Clemson, SC-The Clemson men’s golf team returns to the course on Monday, March 9, at the Palmetto Intercollegiate at the famed Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, SC. The tournament will be a 54-hole event over two days. The teams will play 36 holes on Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday.
This will be Clemson’s 25th appearance in the tournament dating to the spring of 1977. The Tigers have won the event seven times, including as recently as 2014. The Tigers won the tournament four consecutive years (1987-90). Clemson finished fourth out of 18 teams last year.
Larry Penley’s 20th ranked Tigers are coming off a fifth-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic last month in the team’s most recent competition. This is the team’s only tournament between Feb. 19 and March 28.
The Tigers will take a team that features, one senior, two sophomores and two juniors to Aiken. Jacob Bridgeman leads the team with a 70.83 stroke average so far this season for six events and 18 rounds. The sophomore from Inman, SC already has six rounds in the 60s and 10 rounds under par. He was Clemson’s top golfer in Puerto Rico with a 13th place finish after shooting four-under-par 212.
Turk Pettit has the second best stroke average at 71.17 for six tournaments. The junior has six rounds in the 60s and nine under-par rounds. Pettit has shot six-under-par for his last 12 rounds. His best finish this year was a second place at the Maui Jim in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Kyle Cottam has a 71.78 stroke average so far this year. His ledger has included five rounds in the 60s and nine under-par rounds. He has shot even par or better in four of his six tournament so far this year.
William Nottingham is the only senior in the Clemson lineup. He has a 71.83 stroke average so far this year and has five under-par rounds, scores that have all been in the 60s. He was Clemson’s second best player in Puerto Rico with a 215 score.
Zack Gordon rounds out the Clemson lineup with a 72.00 stroke average. The sophomore from Gaffney, SC has played five events so far this year and has six under-par rounds. He had his best performance of the year at the Ka’anapali Classic in Hawaii in November when he had a 12-under-par score of 201, a performance that included three rounds in the 60s.
Junior Colby Patton (71.67 stroke average) is still out of the lineup with a rib injury. Live scoring will be available on golfstat.com.
For those of you planning to attend the tournament, the address of the course is 275 Berrie Rd SW, Aiken, SC 29801.
