Two Former Tigers Qualify for US Open

June 8, 2000

Clemson, SC–Former Clemson three-time All-America golfers Charles Warren and Kevin Johnson have qualified for the 100th United States Open. The event will be held next weekend at Pebble Beach in California.

This will be the first time in history that two former Clemson golfers have played in the same US Open. It is the first time since 1995 (Oswald Drawdy) that any former or current Clemson player has participated in the event.

Warren qualified on Tuesday, one of 12 players to advance from a 13-player playoff at Glenmaura Country Club in Moosic, PA, ironically, the same course the Clemson team played in winning the 2000 NCAA East Regional in May. Warren finished the 36 holes in six under par. He made an eagle on the 18th hole to make the playoff.

Warren won the 100th NCAA Championship at Conway Farms outside Chicago, IL in 1997. He finished second at the NCAAs in Albuquerque in 1998. The three-time Clemson All-American was the winner of the Dave Williams Award as the national Senior Player of the Year in 1998. He was also chosen Clemson’s IPTAY Athlete of the Year in 1997.

Johnson did not have to go through such theatrics in making the 2000 US Open field. The former ACC Champion (1988) shot a 145 total at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, NJ. He made the field with two strokes to spare. Johnson, who came to Clemson from Massachusetts, now plays on the buy.com tour.

Johnson was a three-time All-American at Clemson from 1987-89. He won Clemson’s Frank Howard Award in 1989 and was a member of the 1990 United States Walker Cup team, the first Clemson golfer to be selected for that team.