Round 1 Results
Clemson, S.C.—Jacob Bridgeman and Turk Pettit both had rounds of two-under-par 70 on Sunday to lead Clemson to a 286 team score and a tie for fifth out of 15 teams after the first round of the Puerto Rico Classic in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. The 15 teams will play 18 holes apiece on the Rio Mar River Course on Monday and Tuesday to conclude the 54-hole event that is the first tournament of the spring for the Clemson Tigers.
Larry Penley’s team is just five shots off the team lead held by number-one ranked Oklahoma, who had a 281 score on Sunday. Third ranked Georgia Tech is second at 282, while 18th ranked Georgia and Alabama are tied for third at 285. Clemson and host school Purdue are tied for fifth, while Mississippi is seventh at 288. NC State, the only other ACC school in the field, is 11th at 291.
Bridgeman, who has led the Clemson team in stroke average so far this year with a 70.87 average, had three birdies and just one bogey in scoring his eighth under-par round of the year. The sophomore had a bogey on his fourth hole of the day, the seventh hole (all teams played a shotgun start), then played the last 14 holes at three under.
Pettit, who had a 71.00 stroke average entering the tournament, had four birdies and two bogeys in registering his two-under-par score, his team best ninth under-par round of the year. Pettit was especially effective on the back nine, where he shot a 33, three-under par.
William Nottingham, the only senior in the Clemson lineup, got off to a blazing start with three birdies in his first five holes. He finished the round with four birdies and four bogeys for an even par 72, his third round at even par this year.
Kyle Cottam and Zack Gordon both had scores of two over par 74. Cottam had four bogeys and two birdies, but did make a birdie on his last hole of the day. Gordon, who finished seventh at this even last year, also had four bogeys and two birdies.
Play continues on Monday with 18 more holes for the 15 teams. Live scoring is available at golfstat.com.
