Clemson 10th After First Round of Administaff Augusta State Invitational

March 30, 2007

Clemson, SC-Kyle Stanley fired an opening round 71 to lead Clemson to a 295 team score and a 10th place standing after the first round of the Administraff Augusta State Invitational in Augusta, GA. The Tigers and 17 other schools will compete in the second round on the par 72 Champions Retreat Golf Club course on Saturday. The 54-hole tournament concludes on Sunday.

North Carolina has the lead after 18 holes with a nine-under par 279 team score. The Tar Heels have a three-shot lead over Coastal Carolina and a four-shot lead over Tennessee. They are the only three schools under par.

Clemson is tied with Virginia Tech and NC State, one stroke behind ninth place Notre Dame. Host school Augusta State, who has won this tournament on many occasions, stands in 14th place at 297.

The Tigers, who had not played in a tournament in 19 days, got off to a slow start. Clemson’s five players were a combined 17-over-par on the front nine and four-under-par for the back nine.

Stanley was playing his first tournament for the Tigers since February 27 when he played in the Puerto Rico Classic. He had missed the Las Vegas Invitational to compete on the PGA Tour in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The first-year freshman got off to a slow start with consecutive bogeys to open the round.

But he settled down after that and made consecutive birdies on holes 9-11 and finished with a 34 on the back nine. He entered the tournament with a 71.0 average, on pace to be the best in Clemson history for a freshman. He kept that average in the first round on Friday and is 12th individually entering the second round. Freshman Ben Martin was Clemson’s second best golfer on Friday with a two-over par 74. The native of Greenwood had a 41 on the front nine, including an eight on the par five fifth hole. But, he finished strong with a three-under par 33 on the back nine. Phillip Mollica and David May both had opening round 75s on Friday.

Mollica was Clemson’s top player on the front nine with a 36, but he slumped to a 39 on the back nine, including a double bogey on the 11th hole. May had bogeys on the third, fourth and fifth holes, but he had an even par for the back nine, including a birdie on the par five 18th.

Freshman Sam Saunders, Clemson’s second best player entering the event with a 72.92 stroke average, shot a 78 on Friday and his score did not count towards Clemson’s team score. But, the native of the Orlando area birdied two of his last three holes and hopefully will carry that momentum into Saturday. He had a 43 on the front and a 35 on the back.