Men's Golf: Clemson wins Palmetto Intercollegiate
Jacob Bridgeman, Turk Pettit, and William Nottingham finished 1-2-3 in the individual standings, leading Clemson to the championship of the 15-team Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate on Tuesday. The Tigers won the event with a 27-under-par score of 813, 16 shots ahead of second-place Virginia.
The victory margin was the largest for the Clemson team since a 17-stroke victory at the Bandon Dunes Invitational in March of 2016, and the second-largest victory margin by the Clemson program since September of 2002 when Clemson won the Topy Cup by 31 shots.
The 1-2-3 finish was achieved for the first time by a Clemson team since March of 1987 when Chris Patton and Kevin Johnson tied for first and Jason Griffith finished third at the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, SC.
The victory was the 79th of Larry Penley’s 37-year career as Clemson head coach. He trails former Wake Forest Coach Jesse Haddock by just four victories for the ACC record. It marked the eighth time he and the Tigers have won the Palmetto Intercollegiate.
The Tigers had just a two-shot lead entering the final round over the Cavaliers on the par 70 Palmetto Club course, but the Tigers finished Tuesday with a round of 10-under-par 270. The 813 team score is the second-lowest in Clemson history, topped only by an 811 at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate last September.
Bridgeman won the tournament with a score of 12-under-par 198, tied for the second-lowest 54-hole individual score in Clemson history. He had rounds of 67-66-65 in the tournament in gaining his first collegiate win.
His four-shot victory over Pettit is tied for the fourth-largest victory margin by a Clemson golfer in a stroke play event, the best since Doc Redman won by six shots at the Jackrabbit during the 2015-16 season. Bridgeman, a sophomore from Inman, SC, led the tournament with 16 birdies, his career-high.
Pettit was the first-round leader with a 64, then finished with rounds of 69 and 69 for his final eight-under-par score of 202. He had 13 birdies for the tournament. It marked the second time this year Pettit finished second in a tournament, as he was the runner-up at the Maui Jim last September.
Nottingham’s score of seven-under-par 203 was good enough for third place, his highest finish in a tournament while in the Clemson lineup in his career (he finished third in an individual tournament in Puerto Rico as a freshman). With his scores of 69-69-65, the native of Kingsport, TN shot in the 60s three times in the same tournament for the first time in his career.
Nottingham, Bridgeman, and Pettit shot in the 60s all three rounds. It marked the first time in Clemson history three Tigers had three rounds in the 60s in the same tournament.
Zack Gordon was fourth among Tigers with a 13th place finish and a 213 total for the 54 holes. The sophomore had consistent rounds of 70-72-71 and his 13th place finish was his best while playing for the Tiger team since a seventh-place at the Puerto Rico Classic last year.
Kyle Cottam finished 18th among the 75 golfers in the tournament. His 67 in the opening round helped get Clemson off to a great start. He finished with consecutive rounds of 74 for the last two rounds for a 215 total.