Clemson Leads by 9 Shots after First Round of Clemson Invitational

Sunset, S.C.—Austin Langdale shot career best five-under-par 67, while Stephen Behr and Carson Young added three-under-par scores of 69 to lead Clemson to a 276 team score and a nine-shot lead after the first round of Clemson Invitational at the Cliffs at Keowee Falls in Sunset, S.C.

Clemson has a nine-shot lead over ACC rival Louisville and a 12-shot lead over defending ACC Champion and third place Georgia Tech.  The 276 score was the second best by the Tigers  for a team round this year, but the 12-under-par round was the best of the year vs. par. 

Clemson is playing host to the 12-team event April 1-3, the first time the Tigers have played host to a college golf tournament since 1987. Action continues at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Four Clemson golfers shot under par, just the second time that has happened this year.  All four are in the top seven of the individual standings after 18 holes.   Langdale led the way with a career best round in terms of raw score and in terms of score versus par.  He had shot a 68 three times previously.   The junior from Pendleton High School had seven birdies, most in the field of 66 golfers who played the first third of the round in a steady drizzle.

Langdale made birdies on each of the first two holes.  His birdie on the second hole was remarkable in that he hit a 110-yard shot from the sand to within five inches of the hole.  He finished with a 34 on the front nine, then made birdies on the 15^th, 16^th and 18^th holes to finish with a 33 on the back nine.   

Langdale has a two-shot lead over teammates Stephen Behr and Carson Young, and Robin Scoiot-Siegrist of Louisville. 

Young, who played high school golf with Langdale and was born just two days later in 1994 in the same Anderson, S.C. hospital, made birdies on the seventh, eighth and ninth holes.  He then got to five-under for the round with birdies on the 10^th and 13^th holes.  But he made bogey on No. 14 and No. 17 to finish with a 69, his sixth round in the 60s this year.

Behr also had his sixth round in the 60s this year with an opening round 69.  The graduate student shot a 34 on the front nine that was highlighted by a birdie two on the fifth hole when he hit his tee shot just five feet from the hole.  He made birdie on three of his last seven holes to finish at three-under-par.

Freshman Bryson Nimmer, the son of former Tiger golfer Tony Nimmer, a spectator on Friday, had a solid on-under-par 71 on Friday.  The freshman started with birdies on the first two holes.   He shot one over on the back nine when he missed four birdie putts of 15 feet or less, but still recorded his fifth under-par score in 13 rounds this year.

Senior Miller Capps shot an 80 and his score did not count towards Clemson’s team score. Three other Tigers played as individuals on Friday.  Coleman Self made a career best five birdies and shot a career best 70, eight shots better than his previous best total.  Josh Fickes shot a three-over-par 75 and Peter Mathison scored an 82.

Clemson Invitational

First Round, The Cliffs at Keowee Falls

Salem, S.C.

Team Results

1.Clemson 276, 2. Louisville 285,  3.  Georgia Tech 288, 4.  Michigan State 291, 5.  Winthrop 293, 6. Elon 294,  7.  Furman, 8. UNC-Wilmington 298 and Notre Dame 298.  10. Boston College 302, 11. UNC Greensboro 313.  12. Navy 317

Clemson Individuals

1.Austin Langdale 67,  2.  Carson Young and Stephen Behr 69,  7.  Bryson Nimmer 71.  55.  Miller Capps 80.

Clemson Individuals

5.  Coleman Self 70,  32. Josh Fickes 75.  58.  Peter Mathison 82