Tigers Hold Four-Shot Lead at ACC Tournament

Clemson, S.C.—Newly crowned Byron Nelson Award winner Stephen Behr and freshman Bryson Nimmer both had rounds of five-under-par 67 on Friday to lead Clemson to a 273 team score and a four-shot lead over Wake Forest after the first round of the ACC Men’s Golf Championship at The Old North State Club in New London, N.C.

Clemson and WakeForest had by far the best rounds on Friday.  Despite inclement weather that stopped play for 30 minutes in the middle of the afternoon, the Tigers had four players score under par, including three who shot in the 60s.  WakeForest was 11 under par as a team, a 277 score.  The battle for third is extraordinary as five schools, Florida State, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Duke and Louisville, all shot the same 287 score.

Clemson’s 273 score on Friday was the second best for the Tiger golf program in any round of the ACC Tournament and tied for the ninth best in any tournament.  The only score better in an ACC Tournament was an all-time low round 268 at the ACC Tournament in 2006.    Clemson had a dominant team round as the Tiger players had the best score on par three holes, par four holes and par fives. 

Nimmer’s five-under-par 67 set a Clemson record for the low round by a freshman in his first ACC Tournament round.  The previous best was a 68 by Kyle Stanley at the 2007 ACC Tournament at The Old North State Club. (Ironically, Stanley shot a 68 on Friday in he second round of the Valero Texas Open.).

Nimmer had three birdies, 14 pars and the first eagle of his career on he 18^th hole.  It was the third round in the 60s in Nimmer’s young career, but his low round of the year.  The native of Bluffton, S.C. is a second generation golfer.  His dad, Tony Nimmer, was a starter on Clemson’s first ACC title team in 1982.

Behr had another clean round with five birdies and 13 pars.  It was his seventh round in the 60s this year.  Behr is now one under par for the year for 25 rounds.  Behr and Nimmer are tied for second after the first round.

Austin Langdale and Miller Capps also scored under par on Friday.  Langdale got the Tigers off to a great start with birdies on each of the first four holes.  He finished with a three under par 69 and is in a tie for fourth place. Capps shot a 38 on the front nine, but came back with a 32 on the back nine thanks to four birdies and no bogeys.  His two under par round of 70 is tied for eighth, giving Clemson four players in the top 10.

Carson Young was Clemson’s non counter on Friday, but he still shot an even par 72 and is in the top 20 after day one.

The 12 teams will be back in action on Saturday.  The tournament concludes Sunday at the par 72 course that is playing host to the event for the 15^th straight year.   Live scoring is available on golfstat.com.