Clemson Eighth after First Round of Stillwater Regional

Clemson, S.C.—Clemson played the last seven holes in four-under-par and shot a team score of 308 on Monday to rank eighth out of 14 teams after in the first round of the NCAA Stillwater Regional in Oklahoma.   Despite the eighth place ranking, the Tigers stand only five shots above the cutline after the first 18 holes.  The top five teams after 54 holes will advance to the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Oregon May 27.

This year’s regional is being played at the site of Clemson’s NCAA Championship in 2003.  The scores were high then, as Clemson’s winning score was 39-over-par, the second highest winning score by a champion in NCAA history.  The par 72 course is 7418 yards long, nearly 300 yards longer than any course Clemson has played this year.

Clemson got off to a rough start on Monday and was 18-over-par after nine holes.   Clemson had just two birdies as a team on the front nine.  But the Tigers fought back with a two over score as a team on the back nine,  thanks to 10 birdies over the last seven holes.

Clemson’s top player on Monday was graduate student Stephen Behr, who had a three-over-par 75.  He was three-over-par on the front nine and played the last nine even, including a birdie on the final hole.   He stands in 20^th place individually after one round.

Austin Langdale, Clemson’s low scorer for the year entering the regional,  was four over on the front nine and even par on the back in shooting a 76.   He had two bogeys and two birdies on the back nine.  Langdale  joins Behr in the top 25 with a No 24 ranking individually.

Carson Young was Clemson’s third best player on Monday with a six over par 78. Young played the front nine at five-over-par, then was one-over on the back.  He was the only Tiger with a birdie on the difficult par four 13^th hole.

Bryson Nimmer was the fourth counting score for Larry Penley’s  team on Monday.  The freshman finished with a seven-over-par score of 79, but he was 10 over par after 11 holes.  He had four birdies over his last seven holes to finish on a hot streak.

Graduate Miller Capps had an 81 and his score did not count towards Clemson’s team score.  But Capps shot just one over par on the back nine.

Clemson will begin play at 9 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday and will compete in the same groups with McNeese State and Missouri-Kansas City.

Stillwater Regional

Team Scores

May 16, 2016

1. Oklahoma State 285, 2.  Oklahoma 292, 3.  Louisville and Northwestern 300, 5.  Augusta  and Purdue 303, 7. McNeese State 307, 8. Clemson and Missouri-Kansas City 308, 10.  Tennessee and VCU 311, 12.  Michigan State 318, 13. Duke 321,  14. Alabama State 330

Clemson Individuals

20.  Stephen Behr 75, 24. Austin Langdale 76, 36.  Carson Young 78, 44.  Bryson Nimmer 79, 54. Miller Capps 81