Clemson, S.C.—The Clemson men’s golf team will compete in the Jack Nicklaus Match Play Invitational for the second straight year at famed Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio on Monday, October 7 and Tuesday, October 8. The Tigers will be joined by host Ohio State, Florida State and Duke in the match play competition that will also feature Ryder Cup format competition.
Last year, in an eight-team competition, Clemson and Georgia Tech were declared co-champions after rain washed out the scheduled championship match.
Muirfield Village has been the home course for the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament since 1976. The par 72 course that plays to over 7,200 yards has also been the host of the 1987 Ryder Cup and the 1992 United States Amateur.
Duke is the highest ranked team among the four squads that will compete next week. The Blue Devils are ranked seventh in the latest Collegiate Golf Coaches Poll and by Golfweek. Clemson is 14th by Golfweek and 15th in the Coaches Poll. Clemson defeated Duke by 12 shots at the Nike Collegiate last week.
The Tigers look to improve their ranking in the next poll after finishing third at the Nike Golf Collegiate Invitational at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon. The field included eight of the top 21 teams in the nation and it was Clemson’s second straight third place finish against a national field. Clemson is 46 under par as a team over the last two tournaments.
Jacob Bridgeman is the top Tiger in terms of stroke average with a 70.67 figure. He is coming off a 10th place finish at the Nike Collegiate where he shot five-under-par 208. He already has four rounds in the 60s in three tournaments.
Kyle Cottam is just one total stroke off Bridgeman’s pace for nine rounds and has a 70.78 average with a third place at the Carpet Classic in the first tournament of the year. Cottam is coming off a 23rd place finish at the Nike Collegiate Invite.
Colby Patton has been playing his best golf as a Tiger with a 71.00 stroke average for his nine rounds so far this year. He had a team best 67 in the final round at the Nike Collegiate and has four rounds in the 60s so far this year. He has a top 25 in all three tournaments so far this year, the only Tiger who can make that claim.
Junior Turk Pettit has a 71.33 stroke average for his nine rounds, that featured a 12-under-par 198 at the Maui Jim in Arizona last month. He finished second at that tournament as he scored in the 60s in all three rounds, including a career best 63 in the second round. He leads the team with 38 birdies so far this year.
William Nottingham is a senior with a 71.56 stroke average. A veteran of 102 career rounds, had has three rounds in the 60s so far this year. He finished a season best 18th at the Maui Jim with a career best 205 score of 54 holes.
The format of the Jack Nicklaus Collegiate allows for six players from each team. Sophomore Zack Gordon also will be in the Clemson lineup. He finished 18th at the Maui Jim in mid September in his only previous appearance this year.
Live scoring will be available starting Monday morning on golfstat.com.
