Clemson Opens ACC Tournament Play on Friday

April 15, 2008

Clemson, SC – Clemson’s top five players in terms of stroke average will form the Tiger lineup for the ACC Golf Championships this weekend at The Old North State Club at Uwharrie Point, NC. The 55th annual event will be played for the 12th time, the seventh consecutive year, at The Old North State Club.

Clemson has won the ACC tournament nine times, all since 1982, including four times at The Old North State Club. Clemson has finished in the top four of the event 13 consecutive years. This will be the 25th ACC Tournament for Clemson Head Coach Larry Penley. He has won the event eight times.

Clemson is ranked 15th by the Golf World Coaches Poll and 18th by the Golfweek/Sagarin computer poll. The ACC Tournament looks to be very competitive as five of the 11 schools are ranked in the top 20 in the nation by Golf World. Georgia Tech is 10th, Florida State is 11, Duke is 14th, Clemson is 15th and Wake Forest is 18th.

Clemson has finished second in four events this year, but is still looking for its first tournament championship. Clemson last won the ACC Tournament in 2004 and finished third last year with an 858 score, six under par.

The Tigers will be led by sophomore Kyle Stanley, who has a team best 72.27 stroke average, and 12 under-par rounds. Stanley has five top 10 finishes this year, including each of the last three events. Last year, Stanley finished third at the ACC Tournament as a freshman with a six-under-par score of 210.

Sam Saunders is second on the Clemson stroke average list with a 72.87 average. So far this year, Saunders has two top 10 finishes and has scored at 75 or better in 20 of his 23 rounds. Saunders finished seventh at the Furman Invitational for his best finish of the year. Saunders finished 19th as a freshman at last year’s ACC Tournament with a 218 total.

Phillip Mollica is third on the team in stroke average this year with a 73.59 figure, but he has a 72.50 average for the spring, thanks to a team best five rounds in the 60s. Mollica finished third at the Hootie @ Bulls Bay Invitational, the best individual finish by a Clemson golfer this year.

David May is fourth on the Clemson team in stroke average this year with a 73.64 average. May will be playing in his third ACC Tournament, all at The Old North State Club. The junior from Auburn, NY has a strong 71.17 stroke average in his six career rounds at the ACC Tournament, including a career best 65 in the second round of the 2006 Tournament. May finished ninth as a freshman and 12th last year.

Ben Martin will round out the Clemson lineup. Martin missed last year’s ACC tournament with a heart problem, but he has been healthy this year and has a 73.78 stroke average. Martin, a first-team All-ACC golfer as a freshman, has played in just two spring events this year.