Tuesday 05/14/2002
May 14, 2002
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Clemson Chosen for NCAA East Regional The Clemson men’s golf team, ranked second in the nation, will participate in the NCAA men’s golf tournament for the 21st consecutive year. Larry Penley’s Tigers will play at the NCAA East Regional May 16-18 at the Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek in Roswell, GA.
Clemson will tee off on Thursday, May 16 at the 10th tee from 11:33 AM to 12:09 PM. On Friday, Clemson will start at #1 from 7:30 AM to 8:06 AM. Tee times for the final round on Saturday will be based on the team positions after two rounds.
Clemson will attempt to finish in the top 10 of that 27-team field, and thereby qualify for the NCAA Championships to be played at the Scarlet Course at The Ohio State University May 29 to June 1.
The Tigers were one of eight ACC teams to earn bids to a regional tournament. Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Duke, and Virginia will all join Clemson at the East Regional, while NC State and Maryland will play in the Central Regional in Little Rock, AR.
Leading the Tigers into the tournament will be junior D.J. Trahan. The native of Inman, SC received the Ben Hogan Award as the top college golfer in the nation on Monday, May 13 in Fort Worth, TX. Trahan, who has a Clemson record tying eight top 10 finishes this year, has a 70.36 stroke average and is ranked third in the nation in the latest Golfstat ranking and is third in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. He is first in the World Amateur rankings according to Golfweek.
Sophomore Gregg Jones is right behind Trahan with a 71.80 stroke average. Jones is ranked 14th in the nation in the latest Sagarin rankings. Jones actually has a better stroke average in the spring (70.87) than Trahan (71.07), and has six rounds in the 60s for the spring.
Clemson will also take junior Ben Duncan, sophomore Matt Hendrix and freshman Martin Catalioto to the NCAA East Regional. Duncan is coming off an 11th place finish at the ACC Tournament and has a 72.20 scoring average for his five tournaments in the spring. Hendrix has a 73.20 average for the spring and is also coming off a season best 15th place finish at the ACC Tournament. Catalioto has shot par or better golf in five of his last seven rounds entering the NCAAs and has a 74.78 stroke average for the year.
Clemson Lineup for NCAA Regional Tournament 2001-02 Stats Name Cl. Hometown Trns Avg D.J. Trahan Jr. Inman, SC 11 70.36 Gregg Jones So. Florence, SC 10 71.80 Ben Duncan Jr. Greenville SC 7 73.29 Matt Hendrix So. Aiken, SC 10 73.57 Martin Catalioto Fr. Hilton Head, SC 6 74.78
Clemson’s NCAA Tournament History Clemson has qualified for the national portion of the NCAA men’s golf tournament 20 consecutive years, including 18 under Penley. Clemson’s current streak of appearances in the national portion of the event is second to Oklahoma State’s streak of 56 straight years. Clemson has played at the national portion of the tournament every year Penley has been the head coach (since 1983-84 academic year).
The Clemson program streak actually began two years prior to Penley’s appointment. Current Clemson Athletic Director Bobby Robinson (who will retire on July 1, 2002) coached the Tigers to the NCAA tournament in 1980, 1982 and 1983. The appearance in 1980 was Clemson’s first at the NCAA Tournament as a team. Clemson won its first ACC Tournament title in 1982, then had its first top five national finish in 1983, all under Robinson.
Clemson’s streak of 21 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances is the longest in Clemson athletic history, regardless of sport. Clemson has come out of the regional all 13 years the NCAA has had that format, including four years in which it was regional champion (1993-94-95 and 2000). Only Arizona and Arizona State have more won more regionals with five.
Clemson has five straight top 10 finishes at the NCAA national golf tournament. This is the first time Clemson has had five straight top 10s in golf and the first Clemson sports program to do it since the 1973-79 era when the men’s soccer program had seven straight top 10s under Dr. I.M. Ibraham.
The Tigers have finished in the top 15 of the NCAA National Tournament in nine of the 10 years in the decade of the 1990s. That includes 1997 and 1998 when Clemson finished third and second, respectively. Clemson was the only school in the country to finish among the top three teams in the country each of those seasons. The only year in the 1990s that Clemson failed to make the cut was in 1995 at Ohio State.
Clemson has finished in the top 20 of the national event 14 of the last 15 years, including seven top 10 finishes in the last nine years. Overall, Clemson has had 18 top 20 finishes in its history. The Tigers finished second at the NCAAs played at Duke last year.
Clemson’s NCAA Regional History
Tigers Have Four Regional Titles Clemson has won the NCAA East Regional four times in its previous 13 appearances. Clemson has won the East Regional more than any other school. Georgia Tech has won three times, while Florida and Auburn have all won the event twice. East Tennessee State won the event last year at Williamsburg, VA with a -36 score, the lowest score vs. par in East Regional history. Clemson was fourth at 22 under par.
Clemson has been to 13 previous regionals and made the cut all 13 times. The closest Clemson has come to missing the cut came in 1999 when the Tigers finished in the final spot, 10th. Clemson defeated Mississippi State in a five-man one-hole playoff at Barrington, RI for the last spot in the national event. Clemson went on to an eighth-place finish at the nationals. That Clemson team featured future All-Americans John Engler, Lucas Glover and Jonathan Byrd and future British Amateur champion Michael Hoey.
In addition to the four championships, Clemson has finished second twice and fourth four times. Clemson has finished in the top five 10 of its previous 13 appearances at the East Regional.
While the Clemson team has four championships, only one Clemson player has taken medallist honors at a regional. Mark Swygert did that in 1994 at Opelika, AL when his 213 score won the event. He had a 67 in the final round. Mike Byce and Richard Coughlan both tied for second at the 1995 NCAAs at the Yale University Course in New Haven, CT with 213 scores. Charles Warren was third at the Cascade Course in Virginia in 1997, the year he won the NCAA Championship.
Overall, Clemson has had 17 individual top 10 finishes, including a 10th place finish by Gregg Jones last year at Williamsburg, VA. Clemson has had at least one top 10 finisher in 10 of the 13 previous East Regionals.
