CARLSBAD, Calif. – Clemson junior Andrew Swanson shot a two-under-par 70 on Monday to finish tied for 18th at the 2024 NCAA National Championship men’s golf tournament at the Omni LaCosta North Course in Carlsbad, California.
Swanson had shot 70 in the third round and was tied for 27th after 54 holes with a 220 score, four over par. That finish after three rounds allowed him to participate in a three person playoff for the final two spots in the field for the fourth round. At 8:30 a.m. local time, he made a par on the 16th hole, the first playoff hole, to qualify.
Four hours later the native of Bluffton, SC was back on the course to compete for the individual championship. His Monday round included an eagle, four birdies and four bogeys for his score of 70 on the par 72 course.
Swanson was the only player in the field to shoot 70 or better over each of the final two rounds. His 18th place finish was the best by a Clemson golfer since Turk Pettit won the national championship in 2021 at Gray Hawk Golf Club in Phoenix.
Swanson and Pettit are the only Clemson golfers to shoot rounds of 70 or better in each of the final two rounds of the NCAA National Tournament since Lucas Glover finished with a pair or 70s at the 2000 NCAA Tournament at Opelika, Alabama.
Swanson had rounds of 75-75-70-70 for his 290 total, tied with Peter Fountain of North Carolina, Mats Ege or ETSU, one of three finalist for the Haskins Award, Connor Gaunt of LSU and Josh Duangmanee of Virginia.
The highlight of Swanson’s round took place at the par 5 second hole that measures 622 yards, the longest par five Clemson has ever played in a tournament not played at elevation. He hit a perfect drive, a strong three wood to the green, then made a 50-foot putt for eagle, one of just eight eagles by the entire field on any hole on Monday.
He also made a birdie on the seventh hole when he made a 20 foot putt, one of just four birdies by the field on the seventh hole on Monday.
Clemson Head Coach Jordan Byrd was pleased with Swanson’s play on Monday and the entire tournament. His 18th place finish was just the eighth top 20 finish at the national tournament by a Clemson golfer since the Tigers won the NCAA Championship in 2003.
“I was really pleased with Andrew the entire tournament, but especially over the last 36 holes. He always has a positive attitude and that is especially important on this course.
“The key for Andrew today was his ability to get up and down around the green, he did it on six of the first nine hole (10-18 on the course).
“His eagle on the second hole was amazing. He rammed it into the back of the cup from 50 feet away.”
Byrd also commented on his team’s improvement over the course of the season that ended with a top 25 (22nd) finish at the NCAA Tournament. “I am really proud of this team. We were ranked 103rd in the the nation at the end of the fall, and kept improving all spring, won the Chapel Hill Regional and finished 22nd in the nation.”
