Men’s Golf Finishes Seventh at Ping/Preview

Sept. 29, 1998

Edina, MN-John Engler shot one-over-par golf over 54 holes and finished second individually to highlight Clemson’s play at the Ping-Golfweek Preview at Hazeltine Country Club in Edina, MN. The Tigers finished seventh as a team with a 896 team score. The event was held at the site of the 1970 and 1991 US Opens and will be the site of the 2001 PGA.

Engler had rounds of 73-72-72 for a 217 total. He was just one stroke behind Charles Howell of Oklahoma State, who had rounds of 73-69-74 for an even par 216. Both Howell and Engler are natives of Augusta, GA. Jeremy Parrott of Georgia also shot a 217 over 54 holes to tie Engler for second.

Oklahoma State won the team title with an 880 score, 16-over par. The Cowboys, who have been to the NCAA national tournament 52 consecutive years, an all-time NCAA record, won the event by eight shots over Georgia. The Bulldogs had an 888 team score, one better than Arizona State and three better than host school Minnesota.

Houston was fifth, Florida sixth and Clemson seventh. Defending national champion UNLV had a 310 final round and finished eighth with an even 900 team score. Georgia Tech was the only other ACC school in the tournament and finished ninth with a 905 score. The Preview features15 of the top 25 teams in the nation. Clemson is ranked fourth in the nation.

The Tigers had three of the top 25 individuals at the event. In addition to Engler’s performance, junior Jonathan Byrd finished tied for ninth with a 221 score, five-over par. He had consistent tournament with scores of 74-73-74. It was his second straight top 10 performance of the fall as he won the Ridges Intercollegiate two weeks ago in Johnson City, TN.

Lucas Glover, who had finished second at The Ridges, came back from a tough start to finish tied for 21st. After an opening round of 80, the former Wade Hampton High player from Greenville, SC played 36 holes at even par (71-73).

Clemson’s four and five players struggled throughout the event and tied for 67th. Sean Thornton and Elliot Gealy, a pair of seniors, were at 240 for the event.