Men’s Golf Wins Carpet Capital Classic

April 5, 1998

DALTON, GA–Lucas Glover earned co-medalist honors to lead fourth-ranked Clemson to the team championship at the Carpet Capital Classic at The Farm in Dalton, GA. The field of 18 teams included 11 of the top 20 teams in the nation. Clemson posted a team score of 855, 10 strokes better than ACC rival and host school Georgia Tech. It was Clemson’s second team championship of the season, as it also won the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate in the Fall.

It was quite a prestigious victory for Glover, a native of Greenville, who attended Wade Hampton High School. The field included 19 of the 30 preseason All-Americans for 1998 and the reigning US Amateur Champion, US Publinx Champion, the NCAA Champion and the NCAA runnerup.

Glover shot a 72 on Sunday and finished at 212, four-under par for the 54 holes. He shot par or under in all three rounds and now has a season stroke average of 72.50, a full stroke ahead of Chris Patton’s Clemson freshman record for a season.

He tied with Bryce Molder of Georgia Tech this weekend. No playoff was held, so the competitors are considered co-medalists. Glover becomes the fifth freshman in Clemson history to claim medalist honors at any tournament, just the second in the last 10 years. Teammate Jonathan Byrd won the Puerto Rico Classic last year, his freshman year.

Clemson was outstanding as a team throughout the event, posting team scores under par in each round, the first time the Tigers have done that since the 1993 NCAA East Regional at Charlottesville, VA. Clemson led from wire to wire and had the top score each day.

Georgia Tech finished second with its 865 score 10 strokes behind the Tigers, while Houston was third at 877. Auburn was fourth at 878 and Georgia fifth at 881. TCU finished sixth at 883 and South Carolina was seventh at 885, 30 strokes behind the Tigers.

Clemson had three of the top 10 finishers in the tournament, and all three were under-par. It was the first time in five years that Clemson had three players under par in the same tournament. Sophomore Jonathan Byrd of Columbia, SC had a 70 on Sunday and finished with a 214 total, tying Matt Kuchar of Georgia Tech, the defending US Amateur Champion for fourth place.

Joey Maxon, a senior from Dover, DE, also had a 70 on Sunday and finished with a 215 score, one-under par and good enough for sixth place in the field of 90 golfers. Freshman John Engler had a 72 on Sunday, meaning Clemson did not have to count a score over par on Sunday. Engler, from Augusta, GA, had a 220 score for the event, good enough for 15th place. Among the players he tied were All-American Brad Elder of Texas and defending US Publinx Champion Tim Clark of NC State. Charles Warren, Clemson’s defending NCAA Champion, had a 75 on Sunday and finished with a 228 score for the event.