Hendrix Wins Augusta State Invitational

April 4, 2004

Clemson, SC – Clemson senior Matt Hendrix won his second major college tournament of the spring, leading the Tigers to a sixth-place finish out of 18 teams at the Cleveland Golf/Augusta State Invitational at Forest Hills Country Club in Augusta, Ga. The 54-hole event concludes the regular season for the Tigers, who will next be in action at the ACC tournament at the Old North State Club in Uwharrie Point, NC April 16-18.

Hendrix won the event by taking a one-hole playoff from Nathan Smith of Duke. Both golfers finished the 54 holes at nine-under-par 207. Hendrix then made a par on the first playoff hole, the first hole, while Smith made a bogey. Smith had birdied the 17th hole in regulation play to tie Hendrix, who had finished his round 45 minutes earlier.

Hendrix, a native of Aiken, SC, had a 67 in Sunday’s final round, two strokes better than any other player in the 90-player field. He finished the 54 holes with a 207 total, ironically the same score he had when he won the Puerto Rico Classic on Feb. 22-24. Hendrix is just the second Clemson golfer in the last seven years to win two tournaments in the same year. D.J. Trahan won three in 2001-02 and is the only other Tiger to do it since 1997. He had never won a college tournament until his win at Puerto Rico.

Hendrix started the event with an even par 72 in the first round, then had a four-under-par 68 in round two. He finished that round strong with four birdies in his last seven holes. He then had seven birdies and two bogeys in his round on Sunday, meaning he was nine-under-par for his last 25 holes of the tournament. He had birdies in four of his first six holes on Sunday to get off to a great start.

Jack Ferguson finished 12th overall with a 217 score. He had rounds of 72-70-75 over the three rounds. It was Ferguson’s ninth top 20 finish in 10 tournaments this year, including eight in a row.

Stephen Poole was Clemson’s third best golfer with a 10-over-par 226 score on rounds of 74-76-76. Gregg Jones struggled on Sunday with a 79 in the windy conditions and had a 229 round for the 54 holes. He lost in a playoff for the championship to David Skinns of Tennessee two years ago. Junior Brent Delahoussaye had rounds of 74-80-76, 14-over-par.

Minnesota took the team title with an 861 score, three-under-par. The Gophers were the only team to score under par on Sunday and the only team under par for the 54 holes. Duke was second as a team with an 865 team total, one shot ahead of UCLA, who skied to a 299 team score in the final round. Host school Augusta State, the 2003 champion of this event, shot an 871 for the three rounds and finished fourth. Georgia was fifth at 874, two shots better than Clemson’s 876 score.

Wake Forest was seventh at 877, while Texas was eighth at 881. NC State and South Carolina tied for ninth at 882.

Clemson at Cleveland Golf/Augusta State Invitational April 3-4, 2004

Forest Hills Golf Club, Augusta, GA Par 72 7231 yards

Matt Hendrix 72 68 67 -9 207 1st

Jack Ferguson 72 70 75 +1 217 12th

Stephen Poole 74 76 76 +10 226 62nd

Gregg Jones 74 76 79 +13 229 73rd

Brent Delahoussaye 74 80 76 +14 230 75th

Totals 292 290 294 +12 876 6th