Clemson’s best single round team score at the NCAA regional took place last year at Williamsburg when the Tigers had four players in the 60s and all five players under par in shooting a final round 273. That round brought Clemson to second place in the field of 23.
Clemson at the NCAA East RegionalYear Site Team Champ Clemson Score Vs. Par1989 N. Myrtle Beach, SC Florida 4th of 19 886 +221990 Wilmington Island, GA Auburn 7th of 23 865 +11991 New Haven, CT Georgia Tech 4th of 23 875 +351992 Hamilton, NY Florida 4th of 22 879 +151993 Charlottesville, VA Clemson 1st of 23 849 -151994 Opelika, AL Clemson 1st of 23 868 +41995 New Haven, CT Clemson 1st of 21 857 +171996 West Point, NY NC. State 8th of 23 907 +431997 Hot Springs, VA Auburn 2nd of 23 876 +361998 Daufuskie Island, SC Georgia Tech 2nd of 23 844 -201999 Barrington, RI Georgia Tech 10th of 23 876 +122000 Moosic, PA Clemson 1st of 27 871 +192001 Williamsburg, VA ETSU 4th of 27 842 -22
Clemson Top Five Individual Finishes at NCAA East Regional Year Player Site Finish Scores 1992 Danny Ellis Hamilton, NY 4th 218 1993 Bobby Doolittle C’ville, VA 2nd 210 Danny Ellis 5th 213 1994 Mark Swygert Opelika, AL 1st 213 Richard Coughlan 4th 217 1995 Mike Byce New Haven, CT 2nd 213 Richard Coughlan 2nd 213 1997 Charles Warren Hot Springs, VA 3rd 213 1998 Joey Maxon Daufuskie Is, SC 5th 209 2000 John Engler Moosic, PA 4th 215 Jonathan Byrd 4th 215 Lucas Glover 4th 215
Clemson Individual National Rankings Clemson ranks in the top three in the nation in all the polls and many of the national stats computed by Golfstat further verify that team ranking. As a team Clemson is second in the nation in par four scoring (4.10) and second in greens hit in regulation (.685). The Tigers are third in fairways hit (.747) and eighth in first round scoring average (72.98).
Individually, D.J. Trahan leads the nation in par four scoring (3.93) and he is second in greens in regulation (.789) and subpar strokes/round (4.52). He ranks in the top 10 in the nation in eight different stat categories. Teammate Gregg Jones is sixth in the nation in greens in regulation, giving the Tigers two of the top six players in the nation in that category.
D.J. Trahan in National Stats *#1 in Par four scoring average (3.93) *#2 in Greens in regulation (.789) *#2 in Subpar strokes/round (4.52) *#4 in fewest bogeys per round (2.27) *#5 in putting for par (-0.87) *#5 in total birdies (137) *#8 in first round scoring average (70.64) *#10 in eagles (6) *#18 in final round scoring average (18)
Gregg Jones in National Stats *#6 in Greens in regulation (.753) *#8 in par three scoring average (3.03)
Team Rankings in National Stats *#2 in par four scoring average (4.10) *#2 in Greens in regulation (.685) *#3 in Fairways hit (.747) *#8 in fewest bogeys per round (3.23) *#8 in first round scoring average (72.98) *#11 in final round scoring average (73.30) *#18 in par three scoring average (3.18) Source: Golf Stat
Trahan Wins Ben Hogan Award Clemson junior D.J. Trahan won the 2002 Ben Hogan Award, the honor presented to the top college golfer in the nation for his play in the college ranks and in amateur competition for the period May 1, 2001 to May 1, 2002. Trahan is the first Clemson golfer to win the award.
The announcement was made by the Golf Coaches Association of America in conjunction with The Colonial Country Club and the Friends of Golf. Trahan was presented the award at a black tie dinner in Fort Worth, TX on May 13th. The banquet was held at Colonial Country Club, the site of the PGA Tour’s Colonial Invitational. The presentation to Trahan will be shown on CBS Sports’ coverage of the tournament on Sunday, May 19.
Trahan has had an outstanding career at Clemson, as he was named a Freshman All-American and ACC Freshman of the Year in 2000 and won the United States Public Links Championship. In the spring of 2001 he finished seventh at the NCAA tournament, Clemson’s top performer, helping the Tigers to second place in the event.
Last summer, he won the South Carolina Amateur, defeating three-time defending champion and Clemson teammate Lucas Glover, and he competed for the United States in the Walker Cup. He also finished third at the Porter Cup and eighth at the Rice Planters and reached the second round of match play at the US Amateur.
Trahan had the top fall in Clemson golf history in 2001, as he won two tournaments (Carpet Classic and Jerry Pate) and had three second-place finishes. He did that in five consecutive events, the first time in Clemson history any golfer had ever had five straight first or second place finishes.
Although he won two events, his most memorable feat took place at the Ping Preview at Ohio State, where he finished second individually. With Clemson needing a birdie to win the event on the final hole, Trahan promptly drove the ball 370 yards to a bunker near the green. He blasted out to within 15 feet to set up a birdie attempt. He held the putt to give Clemson the team championship at the site of this year’s NCAA Tournament. This spring he won the Azalea Amateur and has led the Tigers to a #2 national team ranking in the Precept Coach’s poll.
For the academic year, Trahan has already tied the Clemson single season record with eight top 10 finishes. His 70.36 stroke average is ahead of the previous record pace and he is also ranked number-one in Clemson history in career stroke average heading into NCAA play with a 71.76 average. He has had 22 rounds under par so far this year, one off the Clemson single season record, and his 13 rounds in the 60s are just two rounds off Chris Patton’s single season record of 15.
Nationally, Trahan is ranked first in the Amateur Rankings by Golfweek and he is third in the NCAA according to Golfstat and Sagarin/Golfweek. He also leads the nation in scoring on par four holes (3.93), is second in greens in regulation (.789), and fifth in birdies (137).
