1986-87 and 1987-88 Clemson teams also won five tournaments.

Clemson's head coach. That is the longest streak for any Clemson coach in any sport in school history. He has won the ACC Tournament five times, won three NCAA East Regional titles and has four Final Four NCAA tournament finishes (1989, 1993, 1997 and 1998).

Clemson at 102nd NCAA National Tournament

Course:                 Hazeltine Country Club
Par:                    72
Yardage:                7,196
Past Championships:     1991 US Open, 1983 Senior Open, 1970 US Open
Future Championship:    2001 PGA
Site:                   Chaska, MN
Competition:            June 2-5, 72-hole tournament,  18 per day
Teams:   30 (Cut to low 15 teams after      second round on June 3)

Central Regional (10): Minnesota, Northwestern, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Houston, Toledo, Illinois, Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado.

West Regional (9): Arizona State, UNLV, BYU, California, Oregon, San Diego State, Washington, Colorado State, Arizona

ACC Teams (4): Clemson, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Duke

Tee- Times  Wed.  June 2  1:12 PM to 1:48   (with  South Carolina, Houston)
            Thur. June 3  8:15 AM to 8:51   (with South Carolina, Houston)

Clemson Lineup:

John Engler   5-11, 150, So.  Augusta, GA
Jonathan Byrd  5-9, 155, Jr.  Columbia, SC
Lucas Glover   6-1, 180, So.  Greenville, SC
Michael Hoey  5-11, 170, Fr.  Belfast, Ireland
Jani Saari     6-0, 150, So.  Greenville, SC

Pronunciations:   Hoey is pronounced  HO ee
                  Saari is pronounced Sorry

National Appearances:    19th (all since 1980)
Consecutive Appear.:     18th (4th longest active streak)
Last Year:                2nd at Albuquerque, NM
Top Finishes:             2nd in 1998
Top 20 Finishes:           15 (11 of last 12 years)
Top Individual Finish:    1st by Charles Warren at  Conway Farms, 1997
                          2nd by Charles Warren at Albuquerque, NM, 1998
                          3rd by Thump Delk in 1993 at Lexington, KY
                          3rd by Mark Swygert in 1994 at McKinney, TX
Top Individual Score:     272 (-16)  by  Charles Warren, 1998 at Albuquerque, NM
Low Round, NCAA Play:      65 (-7), 3rd round, Mark Swygert, 1994 at McKinney, TX

Head Coach:                         Larry Penley  (Clemson '81)
Years:                               16th 
NCAA National Seasons:                 16 (12 top 20 seasons, 5 top 10 seasons, 4 top 5 seasons)
Best NCAA Finish:                     2nd (1998)
Career 1st Place Finishes:     42 of  194 tournaments
Career Top 5 Finishes:         115 of 194 tournaments
NCAA Regional Champs:                   3 (1993-94-95)
ACC Championships:                      5 (1987-88-90-97-98)
1999 Championships:                     5 (The Ridges, Jerry Pate, Mauna Kea, San Juan, Schenkel)
1998 East Regional Finish:  tied for 10th
June 1 Team  Rankings:                4th in Mastercard, 1st in Golfweek/Sagarin

Cuts in the 1990s
Clemson is one of four teams to make at least eight of the nine cuts at the NCAA Tournaments in the 1990s. Arizona State and Oklahoma State have made every cut. Arizona State is the only school to finish in the top 10 every year of the 1990s. Clemson and Florida have made eight of the nine cuts. Clemson is the only school to rank in the top three each of the last two years.

Top Programs in the Nineties
(Most Top 15 Finishes in the 1990s, NCAA National Tournament)

Team            1990 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98
Arizona State     1   3  2  6  9  4  1  5  5
Oklahoma State    4   1  3 12  5  1  8  5  4
Clemson          12  13 12  4  9 14  3  2
Florida           2   7  1  3 13  6 15 14

The 896 team score was 32 over par, Clemson's worst tournament of the year versus par. Clemson shot a 307 on the first day, also its worst round of the year and the 19 over par for the day tied for its worst round of the season. But, the course played tough for most of the teams as the Tigers still finished in the top half of the field.

Engler had rounds of 73-72-72 for a 217 total. He was just one stroke behind Charles Howell of Oklahoma State, who had rounds of 73-69-74 for an even par 216. Both Howell and Engler are natives of Augusta, GA. Jeremy Parrott of Georgia also shot a 217 over 54 holes to tie Engler for second.

