Clemson, S.C.\u2014Clemson begins play at the NCAA National Tournament at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla on Friday, May 29 \u00a0at 8:40 a.m. \u00a0The Tigers will be paired with Florida and Duke on the par 72 course that is 7,483-yards in length, the fifth longest course Clemson has played in its history.
\nClemson enters the NCAA National Tournament playing its best golf of the year. \u00a0The Tigers finished second at the Yale Spring Invitational, then lost in a playoff at the ACC Championship. \u00a0Among the teams Clemson defeated at the ACC Tournament was No. 1 ranked Florida State.
\nTwo weeks ago Clemson qualified for the NCAA National Tournament with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill, N.C. \u00a0Clemson qualified over the sixth-place team by seven strokes.
\nThis will be Clemson\u2019s 28th appearance in the NCAA National Tournament, its first since 2010. \u00a0The Tigers won the NCAA Championship at Stillwater, Okla. \u00a0in 2003 and have finished in the top five of the event nine times, including a fifth-place finish in 2008.
\nClemson will take a team that features one senior, three juniors and a sophomore in terms of eligibility to Florida this weekend. \u00a0The players have played a combined 14 NCAA Regional Tournaments, but this will be the first experience in the national event for any of Larry Penley\u2019s golfers.
\nClemson is led by graduate Billy Kennerly, who has a 71.05 stroke average for his 37 rounds and 13 tournaments this year. \u00a0That 71.05 average is sixth best in Clemson history. \u00a0He has seven top 10 finishes, including each of his last three events. \u00a0He has 10 rounds in the 60s and 17 under-par rounds. \u00a0Only once in his 37 rounds this year has he failed to shoot 75 or better.
\nMiller Capps, a junior from Denver, N.C., is second on the team in stroke average with a 71.57 figure. \u00a0Capps leads the team in rounds under par with 19 and in birdies with 35. \u00a0\u00a0He has recorded four top 10 finishes this season.
\nCody Proveaux is third on the club in scoring average at 71.97. \u00a0The junior has 17 rounds at par or better, including a school record tying seven-under-par 63 at the Palmetto Invitational in Aiken, S.C. He finished second at that tournament, one of four top 10s for Proveaux this year.
\nStephen Behr is a graduate with another year of eligibility. \u00a0Clemson\u2019s leader in stroke average each of the past two years, he has a better stroke average this year than any of his previous two, but is fourth on this year\u2019s club with a 72.03 figure. The native of Florence, S.C. \u00a0has 18 rounds at par or better this year.
\nAustin Langdale is fifth on the team in stroke average for the year, but he has been one of Clemson\u2019s best players of late. \u00a0He has had three straight top 16 finishes, including a team best 211 score to finish seventh at the NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill. \u00a0Langdale missed the fall with a shoulder injury, but has rounded into form late in the year. \u00a0He has a 72.33 stroke average for the year.
\nThe format for this year\u2019s national tournament has changed from recent years. \u00a0All 30 teams in the field will play 54 holes, 18 apiece from Friday through Sunday. \u00a0After Sunday\u2019s round the field will be cut to 15 teams plus the top nine individuals not on a \u00a0top 15 team. \u00a0After those teams compete Monday, the field will be cut to eight teams. \u00a0Those eight teams will then play a single elimination match play tournament to determine the national champion.
\nClemson will start at 8:40 a.m. on Friday and at 2 p.m. on Saturday. \u00a0Third round tee times will be determined by the team standings after the second round. \u00a0Scores may be followed on golfstat.com. \u00a0\u00a0The Golf Channel will begin television coverage on Monday afternoon after the cut to 15 teams.<\/p>\n