Byrd, Engler Named to Palmer Cup Team

April 19, 1999

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson golfers Jonathan Byrd and John Engler have been selected to play for the United States team in the Palmer Cup Matches this summer.

In addition to Byrd and Engler from Clemson, the eight-man United States team is composed for Matt Kuchar and Bryce Molder of Georgia Tech, Hank Kuehne of SMU (reigning US Amateur champion), Jeremy Anderson of UNLV, Ben Curtis of Kent and Michael Morrison of Georgia. Thus, five of the eight members of the team are within 120 miles of each other.

The Palmer Cup is a Ryder Cup style event matching the top men’s collegiate players from the United States against their counterparts in Great Britain and Ireland. The event, sponsored by the Arnold Palmer Golf Company, will be held at The Honors Course in Chattanooga, TN June 10-14.

Byrd and Engler are prime reasons Clemson’s golf team has been ranked first, second or third in the nation all season. Byrd is currently ranked third in the nation according to the MasterCard college rankings, while Engler is ranked fourth. Both had top 10 finishes at the ACC Tournament this past weekend.

Byrd, a native of Columbia, and Engler, a native of Augusta, GA, will be the third and fourth Clemson players chosen for this event. Two years ago, Clemson golfer Charles Warren helped the United States to a 19-5 victory over Great Britain-Ireland in the Palmer Cup competition at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, FL. Richard Coughlan, a teammate of Warren at Clemson and All-American in 1997, played for the GRI team in 1997.