Hendrix Wins Sunnehanna

June 8, 2003

Johnstown, PA – Matt Hendrix, who helped Clemson to its first NCAA championship in golf last weekend, continued his fine play Sunday by winning the 50th Sunnehanna Amateur Golf Tournament in Johnstown, PA. The 72-hole event concluded with 27 holes on Sunday. The event is one of the most prestigious on the summer amateur schedule. The field of 60 included some of the top amateurs in the nation.

It marked the third straight year a golfer with ties to Clemson had won this amateur event. Lucas Glover won the 2001 title, while Dillard Pruitt captured the 2002 tournament. He had also won in 1983 after his junior year at Clemson.

Hendrix, who will be a senior on the 2003-04 Clemson team, had rounds of 69-66-71-67 for a seven-under par 273 score on the par 70 course that is 6825 yards in length. It was his first major amateur tournament victory since he came to Clemson four years ago. He defeated Justin Smith of Franklin, PA, one of the top players for the University of Minnesota’s golf team, by two shots.

Hendrix was a third-team All-American this past year when he had a 71.74 stroke average, third best on the Clemson team. He was also named first-team All-ACC and had four different tournaments in which he finished in fourth place, including the Atlanta Intercollegiate and the NCAA East Regional near the close of the season. He finished 35th at the NCAA National Tournament at Stillwater, OK. His third round 69 was the top individual round of the tournament among Clemson golfers. He was also named to the Verizon Academic All-District III team.

Clemson rising senior Gregg Jones, like Hendrix, a starter on Clemson’s National Championship team, finished third with a two-under par 278. Jones had rounds of 73-69-67-69 and was the only player in the field to shoot in the 60s in each of the last three rounds. Earlier this spring he won the Jones Cup, a national amateur event held in February.

Jack Ferguson, who was Clemson’s top player at the NCAA Tournament in Stillwater last week with a 19th place finish, had a #17 finish at the Sunnehanna after shooting rounds of 75-71-70-72.

One of the highlights of the week for Ferguson was meeting golfing legend Arnold Palmer, who followed Ferguson’s group on Saturday. Ferguson was playing with Palmer’s grandson at the time. At one point in the round Palmer, a former Wake Forest player and the ACC’s first individual medallist, congratulated Ferguson on Clemson’s recent National Championship. Ferguson had Palmer sign his hat while walking up the 15th fairway.

Former Clemson All-American Pruitt, the defending champion in the event a, had a 291 score and finished 31st. Brent Delahoussaye, who red-shirted this past year at Clemson and will be a junior on next year’s team, finished 44th with a 298 total.

Clemson Golfers at the Sunnehanna June 6-8, 2003 at Sunnehanna Country Club (Johnstown, PA) Par 70, 6825 yards

Matt Hendrix 69-66-71-67 273 -7 first

Gregg Jones 73-69-67-69 278 -2 third

Jack Ferguson 75-71-70-72 288 +8 17th

Dillard Pruitt 73-76-73-69 291 +11 31st

Brent Delahoussaye 78-74-72-74 298 +18 44th