Clemson to Compete in ACC Tournament

April 16, 2002

Clemson, SC – Larry Penley’s Clemson golf team will travel to the Old North State Club at New London, NC this weekend to compete in the 49th annual Atlantic Coast Conference Golf Tournament. The Tigers have won the event seven times in history, including a co-championship in 1990. Clemson was victorious as recently as 2000, the last time the ACC Tournament was held at the Old North State Club.

This promises to be a tournament that will have an impact on the national polls, as the Tigers are ranked third in the nation in the latest Golf Coaches Association poll, but that rating is just third best in the ACC. Georgia Tech is ranked first in the nation while Wake Forest is second heading into this weekend’s action.

This will be Clemson’s sixth trip to the par 72 Old North State Club at Uwharrie Point. Clemson claimed two of its seven previous championships at Old North State Club, including recent victories in 1998 and 2000. Clemson finished fourth in 1999 and 1995, and third in 1996 in its other appearances.

The Tigers were second last year in the ACC Tournament held at the Magnolia Course at Lake Buena Vista, FL. John Engler won the championship with a Clemson ACC Tournament record 203 score, two strokes better than national player of the year Bryce Molder.

Clemson will bring three players to the Old North State Club who competed in the ACC tournament for Clemson last year. Those players are D.J. Trahan, Gregg Jones and Ben Duncan. Trahan and Jones both had 220 scores for the 54 holes to finish in a tie for 22nd, while, Duncan had a 224 score, good enough for 35th.

Trahan is the only active Tiger who has played at the Old North State Club. In 2000, as a freshman, he had rounds of 74-71-68 in finishing fourth with a 213 score. He certainly had an impact on Clemson winning the team title that year, as his final round 68 was Clemson’s second best round of the tournament.

Penley will bring two first-time ACC Tournament competitors to Uwarrie Point. Matt Hendrix, a sophomore from Aiken, SC, and Martin Catalioto, a freshman from Hilton Head, SC, will round out Clemson’s lineup.

Clemson has won just one event this year, the prestigious Ping Preview at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course back in September. That will be the site of the NCAA national tournament this year. Clemson has finished in the top four in all but two of its tournaments this year and has and has finished in the top four in 19 of its last 22 over two years.

Clemson has won three of the last five ACC Tournament and six of the last 15 dating to 1987. A Clemson golfer has won the medallist honors six times, including twice by Charles Warren (1997-98). The other Clemson golfers to win the ACC Tournament are Parker Moore (1976), Kevin Johnson (1988), Danny Ellis (1993), and Engler (2001).