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Clemson captures NCAA
title, Wake ties for 4th
By STEVE WILLIAMS
The NCAA championship drought ended for an ACC team May 30,
but it wasn’t Wake Forest.
The Deacons, seeking their first ACC crown since 1986
despite fielding championship-caliber teams almost every year, settled for a
fourth-place tie this time around while Clemson ended an incredible
0-for-forever run.
The Tigers were the top-ranked team in the country entering
the tournament and remained near the top of the standings throughout the event
before emerging with a two-shot win (1191-1193) over host team Oklahoma State.
“We have had some good teams and could have won this darn
thing three or four times with any kind of break at all,” said Larry Penley,
Clemson’s coach since 1984. “I can promise you it was worth waiting for. I hope
it is not 20 years before we do this again. This is fun.”
Winning was indeed fun for the Tigers but trying to post
low numbers at the 7,301-yard Karsten Creek Golf Club course in Stillwater,
Okla. proved fruitless for the field. The course played nearly six strokes over
par (77.9) and the top teams in the country averaged 306. Only one team managed
an under-par round. Clemson did that with a 287 in round three, which followed
299 and 302 tallies the first two days.
Clemson’s fourth-round score of 303 was its highest of the
season.
The Tigers were making their 22nd straight NCAA appearance
and became the first ACC team ever to sweep conference, regional and national
championships the same year.
Oklahoma State, which has a record 57 consecutive NCAA
appearances, still had a chance going down the wire. Cowboy superstar Hunter
Mahan had a 12-foot chance for eagle on the final green while Clemson sophomore
Jack Ferguson needed at least a par to clinch it for the Tigers.
Mahan missed his eagle chance and Ferguson calmly
two-putted for par from 18 feet to provide the two-shot margin.
“I knew the situation,” said Ferguson. “I knew we had a
three-shot lead and all we needed was par.”
Ferguson, who played his high school golf in Seneca, S.C.
but now calls High Point home (his parents relocated in March 2002), faced a
similar clutch situation at the ACC championship at Old North State Club April
20. He sank a decisive birdie putt on he final hole to give the Tigers a
one-shot victory over Wake Forest.
“It did remind me of No. 18 at the ACC Championship, but I
was a little more nervous. I needed a birdie on that 18th hole, this was just a
par, but it was for the national championship.
“This means a lot, because it is the first one,” Ferguson
added. “That is always special. It really means a lot because of Coach Penley.
He deserves this."
Clemson’s balance was evident throughout. The Tigers did
not have a player finish in the top 15 of the individual race, but was the only
team in the 30-team field with five players in the top 52. Ferguson led the way
with a tie for 19th at 298 (73-76-72-77).
Senior D.J. Trahan, who anchored the Tigers’ lineup for
much of his career, struggled early (75-78) but his third-round 72 helped
maintain Clemson’s lead and his closing 74 gave him a 22nd-place finish overall,
his fourth top 25 NCAA tournament finish, the only player in Clemson history to
achieve that.
Tiger juniors Matt Hendrix and Gregg Jones tied for 35th at
303, while senior Ben Duncan had a 309 total and tied for 52nd.
Clemson’s victory highlighted a strong showing by the ACC.
Five of the top 15 were from the conference.
Wake Forest posted its best national finish since 1997 with
a tie for fourth. The Demon Deacons shot 10-over 298 – the third-best round of
the final day – to finish with 1198 for the tournament, trailing only Clemson,
Oklahoma State and UCLA (1197).
Wake had earlier rounds of 304, 306 and 290.
WFU, which went back and forth in the standings with
Florida over the final nine holes, ended up tied with the Gators thanks to a
strong performance on No. 18. The Deacs collectively went five-under on the
final hole with an eagle by Bill Haas and three birdies. Florida went two-under
on the same hole.
Demon Deacon seniors Brent Wanner and Chad Wilfong, as well
as Haas, all finished in a tie for 26th after concluding the tournament at
12-over par 300. Wanner, who started the day in contention for a top-10
individual finish, scored a disappointing 79 but provided the final birdie on 18
to help clinch the fourth-place tie for the team.
Haas used the eagle on No. 18 to finish at two-under 70,
the Deacons' best 18-hole score of the tournament. Wilfong, who was WFU's leader
for most of the round at one-under, double-bogeyed No. 16 then bogeyed 17 before
carding par at 18 to finish two-over for the day.
Senior Chris Yoder tied for 49th at 308 and senior Cortland
Lowe tied for 63rd at 312.
"I am very proud of these guys," said WFU coach Jerry Haas.
"Not only for their performance this week, but for the way they've carried
themselves throughout their careers here at WFU. They've been great golfers,
great students and great representatives of the University.”
Lowe, Wanner, Wilfong and Yoder all closed out their
collegiate careers. Haas, a junior, will return next season as the lone senior.
The Deacons' finish marks the 15th time WFU has finished
among the top five at the NCAA Championships.
North Carolina tied for ninth at 1216 (308-308-299-301),
Georgia Tech was 11th at 1218 (310-306-302-300) and N.C. State was 15th at 1224
(299-317-296-312).
The 30-team field was cut to the low 18 after three rounds
and Duke missed by one shot.
Freshman Alejandro Canizares of Arizona State fired a
final-round 69 and overtook three-day leader Lee Williams of Auburn to claim the
individual championship. He finished at one-under 287 for the tournament, the
only player to finish under par. Williams was runner-up at one-over.
The ACC’s best individual mark was posted by N.C. State
senior Jason Moon, who tied for 10th at 295 (72-73-75-75).
ACC champion Richard Treis of North Carolina tied for 22nd
at 299 (75-74-80-70).
Dustin Bray, a Tar Heel junior and 2002 ACC champ, overcame
a first-round 84 to finish tied for 49th. He came back with 77-76-71.
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