Oklahoma State won the team title with an 880 score, 16-over par. The Cowboys won the event by eight shots over Georgia. The Bulldogs had an 888 team score, one better than Arizona State and three better than host school Minnesota.

Houston was fifth, Florida sixth and Clemson seventh. Defending national champion UNLV had a 310 final round and finished eighth with an even 900 team score. Georgia Tech was the only other ACC school in the tournament and finished ninth with a 905 score. The Preview featured15 of the top 25 teams in the nation. Clemson was ranked fourth in the nation entering the tournament.

The Tigers had three of the top 25 individuals. In addition to Engler's performance, junior Jonathan Byrd finished tied for ninth with a 221 score, five-over par. He had a consistent tournament with scores of 74-73-74. It was his second straight top 10 performance of the fall as he won the Ridges Intercollegiate two weeks ago in Johnson City, TN.

Lucas Glover, who had finished second at The Ridges, came back from a tough start to finish tied for 21st. After an opening round of 80, the former Wade Hampton High player from Greenville, SC played 36 holes at even par (71-73).

Clemson's four and five players struggled throughout the event and tied for 67th. Sean Thornton and Elliot Gealy, a pair of seniors, were at 240 for the event. Neither will play for the Tigers in the NCAAs. Michael Hoey and Jani Saari have moved into the lineup since.

Clemson Preview and NCAA National Comparison
One would think that a team's performance in the fall at the Preview would be an indication of how they will fare at the NCAA finals. Afterall, both events are played on the same course against many of the same teams.

However, that has not been the case with Clemson the last two years. Each year Clemson has finished in the middle of the pack or worse in the fall, then came on strong to finish third and second in the nation, respectively at the NCAA finals in the spring. In 1996-97 Clemson was sixth out of 12 teams in the fall and was 52 over par for three rounds at Conway Farms in Chicago. In the spring, Clemson finished third out of 30 teams and was just 17 over par for four rounds.

The same thing happened last year. The Tigers were ninth out of 15 teams in the fall at the University Course at Albuquerque in the fall and finished second out of 30 teams in the spring. Clemson was 10 over par for three rounds in the fall and 31-under, the second best NCAA Tournament performance in the event's history, in the spring.

Overall, Clemson has improved in terms of performance versus par, and final ranking on a percentage basis in each of the last three years when evaluating the Preview and the NCAA Finals. The Preview dates to the 1989-90 year at Tarpon Springs, FL. In 1995-96, the Preview was held in Oregon, but the NCAAs were held in Chattanooga, so it is left out of the comparison that follows.

Clemson Comparison at Preview and NCAA Finals

Year    Site                Time    Fin    Pct  Tot  Par
1989-90 Tarpon Sprs, FL     Fall  4 of 12 .333  579   +3
                          Spring 12 of 30 .400 1174  +22

1990-91 Pebble Bch, CA      Fall  1 of 15 .067  867   +3
                          Spring 13 of 30 .433 1196  +44

1991-92 Albuquerque, NM     Fall 12 of 15 .800  872   +8
                          Spring 12 of 30 .400 1166  +14

1992-93 Lexington, KY       Fall  2 of 15 .133  880  +16
                          Spring  4 of 30 .133 1153   +1

1993-94 McKinney, TX        Fall  4 of 18 .222  883  +19
                          Spring  9 of 30 .300 1151   -1

1994-95 Columbus, OH        Fall 14 of 18 .778  604  +28
                          Spring 21 of 30 .700  594  +18

1995-96 Cornelius, OR       Fall  3 of 18 .167  882  +18
  Chattanooga, TN         Spring 14 of 30 .467 1227  +75

1996-97 Chicago, IL         Fall  6 of 12 .500  904  +52
                          Spring  3 of 30 .100 1153  +17

1997-98 Albuquerque, NM     Fall  9 of 15 .600  874  +10
                          Spring  2 of 30 .067 1121  -31

1998-99 Chaska, MN          Fall  7 of 15 .467  896  +32
                          Spring    ????? 
  

Also noteworthy is his number-four ranking in career top 10 finishes with 20. He has achieved that total in just 38 career tournaments and is the only player in Clemson history to finish in the top 10 in more than half of his events. He is also already fourth in school history in under par rounds with 43. He is just 10 shot of Kevin Johnson's career record.

