Clemson Men Defend Championship at Pinehurst #2
Clemson, S.C.—Clemson will attempt to defend its team championship at the Wake Forest Invitational at famed Pinehurst #2 golf course in Pinehurst, NC March 6-7. Jordan Byrd’s team won the Wake Forest Invitational last year by 16 shots at the same course, and had both co-medalists.
Clemson will be one of 11 schools competing in the event that will feature 36 holes on Monday and 18 on Tuesday. The field includes ACC teams Wake Forest, Clemson, Virginia, Duke and NC State. The other schools in the field include College of Charleston, SMU, East Tennessee State, Iowa, UNC Greensboro and Northwestern.
Clemson will be led by Zack Gordon, who has a terrific track record at the Pinehurst #2 course. In the summer of 2021, the native of Gaffney, SC reached the semifinals of the North-South Amateur. Then last March he was co-medalist with then Clemson teammate Colby Patton at the Wake Forest Invitational. Gordon had rounds of 71-72-69 for a 212 total.
Gordon, a fifth-year senior, will be playing in his 39th career tournament for the Tigers. He has a 73.00 stroke average so far this year with four rounds in the 60s.
Andrew Swanson has been Clemson’s best player of late as he has been Clemson’s best player in each of the last two tournaments. He won the Ka’anapali Classic last fall and was the Tigers top player at the Watersound Invitational in the first tournament of the spring. He is 21-under-par for his last nine rounds and has eight under-par rounds for the year. Swanson is second on the team in stroke average this year with a 71.61 average.
Kian Rose will be back in the Clemson lineup at the Wake Forest Invitational. Rose has a 71.13 stroke average for the year, best on the Clemson team. He also leads the team in rounds at par or better with 10, and his score has counted in all 15 rounds he has played this season.
Sean Curran was Clemson’s second best player at Watersound and also has a top 25 this spring at the Sharkey Invitational. He has a 73.67 average for the year. Alberto Dominguez will be in the Clemson lineup for a fourth tournament this year. The former Division II All-American has a 73.33 stroke average so far this year.
Freshman Thomas Higgins will play the Wake Forest Invitational as an individual.
