CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson is the only golf program in the nation with four players ranked in the top 100 of the PGA University Rankings Presented by Velocity Global. The latest rankings were released on the PGA Tour website on Wednesday.
Seniors Jacob Bridgeman, Kyle Cottam, Colby Patton and Zack Gordon are all ranked in the top 80 in the nation according to the latest rankings that take into account college, amateur and professional tournaments collegians have played over the last year.
Bridgeman is ranked 14th overall. The native of Inman, S.C. has a 69.67 stroke average this year, 35th best in the nation. His 62 in the second round of the Maui Jim Intercollegiate on September 11th tied for the best round in the nation this year. His 70.74 career stroke average is second in Clemson history behind Doc Redman’s 70.70.
Cottam is ranked 36th in the latest PGA University ranking. The native of Knoxville, Tenn. has a 70.67 stroke average so far this year, second on the Clemson team behind Bridgeman. Cottam opened the year with a fifth-place finish at the Maui Jim, the best individual finish by a Clemson golfer so far this year.
Patton is ranked 67th in the November 3 PGA University rankings. The native of Fountain, Inn, S.C. has a 72.50 stroke average so far this year in two events. He finished 19th at the season opening Maui Jim and has a 72.77 career stroke average for 33 tournaments and 101 rounds.
Gordon is third on the team in stroke average so far this year with a 70.78 figure and ranks 80th in the latest PGA University ratings. The native of Gaffney, S.C. reached the semifinals of the North-South Amateur last summer and made the winning putt to give Clemson the ACC Championship last April.
Ten schools are tied for second behind Clemson with three top 100 players apiece. Those schools are Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Pepperdine, Stanford, Liberty, San Francisco, Vanderbilt and LSU.
Clemson has concluded its fall schedule and returns to the course as a team at the Albany Collegiate in The Bahamas on Feb. 14.