Maturing Mills looking to lead

 

Until this season, Clemson men’s golf coach Larry Penley had always appointed seniors as captains of his teams.

At the suggestion of his players, Penley instead opened this year’s choice up to the members of the team. When the votes were cast, Clemson’s new captain was Corbin Mills, a junior from Anderson.

[Read more...]

Reeves is almost back

Clemson golfer Crawford Reeves had back pains sideline him in the fall, but he is back on the course this winter and is ready to lead Clemson back to the NCAA Regionals. Photo by Rex Brown

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — Crawford Reeves has been playing golf for almost as long as he has been walking and talking, so anything that can keep him away from the game for a period of several months has to be pretty severe.

Such is the nature of the back injury that sidelined the Clemson junior for the entire fall portion of the Tigers’ 2011-‘12 schedule. Head Coach Larry Penley has missed the leadership provided by Reeves, who was the team’s top player during its NCAA Tournament run last season.

[Read more...]

Former Tiger Stanley wins Phoenix Open

Makes third best comeback in PGA Tour history

CLEMSON — Former Clemson All-American Kyle Stanley overcame an eight-shot deficit entering the final round and won the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open on Sunday. Stanley had a 72-hole score of 269, a 15-under par score on the par 71 TPC of Scottsdale Course.

Stanley had rounds of 69-66-69-65 in winning $1,098,000, his biggest check as a professional. With the victory he moved to first place on the PGA Tour money list with $1,793,575 through four events. He also leads the Tour in Fed Ex Cup points and is third on the Tour in stroke average with a 69.13 average.

On Sunday, in shooting a 65, Stanley had six birdies and 12 pars. He hit 16 of 18 greens, giving him 57 of 72 greens for the week. He won by one shot over Ben Crane, who shot a 66 on Sunday and finished with a 270 score. Spencer Levin, who had a six-shot lead on the field, including eight shots over Stanley entering the final round, finished third at 13-under-par 271. Stanley was tied for fifth at nine under par entering the final round.

Former Clemson All-American D.J. Trahan shot a 66 on Sunday and finished fourth with a 272 score. Trahan had a 64 on Saturday, and his 130 score was the best in the tournament on the weekend, even four shots better than Stanley. Stanley overcame an eight-shot deficit entering the final round. It tied for the third best comeback in the history of the PGA Tour and was the best since Craig Stadler overcame an eight-shot deficit entering the final round of the 2003 BC Open.

Stanley has been the story of professional golf so far this year. He had a five-shot lead entering the final round of the Farmer’s Insurance Open in San Diego last weekend, and had a seven-shot lead in the middle of the final round. But he made an eight on the last hole, then lost in a playoff to Brent Snedeker. But one week later, Stanley was in the winner’s circle holding a check of more than $1 million.

With Stanley’s victory, a former Clemson golfer has won at least one tournament on the PGA Tour each of the last nine years, the longest active streak for any school. Arizona State and UNLV could tie the Tigers if one of their former players wins an event later this year.

Stanley’s win will give him an invitation to the Masters in April. That will give Clemson four players in the Masters for the first time. Lucas Glover  qualified earlier by virtue of his 2009 US Open Championship. Jonathan Byrd had already qualified by his top-30 finish on the Fed Ex Cup list last year. Current Clemson golfer Corbin Mills received an invitation by winning the 2011 US Public Links Championship.

Stanley is the youngest former Clemson golfer to win a PGA event. Born on November 19, 1987, Stanley is 24 years, two months and 17 days. Jonathan Byrd was the previous youngest former Tiger to win on the Tour. He was 24 years and nine months when he won the 2002 Buick Challenge.

Stanley was an All-American at Clemson between 2006-09. He was a first-team All-American as a freshman and a junior when he finished second at the NCAA Championships both years. He helped Clemson to a number-five national team finish in 2008, his sophomore year.

