Former Clemson Golfer Jonathan Byrd to Compete in Masters

April 5, 2004

Former Clemson golfer Jonathan Byrd will compete in the 2004 Masters, an event that begins on Thursday in Augusta, GA . It will mark the fourth straight year a golfer with Clemson ties will compete in the event. This will be the second consecutive year for Byrd, who qualified for this year’s event by finishing eighth last year.

D.J. Trahan played in the 2001 Masters after winning the 2000 United States Public Links Championship. In 2002, former Clemson golfer Michael Hoey competed after winning the 2001 British Amateur.

Byrd qualified for the 2003 Masters by finishing the 2002 PGA Tour season ranked in the top 40 on the money list. He won over $1.4 million to finish 39th on the list, including a victory at the Buick Challenge in October. He then shot rounds of 74-71-71-72 to finish at 288, even par for the 2003 Masters. That was the highest finish in history at the Masters by a golfer with ties to Clemson.

Byrd was an All-American at Clemson between 1997-00. He was a four-time first-team All-ACC selection, the first Clemson golfer in history to be named to the first team four straight years and he played on four Clemson teams that finished in the top 10 in the nation. He was a two-time Academic All-American and on the course All-American and was the IPTAY Athlete of the Year in 2000.

Byrd has been injured much of this year. He had hip surgery in February and has played in just four events, making one cut. He finished 31st at the Sony Open in Hawaii in his first event of the year.

Dillard Pruitt played in the 1992 and 1993 Masters, the only former Tiger to play in more than one. His 282 finish in 1992 was good enough for 13th, the low score for a golfer with Clemson ties at the Masters. He had a second round 68, also the best by a player with Clemson ties at the event.

Parker Moore, who was the US Amateur runner up in 1976, was the first golfer with Clemson ties to play in the Masters. He made the field in 1977 and shot a pair of 76s. Danny Ellis, Clarence Rose, Trahan and Hoey are the only other golfers with Clemson ties to play in the Masters. Patton and Trahan are the only ones to play at Augusta while they were still a member of the Clemson golf team.

Golfers with Clemson Ties who have played in the Masters