Clemson third after first round of NCAA<\/p>\n
\t\tChapel Hill, N.C.\u2014Billy Kennerly fired a five-under-par 67 on Thursday, the second best round in the field of 75 golfers,\u00a0\u00a0to lead Clemson to a 284 team score and a tie for third place after the first round of the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The top five teams in the 13-team field after Saturday\u2019s third round will advance to the NCAA Championship in Bradenton , Fla on May 29.\u00a0
\nCharlotte , ranked 50th\u00a0in the latest Golfstat ranking, was the surprise leader after the first round with a a 13-under par team score of 275. Florida was second at seven-under-par 281.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Clemson and number-one ranked Florida State are tied for third at 284.\u00a0\u00a0Host school North Carolina is fifth at two-under-par 286.\u00a0\u00a0Kennesaw State stands one shot off the cutline at one-under-par 287. Stanford, the number-two seed in the tournament, is in seventh place at 290.\u00a0
\nKennerly\u2019s round featured five birdies and no bogeys, including four birdies on the front side when he shot 32. Three of his five birdie putts were putts of\u00a0\u00a0five feet or shorter, including a three-inch putt for birdie on the par five sixth hole.\u00a0
\nKennerly, who graduated from Clemson last Friday, is the first player in Clemson history to record four consecutive rounds in the 60s in NCAA Tournament play.\u00a0\u00a0He scored in the 60s in all three rounds of the NCAA Regional in Arizona in 2013.\u00a0\u00a0He did not play in the NCAA Tournament last year.\u00a0\u00a0His 67 was the lowest by a Clemson player in an NCAA Tournament since May 19, 2007 when Kyle Stanley had a 67 at the Golf Club of Georgia.\u00a0
\n\u201cAt the beginning of the season I said we needed more rounds in the 60s, and Billy\u2019s 67 was an example of that,\u201d said Head Coach Larry Penley, who has taken Clemson to the NCAA Tournament 32 consecutive years.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBilly has been outstanding the entire year, but this is the third straight tournament he has had a round at 67 or better.\u201d\u00a0
\nFor Kennerly it was his 10th\u00a0round in the 60s this year, the most by a Clemson player since Kyle Stanley had 11 in 2006-07.\u00a0\u00a0As a team, Clemson now has 36 rounds in the 60s for the year, up from just 17 last year.\u00a0
\n\u201cI had a lot of up and downs (scrambles)\u00a0\u00a0on the front nine, then hit some irons close on the second nine (front nine on the course) and made some birdies,\u201d said Kennerly.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI kept the round together on the back nine (his first nine of the day) and that is a longer and tougher nine.\u00a0\u00a0It was a good start.\u201d\u00a0
\nKennerly received considerable help from Stephen Behr, who also graduated from Clemson last Friday, and sophomore Austin Langdale.\u00a0\u00a0Both players had even par rounds. Langdale made two birdies and two bogeys, while Behr had three of each.\u00a0
\n\u201cStephen and Austin were solid all day,\u201d said Penley.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBilly carried us, but Stephen and Austin \u2019s even par rounds were huge also.\u201d\u00a0
\nCody Proveaux was Clemson\u2019s fourth counter of the day.\u00a0\u00a0The junior has been struggling off the tee and did not hit a fairway all day, but still shot a 73.\u00a0\u00a0His shot of the day took place on his second shot on the par four ninth, his final hole.\u00a0\u00a0After driving his tee shot in the left rough, he hit his second shot over a trap to within two feet of the pin.\u00a0\u00a0He made the putt for birdie to finish one over par.\u00a0
\n\u201cCody might have had the round of the day in that he did not hit the ball in the fairway, but still found a way to shoot just one over.\u00a0\u00a0His shot on the last hole was the shot of the day.\u201d\u00a0
\nMiller Capps shot a two over par 74 and his score did not count towards the Clemson team score.\u00a0\u00a0He had 14 pars, three bogeys and one birdie.\u00a0
\nOverall, Penley is pleased where his Tigers stand after the first day.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThis was a good start.\u00a0\u00a0We are in the game after the first day and that is important.\u00a0\u00a0We also had all five players in the game and that is good to see.\u00a0\u00a0You can\u2019t qualify if you are four-legged.\u00a0
\n\u201cReally our goal is to win the tournament. I told the team I wanted them to have that mindset. We are tied with the number-one seed and ahead of seeds 2-5, including the home team.\u00a0\u00a0That is a good sign after day one.\u00a0\u00a0But there is a lot of golf left.\u201d
\nChapel Hill, N.C.\u2014Billy Kennerly fired a five-under-par 67 on Thursday, the second best round in the field of 75 golfers,\u00a0\u00a0to lead Clemson to a 284 team score and a tie for third place after the first round of the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The top five teams in the 13-team field after Saturday\u2019s third round will advance to the NCAA Championship in Bradenton , Fla on May 29.\u00a0 Charlotte , ranked 50th\u00a0in the latest Golfstat ranking, was the surprise leader after the first round with a a 13-under par team score of 275. Florida was second at seven-under-par 281.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Clemson and number-one ranked Florida State are tied for third at 284.\u00a0\u00a0Host school North Carolina is fifth at two-under-par 286.\u00a0\u00a0Kennesaw State stands one shot off the cutline at one-under-par 287. Stanford, the number-two seed in the tournament, is in seventh place at 290.\u00a0 Kennerly\u2019s round featured five birdies and no bogeys, including four birdies on the front side when he shot 32. Three of his five birdie putts were putts of\u00a0\u00a0five feet or shorter, including a three-inch putt for birdie on the par five sixth hole.\u00a0 Kennerly, who graduated from Clemson last Friday, is the first player in Clemson history to record four consecutive rounds in the 60s in NCAA Tournament play.\u00a0\u00a0He scored in the 60s in all three rounds of the NCAA Regional in Arizona in 2013.\u00a0\u00a0He did not play in the NCAA Tournament last year.\u00a0\u00a0His 67 was the lowest by a Clemson player in an NCAA Tournament since May 19, 2007 when Kyle Stanley had a 67 at the Golf Club of Georgia.\u00a0 \u201cAt the beginning of the season I said we needed more rounds in the 60s, and Billy\u2019s 67 was an example of that,\u201d said Head Coach Larry Penley, who has taken Clemson to the NCAA Tournament 32 consecutive years.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBilly has been outstanding the entire year, but this is the third straight tournament he has had a round at 67 or better.\u201d\u00a0 For Kennerly it was his 10th\u00a0round in the 60s this year, the most by a Clemson player since Kyle Stanley had 11 in 2006-07.\u00a0\u00a0As a team, Clemson now has 36 rounds in the 60s for the year, up from just 17 last year.\u00a0 \u201cI had a lot of up and downs (scrambles)\u00a0\u00a0on the front nine, then hit some irons close on the second nine (front nine on the course) and made some birdies,\u201d said Kennerly.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI kept the round together on the back nine (his first nine of the day) and that is a longer and tougher nine.\u00a0\u00a0It was a good start.\u201d\u00a0 Kennerly received considerable help from Stephen Behr, who also graduated from Clemson last Friday, and sophomore Austin Langdale.\u00a0\u00a0Both players had even par rounds. Langdale made two birdies and two bogeys, while Behr had three of each.\u00a0 \u201cStephen and Austin were solid all day,\u201d said Penley.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBilly carried us, but Stephen and Austin \u2019s even par rounds were huge also.\u201d\u00a0 Cody Proveaux was Clemson\u2019s fourth counter of the day.\u00a0\u00a0The junior has been struggling off the tee and did…<\/p>\n