Golf Travels to Chris Schenkel Invitational

March 17, 2004

Clemson will travel to the Chris Schenkel Invitational in Statesboro, GA this Saturday and Sunday. The Tigers will be a part of a strong field that will compete at the Forest Heights Country Club course that is a par 72 layout 6,962 yards in length. The teams will play 36 holes on Saturday and 18 on Sunday.

Clemson is currently ranked second in the nation behind the University of Florida. Clemson is 88-14-4 against the nation this year, including 23-1 against ACC teams. This will be Clemson’s ninth tournament of the academic year, its second in nine days. Clemson finished third in a 15-team field at the Las Vegas Founders Tournament last weekend. Clemson has finished in the top four of every event this year, but is yet to win a tournament championships. Clemson has finished in the top four in 26 straight tournaments dating to a sixth-place finish at the Schenkel in 2002.

Stephen Poole of Spartanburg, SC and Spartanburg High School will make his second start of the year and his third tournament appearance as a Tiger. Poole played at the Ridges, the first tournament of the year and had a 226 score for the three days.

Matt Hendrix is Clemson’s top player with a 70.71 stroke average and has had four top 10 finishes in six events. He won the Puerto Rico Classic, his first collegiate victory, and is coming off a fifth-place finish at the Las Vegas Founders. Jack Ferguson is second on the team in stroke average with a 71.30 figure and has had five straight top 20 finishes, including a fifth-place at the Preview.

Gregg Jones and Brent Delahoussaye will round out the Clemson lineup. Jones, who will be playing in the 42nd tournament of his Clemson career, has a 71.90 stroke average this year better than his 72.50 career average. The senior from Florence, SC has three top 10 finishes, including a third place at the North Florida Collegiate. Delahoussaye has a 73.70 stroke average for his seven events this year. He had a top 10 at The Preview in the fall.

This will be Clemson’s 15th appearance in the Chris Schenkel Invitational dating to the 1979-80 academic year. Clemson has won the tournament twice, 1988 and 1999 and has had four second-place finishes, including 2000 and 2003. Clemson has finished first or second in five of its last seven appearances.

Last year, Clemson finished second to Wake Forest by three shots in the 15-team field. Clemson shot an eight-under-par 280 on the last day, but it was not enough to hold off the Demon Deacons, who shot a 275 on the final day. Jack Ferguson both shot six-under-par 210 scores for the three rounds and tied for second individually.