Men’s Golf Tied for Lead at San Juan Shoot-Out

February 21, 1999

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Clemson freshman Michael Hoey shot a tournament best five-under par 67 to lead the Tigers to a tie for the lead after the first round of the San Juan Shoot-Out at the River Course at Rio Mar Country Club in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The 18 teams will compete on the Ocean Course at Rio Mar on Monday, then return to the River Course for the final round on Tuesday. This is the first spring tournament for Larry Penley’s team, which is ranked first in the nation in all three of the latest college golf polls.

The tournament has 18 teams, and 10 of the 18 are ranked in the current top 25. Clemson is tied with ACC rival Georgia Tech after one round of the 54-hole event. Both teams had team rounds of 281, seven-under par. Clemson won a school record three tournaments in the fall.

Georgia is third at 285, while Minnesota, East Tennessee State and Texas are all tied for fourth at 289. Wake Forest stands eight (291), North Carolina is ninth (292), NC State is 10th (297), Virginia is 12th (303), Florida State ranks 13th (304) and Duke is 15th (306), as the field includes seven of the nine ACC schools.

Hoey, playing in just his fourth tournament as a Tiger, had a consistent 34-33 in scoring his 67, his best round of the season. He has a one-stroke lead in the event over Carlton Forrester of Georgia Tech and Nick Cassini of Georgia.

Clemson’s John Engler shot a two-under 70 and is tied for seventh with Luke Donald of Northwestern and Kris Mikkelsen of Georgia Tech. The Tigers Lucas Glover is tied for 10th with eight other players. Elliot Gealy, the only senior in Clemson’s lineup, had a one-over 73 and is tied for 25th. Jonathan Byrd, recovering from stomach surgery in the offseason, had a 76.

Clemson at San Juan Shootout

Michael Hoey     67   1stJohn Engler      70   7thLucas Glover     71  10thElliot Gealy     73  25thJonathan Byrd    76  55thClemson Team    281   1st (tie)