Clemson in Fifth Place after First Round of U.S. Collegiate

Clemson, S.C.—Miller Capps fired a three-under-par 69 and Stephen Behr added a one-under 71 to lead Clemson to a 286 team total and a tie for fifth place with host school Georgia Tech after the first round of the 17-team United States Collegiate Golf Tournament at the Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta.

The 17 teams will continue play in the three-day 54-hole event on Saturday on the par 72 Lakeside course that is 7017 yards in length.   The tournament includes 12 of the top 25 teams, including seven of the top 10 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin poll.  Clemson finished ahead of four top 10 teams and seven top 25 teams on Friday.

Florida State, ranked first in the latest College Golf Coaches Association poll, has the lead with a 282 score, six-under-par, just four shots ahead of the Tigers.

Clemson had consistent play from all five of its golfers on Friday, as all five shot between 69 and 74.  Capps had four birdies and a bogey in scoring the 20^th round in the 60s of his four-year career.    He started his round with birdies on the first two holes, made a bogey on the sixth hole, then played the last nine holes at two under par.  He stands in fifth place individually after the first 18 holes.

Behr, Clemson’s top player in terms of stroke average so far this year with a 71.22 average, had a 71 thanks to birdies on three of the last four holes.  He was the only Clemson golfer to birdie the 17^th and 18^th holes.  It was his fifth under-par round of the year, best on the Clemson team.

Austin Langdale and Cody Proveaux both had scores of one-over-par 73, but they reached that total in different fashions.  Langdale, a junior from Pendleton, had a steady round with two birdies and three bogeys. 

Proveaux had a five-over-par 41 on the front side and appeared to be heading to a non-counting score.  But the senior rallied with birdies on  No. 10, 11, 13, 14 and 15.  He made a double bogey on 17, then made birdie on the 18^th.  He had seven birdies for the round and made just five pars. 

Carson Young, who was playing in Clemson’s No. 1 position on Friday, made par on the first 15 holes, then made two bogeys to shoot 74.

Peter Mathison played as an individual and fired a 77 in the opening round.