June 13, 2003

WASHINGTON - A resolution introduced by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) commending the Clemson University Golf Team for winning the 2003 NCAA Division I Golf National Championship has passed the U.S. Senate.

The resolution recognizes the many accomplishments the team achieved this year:

· Winning the national championship by two strokes;
· Becoming the first golf team in NCAA history to win its conference championship, an NCAA regional title, and the National Championship in the same year;
· Starting and finishing the year ranked number one in the nation;
· Winning 93 percent of their matches against teams ranked in the top 25;
· Players D.J. Trahan, Jack Ferguson, and Matt Hendrix were honored as All-Americans for 2002-2003;

· Head Coach Larry Penley won the Dave Williams Award as the National Coach of the Year as selected by the Golf Coaches Association.

"We're all very proud of these young men and Coach Penley," said Graham. "They have represented Clemson and the state of South Carolina well. The dedication, teamwork and sportsmanship they have demonstrated throughout the year set a high standard we should all strive to achieve."

Graham also noted that all members of the team who participated in the National Championship are native-born South Carolinians.

The resolution extends an invitation to the team to visit the U.S. Capitol Building to be honored in Washington.

U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-Westminster) has introduced a similar resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.