In addition to all of the accomplishments on the course, Trahan carries a 3.22 GPA and is an academic All-America candidate. He has made the ACC Academic Honor Roll each of his first two years at Clemson.
Trahan Chosen ACC Player of the YearTrahan, Jones Named to All-ACC Golf Team Clemson junior golfer D.J. Trahan was named ACC Player of the Year on May 10. The native of Inman was joined on the All-ACC golf team by teammate Gregg Jones. The team was selected by the ACC men’s golf coaches.
It marked the first time since 1997 that a Clemson golfer had won the ACC Player of the Year Award. Richard Coughlan, now on the BUY.com Tour, was the co-winner of the Player of the Year award in 1997 as a senior. Ironically, teammate Charles Warren went on to win the national championship that season.
Trahan is ranked third nationally among college golfers according to Golfstat and Golfweek/Sagarin and has a 70.36 stroke average for the year. Trahan has now been named to the All-ACC team as a freshman, sophomore and junior, joining former Tiger Jonathan Byrd as the only Tigers to earn All-ACC honors in his first three years.
Trahan leads the nation in Par 4 scoring average with a 3.93 figure and ranks in the top 10 in five other categories, including greens in regulation. He has eight top 10 finishes this year, including victories at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate and the Carpet Capital Classic.
Jones ranks second on the Clemson team in stroke average with a 71.80 figure, a number that is eighth best in Clemson history for one season. He has four top 10 finishes this year including a second place finish at the Augusta State Invitational when he lost in a playoff after shooting a 203 score for 54 holes. It was the first All-ACC selection for Jones, who is a sophomore from Florence, SC.
Last Year at East RegionalTrahan Fires 67, Glover 68 to Pace TigersMay 19, 2001Williamsburg, VA – Four Clemson golfers had rounds in the 60s in the final round, leading Clemson to a fourth-place finish at the 2001 NCAA East Regionals in Williamsburg, VA. It marked the 20th consecutive year that Clemson has qualified for the NCAA National tournament, the second longest active streak in the nation.
Clemson entered Saturday’s final round just three strokes ahead of the 10-team cutline. But, Larry Penley’s Tigers responded to the pressure by shooting a 15-under-par team score of 273 and jumped from eighth place to fourth for the 54-hole event. Clemson’s 273 team round on Saturday was the low round for any team in the entire 27-team tournament.
The 15-under-par team score on Saturday was tied for the second best 18-hole team score vs. par in Clemson history. The only round that is better is the 16-under-par turned in by this same team in the third round at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate this past October 17.
All five Clemson golfers finished the tournament under par, just the third time in school history that has happened. The previous occasions were at the 1999 San Juan Shootout, and at the 1987 Palmetto Classic.
Leading the way on Saturday were sophomore D.J. Trahan and senior Lucas Glover. Both had struggled on Friday, as Glover shot a 75 and Trahan a 74. But, both golfers improved by seven shots on Saturday. Trahan’s 67 included seven birdies. The 2000 United States Public Links Champion finished his round with birdies on 16, 17 and 18.
Glover’s 68 was recorded with a score of 34 on each side. He had five birdies and a bogey in recording his first round in the 60s since February 27th when he shot a final round 67 to win the Puerto Rico Classic.
John Engler and Jani Saari, a pair of seniors who did not want this to be their final round of golf as Clemson Tigers, each had rounds of 69. Engler finished the tournament with a 211 score, good enough for 17th place. Saari finished 27th with a 212 score, the second lowest tournament of his Clemson career.
Clemson’s top finisher for the 54-hole event did not have his score count toward the team total on Saturday. Freshmen Gregg Jones, finished a great weekend with a 71 and a 210 total, six-under-par. It was the first top 10 finish of the season for Jones. He entered the regional with just six under-par rounds all year, then had three under-par rounds at the NCAA regional.
East Tennessee State won the tournament with a 36-under-par score. NC State was second at 28 under, while Florida was third at 27 under par. Clemson was fourth at 22 under, one stroke better than number-one ranked Georgia, and Virginia Tech. Georgia Tech was seventh at 18-under, while Georgia Southern was eighth at 15-under-par. UAB was ninth at nine under.
Clemson Golf Team Ranked Second or Third in All three Polls The Clemson men’s golf team was ranked tied for second in the nation by the Precept Division I Coach’s poll of May 2. A new ranking will be issued before the NCAA East Regional Tournament (May 15). Clemson has been in the top 10 in the nation in every poll this year and has been in the top five in every poll so far in the Spring season.
Earlier this week, Clemson was ranked second in the nation by the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. Clemson has been ranked second in the nation in that poll all spring. ACC teams hold down the top three spots in both polls. Georgia Tech is number-one in both polls, while Wake Forest in second in the Coach’s poll and third by Golfweek/Sagarin.
Clemson has now been ranked in the top five of the Coach’s poll in all but one of the rankings over the last five years. That lone absence from the top 5 was in the preseason poll for this year when Clemson was listed ninth. That means Clemson has been in the top five of the coaches poll in 70 of the last 71 polls dating to March 11, 1998.
Clemson is ranked third in the nation in the latest Golf World poll. Georgia Tech is first and Wake Forest second in that publication.
Precept Coach’s Poll Golfweek/Sagarin (As of May 2, 2002) (As of May 13, 2002) Rk Team Pts Rk Team Rating 1. Georgia Tech 400 1. Georgia Tech 69.97 2. Wake Forest 369 2. Clemson 70.71 Clemson 369 3. Wake Forest 70.80 4. Texas 338 4. Florida 70.81 5. Florida 336 5. Texas 71.06 6. Oklahoma State 293 6. Oklahoma St 71.11 7. Southern Cal 284 7. Southern Cal 71.19 8. TCU 275 8. TCU 71.30 9. Tennessee 271 9. Auburn 71.40 10. NC State 230 10. Tennessee 71.48 11. Fresno State 203 11. Georgia 71.50 12. Virginia Tech 198 12. Oklahoma 71.53 13. Georgia 184 13. NC State 71.55 14. Washington 180 14. Washington 71.56 15. Augusta State 174 15. Fresno State 71.57 16. Auburn 172 16. Toledo 71.68 17. Oklahoma 162 17. Virginia Tech 71.70 18. New Mexico 113 18. Pepperdine 71.75 Pepperdine 113 19. Augusta State 71.76 20. Toledo 89 20. Baylor 71.82
Trahan Ranked First Among Amateurs Clemson junior D.J. Trahan is ranked as the number-one player in the Golfweek/Titleist Men’s Amateur Rankings. Bubba Dickerson, formerly of the University of Florida, turned professional after the Masters and dropped out of the rankings.
