Clemson Third Heading Into Final Day Of Cleveland/Augusta State Invitational

April 6, 2002

Augusta, GA – D.J. Trahan and Gregg Jones both shot season best rounds leading Clemson to a 278 team score in the second round of the Cleveland Golf/Augusta State Invitational at Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, GA. The Tigers rank third heading into the final day with a 567 score, 12 shots behind first place Tennessee.

The 18 schools at the event played 36 holes on Saturday and the scores were low. Tennessee shot a 272 in the second round, lowest second round team score in the 24-year history of the event. The Volunteers are at 555 for the first 36 holes, five shots ahead of Wake Forest, who is ranked second in the country entering the event.

Clemson, who was ninth after the first 18 holes, jumped to third with a 278 team score on Saturday afternoon. Larry Penley’s team is at 567, tied with NC State and defending NCAA champion Florida. North Florida is sixth at 571, while Augusta State and Duke are seventh at 572.

The final round on the par 72, 6840-yard course will be Sunday.

Trahan had a 67 in the second round, while Jones fired a 68. It was the best round of the year for Trahan in a Clemson uniform. He had shot 66 in an All-American tournament in El Paso in the fall and had a 64 in the second round of the Azalea Invitational amateur tournament last weekend in Charleston. Trahan had a 70 in the first round and his 137 total stands in a tie for third. David Skinns of Tennessee leads the event at 133, while Ryan Hybl of Georgia is second at 135.

One of the players Trahan is tied with is teammate Gregg Jones. The sophomore who was coming off a sub-par performance at the Chris Schenkel two weeks ago when he finished 34th, had rounds of 69-68, the second time in his career he has had back-to-back rounds in the 60s, the first time he has done it in the same day.

Matt Hendrix, who has been consistent all year, had rounds of 75-71 on Saturday and his 146 total is good enough for 47th. Ben Duncan had rounds of 75-73 and stands at 148, good enough for 61st, while freshman Martin Catalioto is 67th with rounds of 77-72.

The 278 in the second round was the low team round of the year for the Tigers, breaking the previous best of 279 in the Puerto Rico Classic on Feb. 24th.