Byrd in Career Rankings:

Second in career stroke average                    72.68
Third in career rounds in the 60s                     23
Fourth in career top 10 finishes                      20
Ninth in career rounds of 75 or better                92
Tied for  fifth in career rounds of par or better     51
Fourth in career rounds under par                     43

The team is composed of student-athletes from tennis, track, golf and lacrosse. Byrd will now be a candidate for the national team, which will be chosen by a 40-person committee in June.

Byrd, who is a dean's list student in marketing, is one of four golfers named to the team. The others chosen were Brad Fritsch of Campbell, Jim Gardas of Charleston Southern and Bryce Molder of Gerogia Tech. Byrd has been ranked among the top 10 college golfers in all three college golf rating systems all year.

Byrd, a native of Columbia, SC, is Clemson's leader in stroke average this year with a 71.81 figure. His 72.68 career average is second in Clemson history. He is a three-time All-ACC selection, the only player in Clemson history honored as a freshman, sophomore and junior.

Veterans in NCAA Tournament Play
While Clemson is taking its second youngest team ever to the NCAA national tournament, Clemson has three players who are veterans of NCAA Tournament play. Jonathan Byrd will be playing in his third straight NCAA National tournament, while Lucas Glover and John Engler will be in their second. Sophomore Jani Saari and freshman Michael Hoey will be in their first NCAA.

Byrd, Glover and Engler all playedwell for the Tigers in Albuquerque last year. They were a combined even par for the 72 holes. Engler was -2 and finished 34th, while Glover and Byrd tied at +1 for a 42nd place finish. They were factors in Clemson's 2nd place finish.

Byrd also played on Clemson's third place finishing team of 1997. He fired a 301 for the four-day even at Conway Farms and finished 70th. He shot a final round 72, helping Clemson to a 284 team score on the final day. His score counted three of the four days in 1997 and three of the four days in 1998.

Byrd, Engler and Glover all have stroke averages that rank in the top 12 in Clemson history in NCAA National Tournament play. Byrd's 73.75 average is 12th. Engler ranks first with a 71.50 average for his four rounds and one tournament, while Glover is third at 72.25.

Clemson Vets in NCAA Play
(Note: Overall includes NCAA Regional play)

Jonathan Byrd
         Trn Rds Stks 60s 75- Par -Par  Avg  BR  Par
Overall   5   17 1258   1 12    1    3 74.00 67  +46
Finals    2    8  590   0  6    0    2 73.75 70  +18

Lucas Glover
         Trn Rds Stks 60s 75- Par -Par  Avg  BR  Par
Overall   3   10  725   0  8    3    4 72.50 70   +7
Finals    1    4  289   0  3    1    2 72.25 70   +1

John Engler
         Trn Rds Stks 60s 75- Par -Par  Avg  BR  Par
Overall   3   10  717   1 10    3    4 71.70 69   -1
Finals    1    4  286   0  4    2    2 71.50 71   -2 

The youngest team to compete for the Tigers at the NCAA Tournament is eight combined years of experience in 1995. That team was composed of three freshmen (Charles Warren, Joey Maxon and Chad Starliper), a sophomore (Richard Coughlan) and a junior (Mike Byce). That team finished 21st at the tournament at Ohio State, the only year in the decade of the 1990s that Clemson has failed to make the cut.

Clemson's 1987 team also had just 10 total years of experience. That Clemson team had two freshmen, a sophomore and two juniors. Ironically, that tournament was also held at Ohio State. Clemson made the cut that year and finished 11th.

Clemson has finished in the top five in five NCAA Tournaments. No Clemson team with less than 12 years of experience in the lineup has finished in the top five. The average amount of experience for Clemson's five top 5 finishing teams is 15 years.

Youngest Clemson Teams at the NCAA Nationals

Year Site               Fr. So. Jr. Sr. Tot Finish
1995 Columbus, OH        3   1   1   0    8   21st
1998 Chaska, MN          1   3   1   0   10     ??
1987 Columbus, OH        2   1   2   0   10   11th
1982 Pinehurst, NC       1   2   2   0   11   16th
1990 Tarpon Springs, FL  3   0   0   2   11   12th
1991 Pebble Beach, CA    1   3   0   1   11   13th
1992 Albuquerque, NM     1   1   3   0   12   12th
1998 Albuquerque, NM     2   1   0   2   12    2nd

Clemson was one of four schools who broke the existing NCAA Tournament team record for score versus par. Georgia Tech (-30) and Oklahoma State (-25), also broke the previous record of 23-under, which was set by Arizona State on the same University of New Mexico Course in 1992.

