Tigers Third at NCAA East Regional

May 20, 1999

CLEMSON, SC — Greenville’s Lucas Glover shot an even par 71 Thursday afternoon to lead Clemson to a 291 team score and a third place ranking after the first round of the 54-hole NCAA East Regional in Barrington, RI. The 23-team event is being held at the par 71, 6734-yard Rhode Island Country Club near Providence.

Twenty-three teams are competing for 11 spots in the NCAA National Tournament, which will be held at Hazeltine Country Club in Edina, MN June 2-5. Clemson has never failed to make the cut in the 11 years the NCAA has had the regional format. The Tigers won the East Regional in 1993, 1994 and 1995. Clemson is competing in its 18th straight NCAA Tournament overall.

Georgia Tech is first after the first round with a 283 team score, while South Carolina is second at 286. The Yellow Jackets were the only team under par the first day. The Tigers are third at 291, while Mississippi is fourth at 292. Duke, Georgia State and North Carolina are tied for fifth at 293. Georgia, ranked number-one in the nation by Mastercard, is eighth at 294. ACC team Maryland is 15th at 300, while NC State is 21st at 304.

The East Regional is considered the toughest of the three regional NCAA Tournaments. Eleven of the top 25 teams in the nation according to the latest Mastercard Collegiate Rankings are in the field. That includes top ranked Georgia, third ranked Clemson and fourth ranked Georgia Tech. Clemson is still ranked number-one according to the Sagarin poll.

Glover, first-team All-ACC this season, was the only Tiger to reach par on the first day. The former Wade Hampton High School golfer is tied for sixth after shooting nine hole scores of 33-38. Freshman Michael Hoey, a native of Ireland who is used to the gusty winds of an ocean front course, had a one-over 72 and is tied for 12th. John Engler, a native of Augusta and All-America candidate this year, had a two-over-par 73 and is tied for 28th.

Jonathan Byrd, recently named first-team All-ACC for the third straight year, had a 75 in the first round and is 54th, while sophomore Jani Saari, also of Greenville, had a 78.

Three players are tied for the individual lead, Bryce Molder of Georgia Tech, Mike Sims of Rhode Island and Matt Krauss of Duke. All three shot two-under-par 69s.

Clemson After Day 1 of NCAA East RegionalLucas Glover        71  6thMichael Hoey        72  12thJohn Engler         73  28thJonathan Byrd       75  54thJani Saari          78  97thTotal               291 3rd