Dickerson was ranked #1 among amateurs prior to the Masters. Trahan has ranked in the top 10 in the world amateur rankings since he won the United States Public Links championship in the summer of 2000. He improved his ranking recently by winning the Azalea Invitational in April and finishing 45th at the BUY.com event in Greenville in late April. He was the low amateur at that pro event.
Trahan is currently third in the nation in two NCAA player ratings. Gregg Jones is 14th according to Golfweek/Sagarin and 20th according to Golfstat.
World Amateur Rankings by Golfweek/TitleistThrough May 13, 2002 Rk Name Hometown Pts 1. D.J. Trahan Inman, SC 200 2. Robert Hamilton Carmichael, CA 185 3. Adam Groom Sydney Australia 165 Jamie Elson Augusta, GA 165 5. Danny Green Jackson, TN 150 6. Chez Reavie Tempe, AZ 135 7. Sean Knapp Oakmont, PA 125 8. Brian Nosler Lake Oswego, OR 120 9. Jason Hartwick Sacramento, CA 115 Kevin Haeffner Pittsford, NY 115 Matt Weibring Plano, TX 115
Golfweek/Sagarin Individual Rankings (Through May 13, 2002) Rk Name School Rating 1. Camilo Villegas Florida 68.79 2. Graeme McDowell UAB 68.80 3. D.J. Trahan Clemson 69.25 4. Hunter Mahan Oklahoma State 69.28 5. Bill Haas Wake Forest 69.31 6. Ryan Hybl Georgia 69.51 7. Troy Matteson Georgia Tech 69.65 8. Nick Watney Fresno State 69.94 9. Oliver Wilson Augusta State 70.17 10. Brendon DeJonge Virginia Tech 70.18 11. Kevin Haefner Auburn 70.24 12. John Klauk Texas 70.28 13. Kevin Stadler Southern Cal 70.36 14. Gregg Jones Clemson 70.38 15. Lee Williamson Purdue 70.39
Golfstat Cup Individual Rankings As of May 8, 2002 Rk Name School Adjusted Avg 1. Graeme McDowell UAB 69.97 2. Camilo Villegas Florida +0.042 3. D.J. Trahan Clemson +0.115 4. Nick Watney Fresno State +0.261 5. Bill Haas Wake Forest +0.342 6. Ryan Hybl Georgia +0.370 7. Hunter Mahan Oklahoma State +0.410 8. Brendon DeJonge Virginia Tech +0.624 9. Troy Matteson Georgia Tech +0.893 10. David Skinns Tennessee +1.014 20. Gregg Jones Clemson +1.399
Jones Having Strong Sophomore Season Gregg Jones is a Clemson sophomore who has had a strong spring. In fact, he has the top stroke average on the Clemson team for the five spring tournaments with a 70.87 figure. Yes, even better than D.J. Trahan 71.07 spring average.
Jones has three top five finishes in the five spring events. His top performance came in the most recent tournament when he fired a 203 at the Augusta State Invitational. He tied for medallist honors, but lost in a playoff when David Skinns of Tennessee when the Volunteer rolled in a 40-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole. Jones 13-under-par figure at the event tied for the lowest figure under par in Clemson history. The only other time a Clemson player has been 13-under-par in a 54-hole event took place at last year’s ACC Tournament when John Engler won the event with a 13-under-par 203 score.
Jones also finished fourth at the Puerto Rico Classic and fifth at Las Vegas in his outstanding spring. He had one top 10 finish in the fall when he was ninth at the Ping Preview. That 214 score helped the Tigers to the team championship. For the academic year Jones is second to D.J. Trahan in stroke average (71.80), second in rounds in the 60s with eight and second in rounds under par with 13. Twenty-seven of his 30 rounds have been at 75 or better.
Jones is currently ranked 14th in the nation in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and is 20th in the Golfstat Cup rankings. A key to his game as been consistency from tee to green. He is currently sixth in the nation in greens in regulation, hitting at 75.3 percent.
Duncan Having Improved Junior Season Another Tiger who is showing improvement this spring is junior Ben Duncan. The native of Greenville, SC has had four top 20 finishes in the spring, a stretch that started with a career best 11th place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic. He was also 11th at the ACC Tournament with a 212 score. That is his career low for a tournament. He shot a 214 at Puerto Rico, and had a first round 68 that contributed to his success.
Duncan followed that with a 218 at Las Vegas to finish 19th and he was 20th at the Schenkel with a 219 score. He had a 220 total at Augusta State and now has a 72.20 stroke average for the spring, third best on the team. Duncan is a veteran of 19 tournaments and 56 rounds. He has a career stroke average of 73.84 , including a 73.29 figure for this academic year, third best on the team.
