Men’s Golf Wins ACC Tournament

April 19, 1998

NEW LONDON, N.C. — Charles Warren shot a final round 69 to claim his second consecutive ACC Tournament medalist honors and lead Clemson to the team championship for the second straight year. The event was completed Sunday at the par 72 Old North State Club at New London, NC. It was Clemson’s sixth ACC Tournament championship.

Clemson and Warren established numerous school records and firsts in winning the title by seven strokes over Georgia Tech. The Tigers had an 11-under-par 277 team score on Sunday and finished with an 836 tournament total, 28-under par. The 28-under par score set a tournament record for lowest team score, breaking the mark set by Wake Forest, who had a 26-under par 838 total in 1980.

The 836 team score was the lowest team score versus par in Clemson history and the 28-under par was the second lowest in school history. Clemson was -29 on a par 73 course in 1987 at the Gamecock Invitational.

Clemson had its second best final round team score in school history in driving to the victory. Clemson shot 277 as a team on Sunday, topped only by a 276 in the third round at the 1992 ACC Tournament at Rocky Mount NC. All five Clemson golfers shot par or better on Sunday.

Warren led the way with the 69 on Sunday and his 205 team score was just one stroke off the ACC Tournament record. Gary Hallberg had a 204 score in winning the 1980 event for Wake Forest. Warren’s -11 total for the tournament was the lowest in Clemson history for a 54-hole event and he also became the first Tiger in history to have three rounds in the 60s in a 54-hole team event. Chris Patton turned the trick in the Sun Bowl tournaments of 1989 and 1990, but those were individual All-America tournaments. Warren, a native of Columbia, shot 68 in each of the first two rounds.

Warren won the ACC Tournament for the second straight year, thus becoming just the third player in history to win the ACC Tournament in consecutive years. The others are Ronny Thomas of Wake Forest (1959-60) and Scott Hoch (1977-78).

John Engler was Clemson’s second highest finisher. The freshman from Augusta, GA had a 70 on Sunday, giving him three consecutive rounds under par in his first ACC Tournament. His 209 score, seven-under par, was good enough for fifth place. That 209 score was the lowest ever by a Clemson freshman golfer for a 54-hole tournament.

Jonathan Byrd, also of Columbia, fired an even par 72 on Sunday and finished in eighth place overall with a 210 score. He was six under par, for the event, tying his career best for a 54-hole event. It was his seventh top 10 finish of the season.

Joey Maxon shot a four-under 68 on Sunday and finished in a tie for 20th place. He was at 216 for the tournament, even par. It was the fifth time in his last seven tournaments that Maxon shot par or better.

Lucas Glover of Greenville, shot a 70 on Sunday, his best round of the tournament, and finished in a tie for 29th. The native of Greenville, SC was four-over par for the tournament.

Clemson won the event with an 836 score. Georgia Tech shot a 13-under-par team round on Sunday, 275, and finished second with a 843 score. NC State, the leader after two rounds, had an even par 288 round on Sunday and finished third at 845. North Carolina was fourth at 851, Virginia was fifth at 856, Wake Forest sixth at 865, Florida State seventh at 866, Duke was eighth at 868 and Maryland was ninth at 875.

Warren won the individual honors by one stroke over Don Hill of North Carolina. The Tar Heel shot a 68 on Sunday and finished at 206. Matt Kuchar, who finished 21st at the Master’s last weekend, was third with a 207 score.