Clemson Holds First Round Lead in Japan

Sept. 3, 2002

Matt Hendrix fired a career best 65, and Jack Ferguson and Ben Duncan added 68s to lead Clemson to an eight-stroke lead after the first round of the Topy Cup United States vs. Japan Collegiate Men’s Golf Championships.

Clemson fired a 272 score as a team as all five players shot under par. In addition to the score mentioned above, D.J. Trahan and Gregg Jones, both All-Americans last year, fired one under-par 71s.

Hendrix’s round was four shots better than his previous career best as a Tiger and it was the best individual round by a Clemson player in two seasons. John Engler, now on the BUY.com Tour had a 64 at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate in the spring of 2001.

Clemson has an eight-shot lead over Tohoka Fukusi, a top college team in Japan. Clemson was 16 strokes better than defending NCAA Champion Minnesota, who shot an even par 288 as a team and ranks fifth as a team in the 11 team event. Arizona State is in sixth place at 291, while Fresno State ranks seventh at 292. Overall there are four US college teams and seven Japanese college teams in the field.

Individually, Hendrix has a two shot lead. Ferguson and Duncan are tied for third with their 68s, while Trahan and Jones are tied for 12th with their 71s.

The 54-hole event continues on Wednesday.