Defending National Champion Clemson Tops Precept Coaches Poll

Sept. 11, 2003

NORMAN, Okla. – The Clemson golf program will begin the 2003-04 season where it ended last season – atop the Precept Division I Coaches Poll. The Tigers, who return three starters from last year’s national championship squad, captured 18 first-place votes to earn the No. 1 ranking in the 2003-04 preseason poll. This marks the eighth-consecutive poll that Clemson has been the coaches poll’s top-ranked team.

Florida and Oklahoma State tied for second with the Gators garnering one first-place vote and the Cowboys six. One point behind in fourth is UCLA, who earned 10 first-place tallies. Texas came in fifth and was followed by Wake Forest, UNLV, Arizona State, Augusta State and Georgia.

Arizona begins the second ten with Georgia Tech at No. 12 and North Carolina at No 13. TCU – the highest ranked team that did not qualify for last year’s NCAA Championships, debuting this season at No. 14. The Horned Frogs are followed by Auburn, NC State, Southern California, Washington and Arkansas. No. 20 New Mexico picked up the remaining first-place vote.

Minnesota, Duke, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Illinois round out the top 25.

The next Division I Precept Coaches poll will be released Sept. 24.

Precept Division I Coaches Poll

Rank University (First-Place Votes) Number of points Prev.

1 Clemson (18) 854 1

T2 Florida (1) 759 T4

T2 Oklahoma State (6) 759 2

4 UCLA (10) 758 3

5 Texas 691 T9

6 Wake Forest 618 T4

7 UNLV 587 13

8 Arizona State 584 6

9 Augusta State 565 7

10 Georgia 500 16

11 Arizona 495 17

12 Georgia Tech 481 T11

13 North Carolina 432 T9

14 TCU 420 NR

15 Auburn 333 8

16 NC State 317 15

17 Southern California 287 14

18 Washington 280 T11

19 Arkansas 236 NR

20 New Mexico (1) 190 24

21 Minnesota 169 T19

22 Duke 158 T19

23 Oklahoma 129 NR

24 Tennessee 123 23

25 Illinois 75 19

Others Receiving Votes: Vanderbilt 93, Pepperdine 87, California 73, College of Charleston 62, South Carolina 54, Kentucky 45, Northwestern 32, BYU 31, Wichita State 31, Ohio State 23, Purdue 23, Alabama 21, Colorado 20, SMU 17, Texas A&M 17, Toledo 17, Virginia Tech 16, Fresno State 15, UTEP 15, Georgia State 14, San Diego State 14, UNC-Greensboro 12, UNC-Wilmington 12, East Tennessee State 11, Kansas State 11, Michigan State 11, Pacific 10, Missouri 9, Oregon 9, California-Irvine 8, Alabama-Birmingham 7, Coastal Carolina 6, Long Beach State 6, Tulsa 6, Denver 5, Texas Tech 5, Penn State 4, Baylor 3, Maryland 3 Houston 2, Lamar 2, Xavier 2, Furman 1, Rhode Island 1, Rice 1, Washington State 1