Tigers in 7th Place Entering Final Round of Clemson Invitational

Sunset, S.C.—Freshman Lauren Stephenson shot a two-over-par 74 and stands in 17^th place individually entering the final round of the first Clemson Invitational at The Reserve at Lake Keowee in Sunset,  S.C.  Clemson is in seventh place in the 14-team field entering Sunday’s final round at the par 72 course.

Eighth-ranked Florida leads the tournament with a 574 score through 36 holes, two-under-par.  The Gators had a 290 team score on Saturday after a 284 on Friday.  That 284 score is the best team score over the first two rounds.  With high winds throughout the afternoon, the average score soared from a 74 on Friday to a 76.3 on Saturday.

The Gators have the two top players in the individual race as Samantha Wagner and Karolina Vickova have identical 138 scores through two rounds.  Wagner had a 68 on Saturday, while Vickova had a 69.   Those were two of the five rounds in the 60s recorded for the 79 players on Saturday.

Florida has a three-shot advantage over Furman, who has had consistent team rounds of 288 and 289 so far. Taylor Totland has been the best player for the Paladins with a 141 total for the first two days. Totland is in fifth place.   Alice Chen, the Paladins’ No. 1 player, is in a tie for eighth individually with a 142 score.

Stephenson has had rounds of 72 and 74 so far for a 146 total.  The rookie had five birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey. She did score a birdie on the ninth and 18^th holes to end each nine on a high note.  Sydney Legacy had a 76 on Saturday after a 71 on Friday and she is in 19^th place with a 147 score.  The sophomore played the back nine in one under par 35. 

Sloan Shanahan played the back nine in even par on the way to a 76.  She has now played the back nine a combined three-under-par for the first two days.   Freshman Alice Hewson, Clemson’s top player in terms of stroke average entering the tournament, had a 76 on four bogeys and 14 pars.

Marisa Messana, who was tied as Clemson’s top player in round one with a 71, slumped to a 82 on Saturday and her score did not count towards the team score.

Jessica Hoang and Taylor Ramsey both had scores of three-over-par 75 while playing in the tournament as individuals.  For Ramsey it was her career low score, as was her opening nine-hole score of 36.

The final round of the Clemson Invitational will begin at 8:30 a.m. It will be played in a shotgun start format as all 14 teams and the nine individuals will start at different holes simultaneously.

Clemson Invitational

Team Scores

The Reservee @ Lake Keowee

1.  Florida 574, 2.  Furman 577, 3. Oklahoma 578, 4.  Michigan State and Vanderbilt 579, 6.  Texas A&M 588, 7.  Clemson 590, 8. Houston and Tennessee 592, 10. Augusta 594, 11. UNC Wilmington 6002, 12.  Boston College, Kennesaw State and Virginia Tech 610.