Trahan Having Record Setting Season Clemson junior D.J. Trahan is having quite a season. Here are some facts on Trahan’s accomplishments so far the 2001-02 academic year:
Had a streak of 20 consecutive rounds of 72 or better, anall-time record in Clemson golf history. Only one of the rounds(third round 72 at Long Cove on November 11th) was over par, theother 19 were at par or better. The streak was broken with anopening round 76 at Las Vegas. Had five consecutive tournamentfinishes of first or second, also an all-time Clemson record forconsecutive first or second place finishes. Won the Carpet Classicand Jerry Pate Intercollegiate in consecutive events. Posted a69.78 stroke average for the Fall of 2001, a Clemson record for afall stroke average. A model of consistency, he was at par orbetter in all six events in the fall, also a first in Clemson golfhistory. Had six straight under-par tournaments from September 30until Feb. 26th, longest streak of under par tournaments in Clemsonhistory. Already has 13 rounds in the 60s for the year. The recordis 15 by Chris Patton in 1988-89, so he needs just two more to tiethe single season record. Has 28 rounds at par or better. That isalready the second best single season total in Clemson history. Therecord is 31 set by John Engler last year. Has eight top 10finishes, he has tied the record set by Kevin Johnson (1986-87 and1988-89) and by Charles Warren in 1995-96. He can break the recordwith a top 10 finish at the East Regional. Has 22 rounds under parfor the year, one off the single season record of 23 set by CharlesWarren in 1997-98. Has a 70.36 stroke average for the year, aheadof the Clemson single season record pace of 70.87 set by JohnEngler last year.
Trahan Now First in Career Stroke Average Clemson junior D.J. Trahan has lowered his career stroke average to 71.76 through 11 events this year and 32 for his career. He has now jumped all the way to first place on Clemson’s career list thanks to his 70.36 stroke average this year. The 71.76 career stroke is just ahead the 71.78 turned in by John Engler between 1997-01. In third place is two-time first-team All-American Lucas Glover, who had a 71.95 career average between 1997-01. Engler, Trahan and Glover, who were teammates each of the previous two years, are the only golfers in Clemson history to have a career average under 72.
Gregg Jones has jumped into fifth place on the career list with a 72.59 stroke average. Players need a minimum of 50 rounds to qualify for the list.
Trahan is quickly moving up the charts in other career rankings. Here is how he ranks in other career categories. Remember, he is just a junior.
Trahan on Clemson career charts: *Fifth in career rounds in the 60s with 27 *First in career stroke average at 71.76 *Fifth in rounds under par with 50 *11th in career top 10 finishes with 15 *Seventh in rounds at par or better with 64
Clemson Career Stroke Average Leaders (Minimum 50 rounds Played) Rk Name Years Rds Stks Avg 1. D.J. Trahan 1999-02 97 6,961 71.76 2. John Engler 1997-01 153 10,983 71.78 3. Lucas Glover 1997-01 147 10,579 71.95 4. Jonathan Byrd 1996-00 155 11,234 72.48 5. Gregg Jones 2000-02 58 4,210 72.59 6. Chris Patton 1986-90 139 10,106 72.71 7. Kevin Johnson 1985-89 147 10,711 72.86 8. Charles Warren 1994-98 144 10,510 72.99 9. Nicky Goetze 1989-93 159 11,638 73.19 10. Richard Coughlan 1993-97 144 10,552 73.28
Clemson Single Season Stroke Average Bests Rk Name Year Rds Stks Avg. 1. D.J. Trahan 2001-02 33 2322 70.36 2. John Engler 2000-01 39 2764 70.87 3. Lucas Glover 2000-01 39 2776 71.18 4. Lucas Glover 1999-00 37 2636 71.24 5. Charles Warren 1997-98 39 2780 71.28 6. John Engler 1999-00 40 2853 71.33 7. Jonathan Byrd 1999-00 37 2648 71.57 8. Gregg Jones 2001-02 30 2154 71.80 9. Chris Patton 1988-89 40 2874 71.85 10. Dillard Pruitt 1983-84 31 2230 71.94
Clemson Spring ReviewClemson Finishes Second at Puerto Rico ClassicFeb. 26, 2002 Rio Mar, Puerto Rico – D.J. Trahan fired a final round 69 and Ben Duncan added a 70 to lead Clemson to a second-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic at Rio Mar Country Club in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Clemson finished the three-day, 54-hole event on the par 72 course with an 854 score, 10-under par.
Clemson trailed only #1 ranked Georgia Tech, who ran away from the field with an 829 total, an incredible 35-under-par. Clemson was three strokes better than Purdue, who had an 857 score, while defending national champion Florida was fourth at 869.
Colorado was fifth at 872, while Minnesota was sixth at 881. East Tennessee State was seventh with an 883 score, while NC State was eighth at 887, and Duke was ninth at 889. Oklahoma finished 10th with an 890 count, while Georgia was 11th at 893. Texas, who was in third place after one round, finished 12th with an 894 score. Kent State, Northwestern and Virginia all tied for 13th at 913.
Trahan shot a 69 on Tuesday, giving the Clemson junior three straight under-par rounds. He has now scored under par in 15 of his 21 rounds this year and has 20 consecutive rounds of 72 or better. He finished at 211, and the fourth place finish was his sixth straight top five, a first in Clemson history. He now has a 69.86 stroke average for the academic year.
Jones tied Trahan for fourth place, his highest finish as a Tiger. His previous best was a ninth-place at this year’s Ping Preview, an event Clemson won as a team. Jones had rounds of 69-69-73 in recording his 211 total.
Ben Duncan had a 70 on Tuesday to finish with a 214 score, tied for 11th place. That was also Duncan’s best score and highest finish as a Tiger. He had rounds of 68-76-70. Matt Hendrix fired a 76 on Tuesday and finished at 223, while Jack Ferguson had a 74 to finish in 40th position at 224.
Troy Matteson won the tournament with a 205 after a 71 on Tuesday, while Lee Williamson of Purdue was second at 207. Nicholas Thompson of Georgia Tech had three consecutive rounds of 70 to finish at 210, one shot better than Trahan.
Clemson Finishes Fourth at Las Vegas InvitationalMarch 10, 2002 Clemson, SC – Gregg Jones birdied four of the last seven holes on the way to a two-under-par 70, leading Clemson to a fourth-place finish at the Las Vegas Invitational on Sunday. Clemson finished the 54-hole event with an 867 team score, three-over par.
