Clemson Finishes Second at Puerto Rico Classic

Feb. 21, 2012

CLEMSON, SC – Thomas Bradshaw fired a four-under par 68 on Tuesday to lead Clemson to a second place finish at the 15-team Puerto Rico Classic at the River Course at Rio Mar Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Alabama won the tournament with a 30-under par score of 834. The Tigers, ranked 15th in the nation entering the event, finished second in the strong field with n 852 score, 12 under par. Purdue was third with an 856 score, while fifth ranked Georgia Tech was fourth at 861.

Clemson also defeated top ranked Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia and Oklahoma State in the outstanding field.

It was a balanced performance for Larry Penley’s Tigers as all five players finished in the top 25 individually. That marked the first time since October of 2007 that all five Clemson players finished in the top 25 of any tournament. That Clemson team that finished fifth at the NCAA Tournament that year, accomplished the feat at The Brickyard.

Bradshaw led the way with a 212 for the tournament thanks to rounds of 69-75-68. His 68 on Tuesday included six birdies and just one bogey. It was the second best finish of his career and was topped only by his third place at the Furman Intercollegiate last year.

Billy Kennerly had a two-under par 70 on Tuesday and finished in seventh place with a 213 score. It was the first top 10 for the freshman from Alpharetta, GA. He now has a streak of five straight rounds of 72 or better dating to the fall season and has eight rounds at par or better this year.

Corbin Mills had a solid tournament with rounds of 70-72-73 and his 215 score was good enough for 14th place. McCuen Elmore and Crawford Reeves finished in a tie for 23rd place with 217 totals. Elmore had a 72 on Tuesday and Reeves shot a 73. It was the first tournament of the year for Reeves, who shot a 70 in the second round, the best round by a Tiger on the day.

The 12-under par team score was the best of the year for the Tigers who also had three consecutive under-par team rounds in a tournament for the first time since the Augusta State Invitational of 2010.