CLEMSON, S.C. — Colby Patton shot a two-under-par 69 on Tuesday and Jacob Bridgeman finished third overall with an 11-under-par score for the 54 holes, leading Clemson to a 10th place finish at the 15-team Valspar Collegiate at The Floridian in Palm City, Fla.
Defending National Champion Pepperdine won the tournament in dominating fashion with a team score of 34-under-par 818 for two-day event that included eight teams with a top 25 ranking by at least one service, including four top 10 teams. Pepperdine, who entered the tournament ranked 10th in the nation, finished 14 shots ahead of Florida State to gain the team victory.
Dylan Menante of Pepperdine won medalist honors with a score of 14-under-par 199, three shots better than Bridgeman. With the win, Menante will receive an invitational to the Valspar Invitational on the PGA Tour next March.
Bridgeman was tied with Ludvig Aberg of Texas Tech, one of the top players in the nation, who will play as an amateur in this weekend’s Valero Texas Open. Sam Bennett of Texas A&M, the number-one-ranked player in the nation, finished 22nd. The field included 20 of the top 100 players in the nation.
Patton’s 69 on Tuesday featured four birdies and just two bogeys as the graduate student from Fountain Inn, S.C. had his best round of the tournament, and his sixth round in the 60s this year.
Patton earlier had rounds of 75 and 76 and finished tied for 61st in the field of 81 golfers.
Bridgeman had a one-over par 72 on Tuesday after scoring rounds of 67 and 63 on Monday when the teams played 36 holes. Bridgeman had four bogeys and three birdies on Tuesday to finish with a 202 total for the 54 holes. It was his third consecutive top four finish.
Bridgeman finished the tournament with 16 birdies and an eagle. His second-round 63 tied for the best by any player in the tournament and his 17 holes of birdie or better tied for fourth in the field. Tuesday’s round did end his record-tying streak of five consecutive rounds of 67 or better. He now has 45 career rounds in the 60s, tied for second in Clemson history with D.J. Trahan and just one short of Bryson Nimmer’s career mark (46).
Zack Gordon finished with a 74 on Tuesday and was Clemson’s third best player at the tournament with a four-over-par score 217 for his three rounds. He started with consistent rounds of 71-72 and finished 46th overall.
Kian Rose finished the tournament in strong fashion with an even-par 71 on Tuesday. He finished with a 218 total for his three rounds, good enough for 51st place. Rose had missed the last tournament with a back injury.
Carter Pendley started Tuesday as the top Tiger, scoring three birdies in his first five holes. But the junior struggled down the stretch and shot a 76 to finish at 10-over-par 223, good enough for 68th.
Clemson played the tournament without senior starter Kyle Cottam, third on the team in stroke average this year, who is competing in the Canadian Tour West Qualifier in Arizona this week.
Clemson’s next tournament will be April 3-5 at the Calusa Cup in Naples, Fla. This will be the final regular season event of the year before the ACC Tournament begins on April 22.
Valspar CollegiateMarch 28-29, 2022The Floridian, Palm City, Fla.
Team Scores:
1.Pepperdine 818, 2. Florida State 832, 3. Wake Forest 837, 4. Duke 838, 5. Arizona State 839, 6. Ohio State 840, 7. North Carolina 841, 8. South Florida and Texas Tech 847, 10. Clemson 851, 11. Texas A&M 852, 12. Houston 856, 13. Marquette 861, 14. Southern California 866, 15. Minnesota 872.
Clemson Individuals