Jones finished fifth individually, his second straight top five finish. He was tied for fourth at five-under par at the Puerto Rico Classic in the first tournament of the spring. Jones finished with rounds of 74-71-70, a one-under-par score of 215.
Ben Duncan was Clemson’s second best golfer for the entire tournament with a 218 score, two-over par. It was another consistent tournament for Duncan, who had a career best 214 at the Puerto Rico Classic two weeks ago. It is the first time Duncan has put a pair of top 20 finishes together. Duncan had rounds of 72-73-73 for his 54 holes to finsh 19th.
Matt Hendrix tied Jones for Clemson’s best golfer on Sunday with a 70. He finished 29th overall for the event with scores of 73-77-70. Martin Catalioto had his best tournament of his young career. The first-year freshman had rounds of 74-75-71. The 71 on Sunday was his first career under-par round.
D.J. Trahan entered the event as the number-one ranked player in the nation. The junior struggled in the first round with a four-over-par 76, his worst round of the year. But, he finished with a par of even par 72s and finished at 220 for the three days, tied for 29th.
Georgia Tech won the team team with an 844 score, 20-under-par. It was the third win of the spring for the Yellow Jackets, who will retain their number-one ranking in the nation. Host school UNLV finished second at 863, while NC State was just one stroke back at an even par 864. Clemson was fourth at 868, four strokes better than Georgia. The field was composed of 16 teams, including 10 of the top 25 in the nation.
Clemson Finishes Sixth at E-Z-Go Schenkel Invitational March 24, 2002 Statesboro, GA – No Clemson player shot better than a 74 and the Tigers shot a 297 team score on Sunday, as Clemson finished sixth out of the 15 teams in the E-Z-Go Chris Schenkel Invitational in Statesboro, GA. It was just the second time all year that the second-ranked Tigers failed to finish in the top four of a tournament.
Pin placements were difficult and it was reflected in the scores as no team bettered par on the day. NC State had the top team score on Sunday with a 288 The Pack was paced by Justin Walters who had a 67, the top round of the day. He won the individual championship with a 207 score, five shots ahead of the field.
Augusta State won the event with an 865 total, one-over-par. Even the team champion Augusta State shot eight-over par 296 on Sunday. Wake Forest, ranked third in the nation behind Clemson and Georgia Tech in the Sagarin Poll, finished second at 867, while the Pack was third at 871. Florida was fourth at 872, followed by defending NCAA Champion Florida at 874. Clemson and Duke were tied for sixth at 876.
Clemson’s top player for the tournament was junior D.J. Trahan. He finished in a tie for fifth, but his round of 77 on Sunday did not count towards the Clemson team score. Trahan had rounds of 69-69-77 in finishing tied for fifth with Florida players Camilo Villegas and Ari Savolainen.
The turning point in Trahan’s round came on the ninth hole when he drove the ball straight down the middle of the fairway 315 yardsŠinto a lake. He double bogeyed the par five hole. Still, it was another top 10 finish for Trahan, who was trying to become the first Clemson golfer in history to win three tournaments in the same year. He was the leader after two rounds at six-under-par. He finished with a 215 total, one-under-par.
Ben Duncan finished in a tie for 20th with a 219 score after rounds of 70-75-74. He was one-under-par with four holes left on Sunday, but bogeyed three of the last four. It was Duncan’s third straight top 20 finish.
Gregg Jones both shot rounds of 74 on Sunday and tied for 34th with a 222 total. Hendrix had 16 pars and two bogeys. The Clemson sophomore hit 15 greens in regulation, but just couldn’t drop a birdie putt. He had three straight rounds of 74. Jones was coming off consecutive top five tournament finishes heading into this weekend and was ranked 15th in the nation.
Freshman Jack Ferguson shot a 227 for the tournament after rounds of 76-76-75. The native of Seneca finished tied for 58th.
Clemson Finishes 3rd at Cleveland/Augusta State Invitational April 7, 2002 Augusta, GA – Clemson sophomore Gregg Jones lost in a playoff for medallist honors, but fired a career best 66 in the final round to lead Clemson to a third-place team finish at the Cleveland/Augusta State Invitational at Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, GA.
Jones finished the tournament with a 203 score for 54 holes, 13 under-par. He lost in a one-hole playoff to David Skinns of Tennessee, who had rounds of 66-67-70 for the three days. Jones’ second place finish was the best of his career and the 203 score tied for the third best in Clemson history. It tied for the best ever in a spring tournament in Clemson history. John Engler had a 203 at the ACC Tournament last year. His 66 on Sunday tied for the best round by a Clemson player this year.
Jones also became just the fifth golfer in Clemson history to record three rounds in the 60s in the same tournament. It was last done by Lucas Glover last year at the Jerry Pate Invitational. Jones had rounds of 69-68-66 in recording his 203 over the weekend.
Jones was eight shots better than teammate D.J. Trahan, who had a 74 on Sunday. Trahan had recorded rounds of 70-67 in the first two rounds and was in third place heading into the final round.
Matt Hendrix had a 73 on Sunday and finished 47th at 219. Ben Duncan carded a 72 on Sunday and finished tied for 52nd at 220. Freshman Martin Catalioto had a one-under-par 71 on Sunday and finished at 220, also 52nd place.
Tennessee won the event with an 841 team score, while Wake Forest was third at 846. NC State and Florida tied for fourth behind Clemson with an 851 score. The field included 18 teams.
Clemson Finishes Third at ACC Golf TournamentTrahan Leads Way with 6th place FinishApril 21, 2002Uwharrie Point, NC – Ben Duncan both had final rounds of two-under-par 70, but it was not enough for Clemson to overcome Georgia Tech and NC State on Sunday afternoon at the 49th ACC Men’s Golf Championship. The tournament was played at the Old North State Club in Uwharrie Point, NC.
Clemson finished third with a score of 845 on the par 72 course, behind champion Georgia Tech (837) and N.C. State (841). The final standings were closer than those scores indicate. With two holes to play, only one shot separated all three schools.
