bandon Dunes Championship in March.

Penley will keep the same lineup this week that he used in Dallas. That lineup includes one junior, two sophomores and two true freshmen.

Bryson Nimmer leads the way for the Tigers with a 69.33 average through two tournaments. The junior finished second at the Carpet Classic to open the season and seventh last week at Trinity Forest. He has scored at par or better in five of his six rounds so far this year.

Freshman Turk Pettit also has five rounds at par or better through two tournaments. The native of Auburn, Ala., has a 70.33 average through two events and is seven under par for the six rounds. He finished third at the Carpet Classic and 17th at Trinity Forest and leads the Clemson team in birdies so far with 31.

Pettit’s classmate Kyle Cottam was Clemson’s top player at the Trinity Forest Invitational with a 207, including a 67 in the final round. He finished third overall in the field of 78 golfers.

US Amateur Champion Doc Redman will play his second tournament of the year for the Tigers. He enters this week with a 71.05 stroke average for his career with 11 rounds in the 60s.   William Nottingham, who won the North-South Amateur last summer at Pinehurst will also be in Clemson’s lineup. He has a 74.67 average so far this year.