Clemson Finishes Third at ACC Golf Tournament

April 21, 2002

Complete Results

Uwharrie Point, NC – D.J. Trahan and Ben Duncan both had final rounds of two-under-par 70, but it was not enough for Clemson to overcome Georgia Tech and NC State on Sunday afternoon at the 49th ACC Men’s Golf Championship. The tournament was played at the Old North State Club in Uwharrie Point, NC.

Clemson finished third with a score of 845 on the par 72 course, behind champion Georgia Tech (837) and N.C. State (841). The final standings were closer than those scores indicate. With two holes to play, only one shot separated all three schools.

Wake Forest, ranked second in the nation in one poll entering the tournament, finished fourth at 851. North Carolina had individual champion Dustin Bray, but the Tar Heels were fifth as a team at 862. Florida State, coached by former Clemson All-American Nicky Goetze, finished sixth at 868, while Virginia was seventh at 874. Maryland was eighth at 875 and Duke was last at 878.

Clemson made a charge on the last two holes on Saturday to cut Georgia Tech’s lead to five strokes entering today. Clemson played 17 and 18 five under par that day. But, the Tigers struggled on the last two holes on Sunday. Clemson had to count a double bogey and a bogey on the 18th hole, while Georgia Tech had a birdie and two eagles.

Trahan led the Tigers with a 70 and finished in sixth place overall with a 54-hole score of 209, seven-under-par. Trahan had three rounds under par at the event, giving him 22 under-par rounds for the year. He is now just one under-par round off of Charles Warren’s single season record of 23 set in 1997-98.

Duncan and Gregg Jones both tied for 11th in the tournament overall with 212 scores. Duncan shot a 70 on Sunday but finished with bogies on each of the last two holes. Still, his 212 score was the lowest of his Clemson career and it was just the second time he had been under-par for a 54-hole event. He had 13 birdies on the weekend, more than any other Tiger.

Jones finished with a double bogey on the 18th hole when he tried to go for the green in two, a necessary attempt if Clemson was to win the tournament. But, his shot was short, caught the bank and went into the water. Jones had given Clemson hope just a hole earlier when he birdied the difficult 17th hole. He hit his drive on the par three hole just two inches from the cup. For Jones, it was his fourth under-par tournament in his last five and he is now 17-under par for his last five events.

Matt Hendrix finished in a tie for 15th with a 214 score, two-under-par. He was two under par through eight holes, but double bogeyed the ninth hole. Clemson was the only school in the tournament with four players among the top 15 in the final standings. Hendrix had rounds of 71-69-74 for the three days. The 214 score was his lowest of the season.

Freshman Martin Catalioto had a solid 72 on Sunday, including a birdie on the 18th hole. It gave him a 220 score for the three days, 30th overall. He had a 71 in the first round giving him two rounds of par or better in the same event for the first time in his young Clemson career. Catalioto played with consistency as he had 39 pars in his 54 holes, more than any other Tiger.