Wake Forest, ranked second in the nation in one poll entering the tournament, finished fourth at 851. North Carolina had individual champion Dustin Bray, but the Tar Heels were fifth as a team at 862. Florida State, coached by former Clemson All-American Nicky Goetze, finished sixth at 868, while Virginia was seventh at 874. Maryland was eighth at 875 and Duke was last at 878.
Clemson made a charge on the last two holes on Saturday to cut Georgia Tech’s lead to five strokes entering today. Clemson played 17 and 18 five under par that day. But, the Tigers struggled on the last two holes on Sunday. Clemson had to count a double bogey and a bogey on the 18th hole, while Georgia Tech had a birdie and two eagles.
Trahan led the Tigers with a 70 and finished in sixth place overall with a 54-hole score of 209, seven-under-par. Trahan had three rounds under par at the event, giving him 22 under-par rounds for the year. He is now just one under-par round off of Charles Warren’s single season record of 23 set in 1997-98.
Duncan and Gregg Jones both tied for 11th in the tournament overall with 212 scores. Duncan shot a 70 on Sunday but finished with bogies on each of the last two holes. Still, his 212 score was the lowest of his Clemson career and it was just the second time he had been under-par for a 54-hole event. He had 13 birdies on the weekend, more than any other Tiger.
Jones finished with a double bogey on the 18th hole when he tried to go for the green in two, a necessary attempt if Clemson was to win the tournament. But, his shot was short, caught the bank and went into the water. Jones had given Clemson hope just a hole earlier when he birdied the difficult 17th hole. He hit his drive on the par three hole just two inches from the cup. For Jones, it was his fourth under-par tournament in his last five and he is now 17-under par for his last five events.
Matt Hendrix finished in a tie for 15th with a 214 score, two-under-par. He was two under par through eight holes, but double bogeyed the ninth hole. Clemson was the only school in the tournament with four players among the top 15 in the final standings. Hendrix had rounds of 71-69-74 for the three days. The 214 score was his lowest of the season.
Freshman Martin Catalioto had a solid 72 on Sunday, including a birdie on the 18th hole. It gave him a 220 score for the three days, 30th overall. He had a 71 in the first round giving him two rounds of par or better in the same event for the first time in his young Clemson career. Catalioto played with consistency as he had 39 pars in his 54 holes, more than any other Tiger.
Penley Has won 47 Tournaments You can easily make a case that Larry Penley is the most successful coach in Clemson athletics history. That certainly is the case when it comes to consistency. The Tigers have been to the NCAA national tournament all 18 years he has been at Clemson, something only Oklahoma State and Arizona State can also claim on the national scene.
Clemson has 15 top 20 finishes, 13 top 15 finishes and eight top 10s in this period of time. That includes an active streak of five straight top 10s, the first Clemson program to do that since the men’s soccer team had seven straight from 1973-79.
Individually, Clemson has had 12 top 10 NCAA Tournament finishes in Penley’s career. That includes the NCAA Championship by Charles Warren in 1997, and his number-two finish in 1998. Joey Maxon also finished in the top 10 that year, while Lucas Glover finished eighth in 1999. D.J. Trahan joined the list in 2001 with a seventh place finish off a 283 score.
On a regional basis, Clemson has been outstanding in the top golf conference in the nation. Clemson has won the ACC Championship three of the last five years, and has had four NCAA East Regional titles in, more than any other school. In fact, only Arizona and Arizona State (with five) , have more regional titles than Clemson since the regional format of the NCAA Tournament came into play in 1989.
Penley has been honored for his success in the ACC, winning the ACC Coach of the Year honors three of the last six years, and six years overall since his first season, 1983-84. He was the first coach in ACC history to win this award three consecutive years (1996-97-98). He has six ACC championships to his credit, second on the all-time list of ACC mentors.
Penley, along with Mike Holder of Oklahoma State, are the only coaches in the nation to take a program to the NCAA national tournament each of the last 18 years. Overall, Penley has won 47 tournament titles, including the Ping/Preview, which the Tigers won this past fall. His Clemson program has ranked in the top 10 in the nation in every poll each of the last seven years, including a streak of 62 straight top five rankings from March of 1998 until the preseason poll of 2001.
Tigers Win Ping/Golfweek Preview D.J. Trahan came through in the clutch on the 18th hole to give Clemson the team title of the 2001 Ping Preview at The Scarlet Course at The Ohio State University in September.
Clemson finished first on Sunday in the 15-team field that included 10 of the top 12 ranked teams in the . The par 71 course that is nearly 7300 yards in length is the site of the NCAA Championship in late May and early June of 2002.
Larry Penley’s Tigers finished with a 10-over par team total of 862 in winning the event for just the second time in its history.. The Tigers last won in the fall of 1990. It was the 47th victory of Penley’s Clemson career. Wake Forest finished second with a 863 team score, while Texas was third at 864. Host school Ohio State was fourth at 867, while Virginia Tech was fifth at 871.
Defending NCAA Champion Florida, in second place by just two shots behind the Tigers heading into the final round, was 15-over-par as a team on Sunday and finished tied for sixth with 2000 NCAA Champion Georgia at 872. Oklahoma State was eighth at 874, Oklahoma was ninth at 882 and Georgia Tech was 10th at 890, 38-over par.
Trahan was Clemson’s top individual with a 71 on Sunday and a 211 score for the 54 holes, good enough for second place. Brent Wanner of Wake Forest was the individual medallist at 210, one stroke better than Trahan, Bill Haas of Wake Forest and Doug Wade of Ohio State. Clemson held a five-shot lead heading into the final seven holes. But, the Tigers had to count five bogeys over the last seven holes and Wake Forest played consistent golf to forge into a tie with two holes left. The Deacons played three holes ahead of Clemson and headed into the clubhouse with a +11 team total.
Clemson was also at +11 as a team as Trahan went to the 18th tee. But, the Clemson junior who was a member of the United State Walker Cup team this past summer, responded with a birdie three on the par four hole. He drove the ball 370 yards over trees into a greenside bunker. He blasted out 10 feet from the hole, then made the putt to give Clemson the win.