Clemson was led at the 1998 event by Charles Warren. The defending National Champion was just one stroke short of forcing a playoff with James McLean of Minnesota, a freshman from Australia. Warren had rounds of 69-66-67-70 for a -16 total, the lowest total in Clemson history versus par in Clemson history. His 272 score was just one stroke off the NCAA record, but of course, McLean's tying figure of 271 edged out Warren in his attempt to become just the eighth player in NCAA history to become a repeat champion.

In addition to Warren's number-two finish, Larry Penley had an outstanding performance from fellow graduate Joey Maxon. The native of Dover, DE had a 278 figure for his four days or work, and the -10 score was good enough for 10th place. That was the third best performance versus par in Clemson history in the NCAA Tournament. Maxon's performance included a Clemson team best 68 on the final day and a birdie on his 72nd hole.

Two freshmen were consistent contributors for the Tigers. John Engler had a two-under-par 286 for his four days. The 286 total and -2 score were freshmen records for a Clemson player in the NCAA Tournament and he became the first freshman in Clemson history to record four straight rounds of par of better in the NCAA National Tournament. Classmate Lucas Glover struggled to a 76 in the opening round, but came back with three rounds at par or better to finish at 289, enough for 42nd place.

Clemson's depth was demonstrated in rounds two and three when the Tigers had consecutive team rounds of 278. In round two Clemson had all five players at par or better. On Friday, the third round, all five Tigers were under-par, a first in the NCAA Tournament for the Tigers.

Clemson's NCAA Tournament History
With Clemson's #2 national finish in the 1998 NCAA Tournament the Tigers have moved to among the most prominent programs in the country. The 1998 appearance was the 17th consecutive year in the national tournament for the Tigers, the second longest streak in the country. Only Oklahoma State, with an incredible 52 consecutive years in the national tournament is longer.

The Tigers have been to the NCAA Tournament every year since 1982 and have been every year since 1980 with the exception of the 1981 event. Thus, with this year's appearance Clemson has been to the NCAA Tournament 18 straight years and 19 of the last 20.

All of Clemson's NCAA national appearances have come since 1980 when Clarence Rose, now on the PGA Tour, was an All-American for the Tigers.

The Tigers have finished in the top 15 of the NCAA National Tournament in eight of the nine years in the decade of the 1990s. That includes each of the last two years when Clemson has finished third and second, respectively. Clemson is the only school in the country to finish among the top three teams in the country each of the last two seasons. The only year in the 1990s that Clemson has failed to make the cut was in 1995 at Ohio State.

Only Arizona State and Oklahoma State have made the cut in every year of the decade of the 1990s. Clemson and Florida are the only schools to do it in eight of the nine years in the 1990s.

Clemson has finished in the top 20 of this event 11 of the last 12 years including four top 10 finishes in the last six years. Clemson was fourth in 1993 and ninth in 1994. Overall, Clemson has had 15 top 20 finishes in its history.

Clemson's NCAA Tournament History

Year Site                 Score Vs par Finish 
1980 Columbus, OH          1213   +61    12th 
1982 Pinehurst, NC          882   +18    16th
1983 Fresno, CA            1176   +24     5th
1984 Houston, TX            881   +17    19th
1985 Haines City, FL        933   +69    27th
1986 Advance, NC            898   +34    21st
1987 Columbus, OH          1197   +45    11th
1988 Westlake Village, CA   903   +51    17th
1989 Edmond, OK            1160   +40     3rd
1990 Tarpon Springs, FL    1174   +22    12th
1991 Pebble Beach, CA      1196   +44    13th
1992 Albuquerque, NM       1166   +14    12th
1993 Lexington, KY         1153    +1     4th
1994 McKinney, TX          1151    -1     9th
1995 Columbus, OH           594   +18    21st
1996 Chattanooga, TN       1227   +75    14th
1997 Lake Forest, IL       1153   +17     3rd
1998 Albuquerque, NM       1121   -31     2nd

Year Player          Score Vs Par  Fin
1987 Kevin Johnson     291   +3    9th
1990 Danny Ellis       288    E    8th
1993 Thump Delk        287   -1    3rd
     Mark Swygert      288    E    7th
1994 Mark Swygert      277  -11    3rd
1996 Joey Maxon        295   +7    9th
1997 Charles Warren    279   -5    1st
     Richard Coughlan  284    E    6th
1998 Charles Warren    272  -16    2nd
     Joey Maxon        278  -10   10th 

Statistically, that 1997-98 Clemson team shattered the school record for team stroke average, posting a 71.59 for the year. That is over a full stroke better than the previous record of 72.61 set in 1988-89, a team that featured All-Americans Chris Patton and Kevin Johnson.

