Two Clemson Players To Meet In South Carolina Match Play Championship

June 16, 2001

Myrtle Beach, S.C. — Defending champion Gregg Jones, a rising sophomore on the Clemson golf team, continued his dominance of the South Carolina Match Play on Saturday by winning two matches. He will face a Clemson teammate, Jack Ferguson, in the final on Sunday. The 29th annual event is being played at Myrtle Beach National Golf Club in Myrtle Beach, SC.

In the morning quarterfinal matches, Jones, needed only 14 holes to defeat Tucker Ervin of Mt. Pleasant. Jones’ victory set-up a Clemson University semifinal match-up with incoming freshman Brian Duncan of Greenville.

Duncan had defeated Robert Godfrey, a resident of Clemson, but not a member of the golf team, by a 2&1 margin. Duncan won the 2000 Carolinas Junior Championship at Green Valley Country Club in Greenville, SC last July and will be a freshman at Clemson next year.

The other two quarterfinal matches pitted collegians Jack Ferguson, who red-shirted this past year at Clemson, and Kyle Bradley from the College of Charleston. Ferguson needed all 18 holes to hold onto a 1 up victory over Bradley.

Local favorite, Sammy Truett of Surfside Beach spoiled an all Clemson University semifinal by defeating rising senior, Tripp James of Spartanburg, by a 4&3 score. Truett and James were all square through nine holes but Truett won holes 10, 11, and 12 to give himself a 3 up lead and never looked back as he closed out James with a halve at the par 5 fifteenth hole.

In the afternoon semifinal matches, Gregg Jones faced future Clemson teammate Brian Duncan. Jones jumped out to an early 1 up lead after a birdie at the par 5 first hole. A bogey on #2 by Jones squared the match. Jones then went on to win holes #4, 7, 8, and 9 to hold a 4 up lead after nine holes. Jones made six birdies and one bogey in his outward nine.

“Once you get confidence, you can make the putts”, Jones said. “I have been executing the shots and making a lot of puttsŠthat takes a lot of pressure

off the other parts of my game”. Duncan was not about to be blown out of the match. Birdies at holes #10 and 12 cut Jones’ lead in half. But that was as close as the match would get. Another birdie by Jones at the par 5 fifteenth hole then a halve at the par 4 sixteenth hole sealed a 3&2 victory for Jones.

Jones will face Jack Ferguson of Seneca in Sunday’s 36-hole championship match. Ferguson birdied the first two holes of his match with Sammy Truett of Surfside Beach to take an early 2 up lead. Ferguson never let Truett back into the match. Ferguson built a 5 up through seven holes. Truett won the par 3 eighth hole with a par. They halved the next four holes. Ferguson then won the par 4 thirteenth hole with a par to regain a 5 up lead. Truett needing to win the remainder of the holes, won the par 4 14th hole with a birdie to cut Ferguson’s lead to 4 up. But a birdie by Ferguson at the par 5 fifteenth hole sealed a 5&3 victory for the Clemson redshirt freshman.

Quarterfinal Round Results Gregg Jones, Florence df. Tucker Ervin, Mt. Pleasant 5&4 Brian Duncan, Greenville df. Robert Godfrey, Clemson 2&1 Jack Ferguson, Seneca df. Kyle Bradley, Charleston 1 up Sammy Truett, Surfside Beach df. Tripp James, Spartanburg 3&2

Semifinal Round Results Jones df. Duncan 3&2 Ferguson df. Truett 5&3