Golf To Compete in Southern Highlands Collegiate in Las Vegas

March 7, 2006

The Clemson Golf team will be one 13 top 25 teams in the 15-team field competing this weekend at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship at the Southern Highlands Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Competition starts Friday, March 10th on the 7,510 yard par-72 course and the 54-hole event ends Sunday, March 12th. It is the longest course on the Clemson schedule this year. The Tigers have had success in Las Vegas over the years, finishing in the top-four eight of the past 10 years. The 21st ranked Tigers look to rebound off a ninth-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic two weeks ago.

Of the 15 teams competing in the event, 13 are ranked in the top-25 in the country according to the latest Golf Coaches Association of America poll. These teams include the top five teams in the nation in Georgia (1), Georgia Tech (2), Florida (3), Oklahoma St., (4), UCLA (5), and Duke (8) plus Arizona State (9) UNLV (10), and Wake Forest (14). Clemson is ranked 21st in the latest poll.

Clemson will be bringing two seniors and three freshmen to Las Vegas. Brian Duncan has Clemson’s lowest stroke average thus far this season with a 73.0 thru three events. He is also Clemson’s highest ranked individual player according to the Sagarin Golf Rankings at 23rd. Duncan has finished in the top-20 in every event this season and looks to continue that streak this week.

Stephen Poole is the other senior in the Clemson lineup. Poole is second on the team in stroke average thus far this season with a 73.42 average, and he is the other Tiger in the top 100 of the national Sagarin rankings with an 88th place standing. Statistically, Poole also ranks 8th in the nation according to Golfstat for greens in regulation percentage at 75.9 percent.

David May is one of the three freshman playing in the event for the Tigers. May has played in all four tournaments so far this season and has a 74.5 stroke average for the 12 rounds. He finished second at the Carpet Classic in November, the top finish by a Clemson golfer this year.

Phillip Mollica has the lowest stroke average among the freshman on the team with a 74.11 through the three tournaments he has played this season. Phillip has been a consistent player for the tigers this season but looks to break out and shoot some low scores this week in Las Vegas.

Entering the lineup for the first time in his career this week in freshman Vince Hatfield. The native of Greenwood, SC is a long ball hitter who knows how to make a lot of birdies.

Hole by hole coverage of the event will be available on the internet at golfstat.com.