Clemson Returns to Course at Fighting Illini Invitational

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson golf team returns to the course on Friday in the state of Illinois at one of the top college tournaments of the fall season. Larry Penley‘s Tigers have never shied away from strong competition and that will be the case this weekend at the Fighting Illini Invitational at Olympic Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, IL.

The 15-team field includes nine of the top 25 teams in the nation in the latest Golf Coaches Poll, including five top 10 teams. Defending NCAA Champion Alabama is in the field, as is host school Illinois, who finished in the runner-up position. Historically nationally prominent programs Texas, Oklahoma State and Stanford are also in the field.

Olympia Fields is a par 70 course that is 7,142 yards in length. The course has been the site of two US Opens, two PGAs and a US Senior Open.

This will be the season opening tournament for many schools, including Illinois, but it will be the second event for Clemson. The Tigers finished fourth in the 14-team field at the Carpet Classic last weekend. The Tigers will bring the same five golfers to Illinois who played at the Carpet Classic.

Cody Proveaux will be Clemson’s number-one player at the Fighting Illini Invitational. The native of Leesville, SC finished fifth at the Carpet Classic with a 214 score. The fifth place finish was the best of Proveaux’s career.

Miller Capps and Austin Langdale were tied for second among Clemson golfers and tied for 12th in the field at the Carpet Classic with even par scores of 216. Capps had a pair of under-par rounds, while Langdale had an under-par round and a par 72 to help the Tigers to a one-over-par team score of 865.

Carson Young, like Langdale a true freshman, finished at 220, four-over-par for the 54 holes. The South Carolina State Amateur Champion had rounds of 75-72-73 to finish 27th in the field of 75 golfers.

Stephen Behr, Clemson’s stroke average leader last year at 72.97, finished 31st with a score of 221. He was Clemson’s top golfer at the Fighting Illini Classic last year with a seventh-place finish thanks to a 214 total.

Clemson finished in a tie for 10th in a 14-team field last year. In addition to Behr’s seventh place finish, Proveaux finished 12th with a 216 total. He shot a one under par 69 in the final round.

Clemson will start play on Friday morning at 10:00 AM eastern time. The Tigers will play with Florida and Texas Tech.

Live scoring for all three rounds will be shown on GolfStat.com.