Clemson Opens Play at ACC Men’s Golf Tournament Friday

April 15, 2009

ACC Select Coverage:

Saturday, April 18, approx 2-5 p.m. Sunday,April 19, approx 2-5 p.m.

Clemson, SC – Clemson will open play at the 56th annual Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Golf Championships on Friday, April 17 at The Old North State Club at Uwharrie Point, NC on Friday. The 54-hole event will run through Sunday at the par 72 course that is located an hour north of Charlotte off highway 49.

Clemson is coming off a victory at the United States Collegiate in Alpharetta, GA on April 7 when the Tigers overcame a 13-stroke deficit entering the final round to win. It was the largest final round deficit overcome to gain victory in Clemson golf history, and it was against a field that included the top 11 teams in the nation.

Larry Penley will take the same lineup he used to get that victory at the ACC Tournament this weekend. The lineup will feature two seniors, and three juniors to the ACC Tournament this weekend.

Kyle Stanley has been the top Clemson golfer over the course of the season with a 71.67 average. The junior from Gig Harbor, WA has five top 10 finishes, six rounds in the 60s and 10 rounds under par to lead the team in all three categories. Stanley has appeared in the ACC tournament at The Old North State Club each of the last two years and has a third place (2007) and an 18th place finish (2008) on his resume. He is ranked as the number-three Amateur in the world by Golfweek and is the number-six ranked college player by the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.

Ben Martin has a 72.38 stroke average for the year to rank second on the team, but he has a 71.17 average for the spring, best on the team. The junior from Greenwood, SC has finished in the top 11 in all four of his spring events, including a third place at the Puerto Rico Classic when he shot a 10 under par 206. Martin was Clemson’s top player at the ACC Tournament last year when he shot a five under par 211, good enough for an 11th place finish. Martin is ranked as the 27th best golfer in the nation by the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.

David May, a veteran of three ACC Tournaments, will perform in his fourth league event for the Tigers this weekend at The Old North State Club. The native of Auburn, NY tied his career best round with a 65 at the 2006 ACC Tournament as a freshman when he finished ninth with a 211 score. He was 12th as a sophomore and 20th last year. For his career he has a 71.2 stroke average for nine rounds at The Old North State Club. May is ranked 40th in the nation in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings.

Senior Phillip Mollica is fourth on the Clemson team in stroke average with a 74.05 average. He has a top 10 finish at The Brickyard back in the fall and is second on the team in rounds in the 60s with four. Mollica will be playing in his third ACC Tournament as a Tiger.

Luke Hopkins will make his first ACC Tournament appearance for the Tigers. The junior from Greer, SC has a 74.33 average for six rounds this year His 31 on the first nine of the last round at the US Collegiate was a key to Clemson’s comeback victory.

Clemson has won the ACC Tournament nine times, including eight times under current Head Coach Larry Penley. Clemson last won the event in 2004 when the Tigers won at The Old North State Club with a 27-under par 837 score. Last year Clemson shot 10 under par for the three rounds and finished sixth. All nine of Clemson’s championships have come since 1982.