Mills Wins Jerry Pate Intercollegiate

Oct. 4, 2011

CLEMSON, SC – Corbin Mills shot a final round 67 to win medalist honors and lead Clemson to a tie for second at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate Golf Tournament at the Old Overton Course in Birmingham, AL on Tuesday. The Tigers finished tied for second with Alabama with an 856 score on the par 70 course.

Seventh ranked Texas won the tournament with a team score of 836, 20 shots ahead of the Tigers and Crimson Tide. Clemson ranked 12th in the nation entering the event, but the Tigers tied fifth ranked Alabama and defeated top ranked Auburn by eight shots, so the Tigers certainly should move up in the polls. UAB was fifth in the 12-team field with an 867 score.

Mills had the low tournament of his Clemson career and in fact tied the Clemson record for low 54-hole score. He had rounds of 65-69-67 to finish with a 201, tying the record of 201 shot by Lucas Glover at the same Jerry Pate Intercollegiate in 2000, and by D.J. Trahan at the 2003 Augusta State Invitational. It was Mills first tournament win for Clemson. He won the US Public Links and the Players Amateur this summer in individual amateur competition.

Mills now has four straight rounds in the 60s over two tournaments, tying another Clemson record held by many players. He was the first Clemson golfer to have three rounds in the 60s in the same tournament since Kyle Stanley had three rounds in the 60s at the 2007 NCAA Championships.

The native of Easley, SC was outstanding all week on the par four and par three holes. He shot seven-under-par on the par four holes, three shots better than anyone else in the field, and shot four-under on the par three holes, also three shots better than anyone else in the field of 60 golfers.

Mills entered the day in a tie for first at six-under-par with University of Texas freshman Jordan Speith, a two-time Junior Amateur Champion. Playing together, Mills defeated Speith by nine shots on Tuesday.

But, Speith’s teammate, Dylan Frittelli had a solid 68 on Tuesday to give Mills a challenge. Frittelli, playing one group ahead of Mills, led Mills by a shot coming to the 17th hole. But, Frittelli double bogeyed the hole and Mills made par.

Mills then birdied the 18th hole to win the individual title by two shots. It was his 17th birdie of the tournament, more than any other player. He hit a five iron from 215 yards to within four feet of the cup on the last hole, then made the birdie. The putt was big for the team competition as well as it allowed Clemson to tie Alabama for second place.

Clemson’s second best player on Tuesday was freshman Billy Kennerly, who had a one under par 69. The fine score allowed him to move from 45th to 24th in the final standings.

Clemson’s second best golfer for the 54-hole event was McCuen Elmore who had a 216 score, six-over-par for the week. Elmore finished in 13th place, tied with Harry Higgs of SMU, Bobby Wyatt of Alabama and Chad Ramey of Mississippi State. He shot three-under par on the par five holes for the tournament, tied for fourth in the field.