This year's Clemson team does not quite reach the accomplishments of last year, but it is second best in many areas. That includes stroke average. This year's 72.10 figure is second only to last year's team. This year's team is also second best in school history to last year in terms of under-par rounds for the season and is second in rounds at par or better. One area this year's team has surpassed the 1997-98 team is victories. Clemson already has five this year to tie a school record, one more than last year's team recorded.

Below is a listing of how this year's team compares with the record setters of 1997-98.

Category                      1998-99   Record
Stroke Average                 72.10     71.59   1998-99
Rounds in 60s                     25        38   1998-99
Rounds under par:                 53        80   1998-99
Rounds at par or better:          74       103   1998-99
Top 10 Individual Finishes:       20        24   1998-99
Team Score +- Par                +38       -29   1998-99
Under par Team Rounds             16        20   1998-99
Team Rounds par or better:        16        23   1998-99
1st or 2nd place finishes:         6         9   1998-99
Team under par Tournaments:        4         7   1998-99
Players under 73.0 average         3         5   1998-99
Tournament Championships           5         5   86-87,87-88

Clemson has 16 rounds of under-par team golf this year, second to last year's 20. Twice this year Clemson was under par as a team in all three rounds. That happened at the Ridges Intercollegiate, the first event of the season, and at the San Juan Shootout, when Clemson shot a school record 34-under-par for a 54 hole event.

Shooting under par for all three rounds is unusual in Clemson golf history. Only 11 times in the last 14 years has Clemson had three under par rounds in the same tournament, but it has happened six times in the last two years.

Here is a list three teams rounds under par since 1986:

Year Event                       1st-2nd-3rd-4th
1986 Chris Schenkel Invitational 278-282-282
1987 Gamecock Invitational       284-283-280
1992 ImperiaLakes Classic        284-287-281
1993 NCAA East Regional          283-286-280
     ACC Tournament              287-287-284
1998 Carpet Capital Classic      285-286-284
     ACC Tournament              277-282-277
     NCAA East Regional          280-282-282
     NCAA National               283-278-278-282
1999 The Ridges                  274-287-283
     San Juan shootout           281-276-273
  

Byrd's 71.81 this year is second in school history, trailing only Charles Warren's 71.28 last year. Byrd also holds down the number-eight position thanks to his 72.33 last year. Engler has a 71.83 figure this year, third best in Clemson history. His 72.62 average of last year is currently 11th best. Glover's 72.75 this year is 14th best and his 72.68 from last year is still 13th.

Clemson Single Season Stroke Average Leaders

Rk  Name                Yrs   Rds Stks    Avg
 1. Charles Warren    1997-98  39 2780  71.28
 2. Jonathan Byrd     1998-99  36 2585  71.81
 3. John Engler       1998-99  36 2586  71.83
 4. Chris Patton      1988-89  40 2874  71.85
 5. Dillard Pruitt    1983-84  31 2230  71.94
 6. Kevin Johnson     1988-89  40 2889  72.22
 7. Joey Maxon        1994-98  34 2459  72.26
 8. Jonathan Byrd     1997-98  40 2893 72.325
 9. Kevin Johnson     1986-87  36 2604 72.333
10. Richard Coughlan  1996-97  33 2392  72.48
11. John Engler       1997-98  34 2469  72.62
12. Richard Coughlan  1994-95  36 2616  72.66
13. Lucas Glover      1997-98  31 2253  72.68 
14. Lucas Glover      1998-99  36 2616  72.75
15. Nicky Goetze      1992-93  42 3056  72.76

Kevin Johnson had eight top 10 finishes in just 13 events in 1986-87, perhaps the top season in school history as far as top 10s are concerned. It took Johnson 16 events to record eight top 10s in 1988-89, his senior year. Charles Warren had eight tops 10s in 1995-96, his sophomore year.

Byrd started the season with five straight top 10 finishes, every he played in the fall. That included a medalist honors at The Ridges and a second place at the Golf World. His best finish in the spring has been a #4 at the Schenkel.