Gregg Jones supported Trahan on Sunday with a 72 and he finished the 54 holes with a 214 score, good enough for a ninth-place finish. Jones came through in the clutch with three pars to finish his round when Clemson and Wake Forest were tied as a team.
Matt Hendrix was Clemson’s third best golfer at the event and the third best golfer on Sunday. He shot a two-over-par 73 on Sunday and finished at 221 for the three rounds. He played the final 36 holes at even par after shooting an eight-over-par 79 in the first round. Martin Catalioto, playing in his first collegiate tournament, had his third straight 75 on Sunday. His score counted towards Clemson’s team score all three days. Jack Ferguson, Clemson’s top golfer in the first round with a 70, slumped to an 80 on Sunday.
Byrd Finishes Tied for Third at Greater Greensboro OpenApril 28, 2002 Clemson, SC – Former Clemson All-American Jonathan Byrd fired a final round 66 and finished tied for third at the Greater Greensboro Open on Sunday. It was the best finish of the young season for Byrd, who is a rookie on the PGA Tour.
Byrd and former Clemson teammate Charles Warren had a productive weekend. Warren won the BUY.com event at the Cliffs Valley Course in Travelers Rest. Byrd won that event a year ago. On Sunday, Byrd birdied three of the first five holes and finished the day with six birdies and no bogeys. It was his best finish of the year, better than the 15th place ranking he had at the Tucson Open earlier this year. The 66 on Sunday was his best final round and two shots off his career best of 64, a figure he posted in the second round at Tucson this year.
Byrd finished with rounds of 72-71-69-66, 10-under par. In fact, on Friday he was in danger of missing the cut, but he birdied two of the last three holes and went on to the strong weekend. He was 58th after two rounds and 22nd after three rounds before closing with his 66 on Sunday for his first career top five finish.
Chad Campbell, also a member of the BUY.com Tour last year, had a bogey five on the last hole, and tied Byrd at 10-under-par.
Warren Captures BUY.com TournamentApril 28, 2002Clemson, SC – Former Clemson All-American Charles Warren fired a four-under-par 68 on Sunday and won the BMW Charity Pro Am at the Cliffs BUY.com event at the Cliffs Valley Course in Travelers Rest, SC He captured the championship with a 23-under-par 264 score over the four days, four strokes ahead of the field. The 1997 NCAA Champion, who threw out the first pitch of the Clemson vs. Wake Forest baseball game on Saturday night, won $94,500, his biggest check as a professional.
It marked the second straight year a former Clemson golfer had won the event. Last year Jonathan Byrd shot an 18-under-par score to win the tournament title. Byrd used that victory to finish eighth on the BUY.com money list and is now on the PGA Tour.
Warren had rounds of 67-65-64-68 for his four rounds and the 23-under score was just three shots off the all-time BUY.com record of 26 under. For the four rounds Warren had 25 birdies and just four bogeys. A key to his performance was the 12-13-14 holes on Valley course. Over the last two rounds he birdied those three holes each day.
“This is a thrill of a lifetime,” said Warren in accepting the championship trophy, presentation televised live by the Golf Channel. “I have had this event marked on my calendar. This is like a major to me. To have all the support from the Clemson people all week was just terrific. My putting was the key. I made putts all week. “
It was the first professional victory for Warren, who was a two-time ACC Champion during his time (1994-98) at Clemson. He earned his degree in May of 1998 and has been on the PGA or BUY.com tours ever since. Last year at this time he was recovering from shoulder surgery and served as an on-course announcer for the Golf Channel as he watched Byrd win the championship.
It marked the seventh time a former Clemson golfer had won a BUY.com tour event. Kevin Johnson, who also competed in Greenville this weekend, leads the way with three wins. Chris Patton and Clarence Rose also won BUY.com events in their careers.
Warren was one of five golfers with Clemson connections who made the cut at the BMW Charity Pro Am at the Cliffs. Charles Raulerson, who played two years at Clemson before transferring, finished 14th with a 12-under-par score (274). Johnson finished at eight-under par 279, good enough for 35th. Current Clemson junior D.J. Trahan shot a 74 on Sunday, but still finished at seven-under par 280, good enough for 45th. John Engler, an All-American on last year’s team, shot a third straight 71 and finished 54th. He had a 282 score for the four days.
Clemson at the BMW Charity Pro Am at the Cliffs
Charles Warren 67-65-64-68 264 -23 1st Charles Raulerson 71-69-68-67 274 -12 14th Kevin Johnson 74-66-68-71 279 -8 35th D.J. Trahan 67-70-69-74 280 -7 45th John Engler 69-71-71-71 282 -5 54th
Clemson Tigers Buy.com Tour VictoriesGolfer Year Event Chris Patton 1993 Albuquerque Open Clarence Rose 1995 Pensacola Open Kevin Johnson 1997 Puget Sound Open 1999 South Carolina Classic 2000 Permian Basin Classic Jonathan Byrd 2001 Charity Pro-Am at the Cliffs Charles Warren 2002 Charity Pro-Am at the Cliffs
Johnson Named to Clemson Hall of Fame Former Clemson All-America golfer Kevin Johnson will be inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame September 13. The ceremonies will take place on the Clemson campus. Johnson will be introduced as a member of the class at halftime of the Clemson vs. Georgia Tech football game on September 14th.
Johnson will be joined in the class by former football All-American William “Refrigerator” Perry, former baseball All-American Bert Heffernan, former women’s basketball All-American Mary Ann Cubelic, former All-ACC football player Gary Barnes, and athletic director Bobby Robinson, who will be retiring July 1.
Johnson was the first three-time All-American in Clemson golf history (1987-88-89). He led the Tigers to a third place finish at the NCAA Tournament in 1989. A three-time All-ACC selection, Johnson won the United States Public Links tournament in 1987. He has played professionally since he left Clemson and was a member of the PGA Tour in 2001. He is currently on the BUY.com Tour.
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