Men’s Golf Second in Golf Digest Collegiate

March 14, 1998

LAS VEGAS, Nv. –Jonathan Byrd fired a three-under-par 69 Saturday and will attempt to set an all-time Clemson record on Sunday when the Tigers compete in the final day of the Golf Digest Collegiate at the Desert Inn Golf Club in Las Vegas, NV. The Tournament features 15 of the top 25 teams in the nation.

The Tigers are second as a team with a four-under par score of 572. Clemson is six strokes behind Virginia, who has a 566 score. Host school UNLV is third at 574.

Byrd’s 69 was after an opening round 65, putting the sophomore at 10-under-par. The Clemson record for the best under-par score in a 54-hole tournament is -10 by Kevin Johnson at the 1987 Homberg Intercollegiate. The record for any tournament is -11 by Mark Swygert in the 1994 NCAA Tournament. Byrd is also striving to become the first Clemson golfer in history to record three rounds in the 60s in a team tournament.

Byrd, first-team All-ACC a year ago, the first Clemson freshman in history to do so, is one shot behind Virginia’s James Driscoll, who shot a 64 on Saturday and is a 133, -11. Clemson’s Joey Maxon is tied for 17th with a 145 score after rounds of 72 and 73.

Charles Warren is tied for 20th after rounds of 69 and 77. Ironically, he is tied with Texas All-American Brad Elder, the player Warren defeated in a playoff to win the 1997 NCAA Tournament. Elliot Gealy is 33rd with rounds of 73 and 75, while freshman John Engler is 45th after rounds of 72 and 78.

Clemson had the first round lead after a team round of 278 on Friday, one of the top 10 lowest team rounds in Clemson history. Wake Forest is the only other ACC school in the field. The Deacons are seventh at 587.

Arizona State and Oklahoma State, the only two schools in the nation to finish in the top 10 of the NCAA tournament in every year in the 1990s, rank 11th and 14th in the tournament, respectively.