Clemson Shoots Even Par 288 in Second Round

June 1, 2006

Sunriver, OR-Freshmen Vince Hatfield and David May were the top two Clemson golfers on Thursday in the second round of the NCAA Golf Tournament at Crosswater Golf Club in Sunriver, OR. The Tigers finished the day’s play with a 288 team score, even par. That was six strokes worse than yesterday’s 282 team score that was the seventh best in Clemson history in an NCAA national tournament round.

It marked the first time since the 2001 NCAA Tournament at Durham, NC that Clemson had consecutive rounds at par or better at an NCAA National Tournament.

The Tigers finished the day tied for fifth place. The third round of the four round tournament will be important on Friday as there is a cut to the top 15 teams after 54 holes.

Hatfield led the Tigers with a two-under par 70 on Thursday, the fourth time in five NCAA Tournament rounds that he has been Clemson’s top golfer. He had three birdies and just one bogey in another consistent round on the national stage. The rookie from Greenwood, SC had eight pars to open his round, then had consecutive birdies on 18 and one before suffering his only bogey on the second hole. He then birdies the fifth hole and made pars the rest of the round.

May had an even par 72 on Thursday with nine hole scores of 35-37. He was one-under-par through the 12th hole, regarded as the most difficult stretch on the course. He then let up with bogeys on 13 and 14 before setting down with six consecutive pars. He then finished with two birdies and a bogey over the last four holes. His score never varied between -1 and +1 the entire day, so he fittingly finished with an even par 72.

Tanner Ervin and senior Brian Duncan both had rounds of one over par 73. Ervin had four bogeys and three birdies in recording nine-hole scores of 36-37.

Clemson senior Stephen Poole got off to a great start with three bogeys on his first seven holes and he stood at six under par for the tournament and in fifth place. But, he had bogeys on five of his last six holes to shoot 76. His score did not count towards Clemson’s team score for just the third time this year.

Through two rounds, Duncan (70-73), Hatfield (73-70) and May (71-72) are all at one under par (143), while Poole (69-76) and Ervin (72-73) are at one over par (145).

Head Coach Larry Penley Quotes “We played well again today. The second nine, when the wind got up, was a lot more difficult. We had it to three or maybe four under at one point, and even when conditions got tougher, we were playing pretty solid…I’m not displeased at all with even-par. I think given the conditions, that’s a pretty good round today.

“It was good to see Vince (Hatfield) get it under par today. It was a big confidence boosting round for him. David was in the game all day, and so was Tanner.

“I hate it for Stephen that he let it get away on the back side, but this golf course will do it to you…I’m confident that he’ll come back tomorrow and play well. I don’t think this will even faze him. His tee-ball left him on the back side. He only hit two fairways on the back, and you really have to keep the ball in the fairway on that side of the course. If you hit it in the rough on four, five, six, eight and nine, you make bogeys.”