–Clemson Sports Information

Greatest Comebacks in PGA Tour History

     Year        Golfer                 Tournament                        Comeback

1999         Paul Lawrie          British Open                         10 shots

2004         Stewart Cink        MCI Heritage                        9 shots

     2012         Kyle Stanley       Waste Management           8 shots

1956         Jackie Burke        Masters                                8 shots

1959         Ken Venturie        Los Angeles Open               8 shots

1983         Mark Lye              Banks of Boston                  8 shots

1985         Hal Sutton            St. Jude Memphis Open      8 shots

1990         Chip Beck            Buick Open                          8 shots

1998         Scott Simpson     Buick Invitational                  8 shots

2003         Craig Stadler       BC Open                              8 Shots

 

Clemson Alumni PGA Tour Victories

      Year       Player                     Tournament                   Score             Victory Margin     

1991       Dillard Pruitt          Chattanooga Classic        260 (-20)       2 over Lance Ten Broeck

1996       Clarence Rose        Spring International        31 Points       Playoff over Brad Faxon

2002       Jonathan Byrd        Buick Challenge               261 (-27)       1 over David Toms

2004       Jonathan Byrd        BC Open                            268 (-20)       1 over Ted Purdy

2005       Lucas Glover          Funai Open                       265 (-23)       1 over Tom Pernice

2006       D.J. Trahan              Southern Farm                 275 (-13)       Playoff vs. Joe Durant

2007       Jonathan Byrd        John Deere                        266 (-18)       1 over Tim Clark

2008       D.J. Trahan              Bob Hope Chrysler         334 (-26)       3 over Justin Leonard

2009       Lucas Glover          US Open                             276 (-4)         2 over Barnes, Duval, Michelson

2010       Jonathan Byrd        Justin Timberlake           263 (-21)       playoff over Laird, Percy

2011       Jonathan Byrd        Hyundai Classic              260 (-24)       playoff over Robert Garrigus

2011       Lucas Glover          Wells Fargo                      273 (-15)       Playoff over Jonathan Byrd

      2012     Kyle Stanley         Waste Management    269 (-15)     1 over Ben Crane

New golf facility reflects Penley in many ways

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Clemson men’s golf coach Larry Penley is presented with a plaque by Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips and University President James Barker during a dedication for the new Larry Penley golf facility. Photo by Tyler Smith.

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — Even the humblest of human beings might find it difficult to deflect attention from himself during a ceremony in which a new building is being christened with his name. But that is exactly what Clemson’s head golf coach did upon the opening of the Larry B. Penley, Jr. Golf Facility on Friday afternoon.

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Out of nowhere, Mills learns practice pays

Corbin Mills set up some personal goals for himself as he prepared to tackle a rigorous slate of tournaments last summer. He saw them as attainable and fairly basic based on the way he finished up the 2009-10 season—his sophomore campaign as a member of the Clemson men’s golf team. [Read more...]

Coach’s Corner: J.T. Horton

Clemson head women's golf coach J.T. Horton. Photo by Rex Brown.

Last week, Clemson hired J.T. Horton to be the first women’s golf coach at the university. Horton took a few minutes to talk with MyOrangeUpdate exclusively about being the Tigers’ first coach, his experience at Tulane University and what he will expect out of his golfers at Clemson.

Question: How is this job you have at Clemson similar to the job you had at Tulane? [Read more...]

Horton has experience in building programs

Clemson names J.T. Horton new women's head golf coach. Photo by Rex Brown.

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — J.T. Horton knows a thing or two about building a program from scratch. He did that after Hurricane Katrina left the City of New Orleans and the Tulane University golf program in shambles in 2005.

The women’s golf program, one of the best in the country at the time, was actually suspended for a couple years, and Horton was brought in to rebuild it.

And that’s exactly what he did.

 

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Tiger Golf Gathering moves to Clemson

Clemson Golf Coach Larry Penley and the Clemson Golf Program will host this year's Clemson Golf Gathering in Clemson (photo by Rex Brown)

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — Nine years ago, a few of Clemson’s former golfers got together for what at the time was a celebration of Clemson’s 2003 National Championship. It was in that night of good times and fellowship that the idea of doing something more for the Clemson golf program arose.

That idea — the Annual Clemson Golf Gathering.

“This event originated as a reunion,” event manager Mike Whitaker said. “The first year was to celebrate the national championship in golf. The idea was to invite anyone who has played golf at Clemson to come back for this reunion party.

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