Clemson Finishes Second

Oct. 5, 2003

Clemson, SC – Matt Hendrix and Jack Ferguson both had under-par rounds to finish in the top five individually and lead the Clemson Tigers to a second-place finish at the Carpet Classic in Dalton, GA. The Tigers finished with a team score of 858, six-under-par, five shots short of Florida’s winning total of 853.

Hendrix fired a 69 on Sunday, while Ferguson had a 71 to lead the Tigers. Hendrix, a senior and United States Walker Cup team member, had five birdies and two bogeys in recording his second 69 in the event. The native of Aiken finished with a 209 total, the low tournament for any Tiger in the young season.

Ferguson had a 71 to finish with a 54-hole score of 210, good enough for fifth place. It was the second top 10 finish in three events for Ferguson, who was a second-team All-American last year as a sophomore. Ferguson’s round included an eagle on the 12th hole.

Those were the only two players under par for Clemson on Sunday. Senior Gregg Jones had a double bogey on the 17th hole and finished with a 76. He had a three-day total of 219, good enough for 30th place. Brent Delahoussaye had a 74 on Sunday to finish at 228, while Brian Duncan had a 77 on Sunday to finish with a 223 total.

Clemson had a four-shot lead heading into the final round, but shot a 290 total as a team. Florida, who defeated Clemson in the first tournament of the year at The Ridges, won the tournament thanks to a seven-under par 281 team total on Sunday. Matt Every, the number-five man on the team, had eight birdies on the way to a 66 on Sunday. He had a 32 on the back nine.

The Tigers had a one-shot lead with four holes left, but Clemson played the last four holes three over par as a team, while Florida was three-under-par for that final stretch. Clemson tied with Texas at 858 for second place. Georgia was fourth at 863, while Georgia Tech was fifth at 864. Jason Hartwick of Texas won the event with a 13-under-par 203 after a 67 on Sunday.

Larry Penley’s team will next be in action at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate in Birmingham, AL October 13-14. Clemson is the defending champion.