The best sports talk in South Carolina. For 27 years.
Former Clemson All-Americans Lucas Glover, Jonathan Byrd and D.J. Trahan will compete in the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, GA starting Thursday.
This will tie for the most former Tigers to play in a PGA Championship. In 2006, Glover, Byrd and Charles Warren all competed in the PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club in Illinois. The record for the most former Tigers in a Major Championship was set last year when five former Tigers played in the US Open.
Kyle Stanley
Former Clemson golfers Lucas Glover and Kyle Stanley are both in the top 10 after the first round of the British Open at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Kent, England. Glover fired a four under par 66 on Thursday and is in third place after the first 18, while Stanley had a two-under par 68 and ranks in a tie for sixth.
Thomas Bjorn and Tom Lewis have the lead at five under par 65. Glover is tied with former Wake Forest All-American Webb Simpson as the top Americans after the first round.
Glover’s 66 was the best round in history for a former Clemson golfer in the British Open and tied for the second best in any major. Glover’s 64 in the second round of the 2009 US Open is the best round by a former Tiger in a major.
Glover started the round with a bogey on the second hole and was still one-over-par through the eighth hole. But, he made birdies on the ninth and 10th holes. He then finished with birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th holes. He hit his approach shots to three feet and two feet, on the 16th and 17th holes, respectively, then made a 16-footer on 18.
Glover averaged 320 yards on his drives and hit 14 greens in regulation. He had eight one-putt greens in his 18 holes.
“It was a very solid day,” said Glover. “I had one bogey and a birdie on the front and hit a lot of good shots. I hit it close on nine and made a good putt on 10 for birdie. I was solid up to 16 and then took advantage of two good approach shots on 16 and 17. It was a good way to finish.”
Stanley also got off to a slow start with a bogey on the first hole. He was still one over par through the seventh hole, then made a birdie on the eighth. He followed with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes. He also birdied the 16th hole when he hit his approach shot to the par three to within two feet. He made a bogey on the 18th hole when he lipped out a six foot putt, but his 68 was his low round in a major.
Stanley is coming off a second-place finish at the John Deere Classic in Illinois last week. He won $482,000 at that event to move to 62nd on the PGA Tour money list. He has made 15 cuts in 20 tournaments.
“I putted well today and I hit the ball well,” said Stanley. “ I mainly put the ball in the right spots, which is what you have to do out here. Bobby (caddie Bobby Brown) and I have a great game plan for this course and we just executed our shots really well.”
Stanley had six one-putt greens in scoring his 68 and had 14 greens in regulation.
In addition to scoring in the 60s in the first round, Glover and Stanley also have something else in common…they are both sporting full beards. When asked about Stanley’s beard after the round Thursday, Glover said, “Kyle’s beard looks like a map of Hawaii.”
Clemson has three former players in the 2011 British Open, the most in school history. Jonathan Byrd had a five over par 75 on Thursday.
**INFO FROM CLEMSON SID**
Dustin Johnson put together an impressive string of holes today at The Open Championship at Royal St. George’s in Sandwhich, England. Johnson was four over par before he birdied 14 and 15 and then aced the 16th. He followed that up with a birdie on 17. He finished his opening round at even par.
Former Clemson All-American and National Player of the Year D.J. Trahan shot an eight-under par 62 on Friday in the second round of the Traveler’s Championship at Cromwell, CT. Trahan’s round tied for the low round by a former Clemson golfer on the PGA Tour.
Trahan’s round included eight birdies and 10 pars. The leader of Clemson’s 2003 National Championship team had birdies on the first, third, fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth holes to shoot a 29 on the par 35 front side. He then made birdies on the 15th and 17th holes on the back side. He had an 18-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 61, but he missed the shot.
Trahan’s round included 28 putts and he reached 17 of the 18 greens in regulation. His round was the second best recorded on Friday. Patrick Cantlay, an amateur from UCLA, had a 10-under par 60 on Friday and has the lead with a 13-under par score through 36 holes.
Trahan is at nine under par for the first two rounds and stood in a tie for second place at the end of play on Friday. The second round will be completed on Saturday.
Trahan’s previous career best on the PGA Tour was a 64, a score he recorded three times, including once each of the last three years. He last did it in the first round of the 2010 Deutsche Bank Open.
FROM CLEMSON SID
If you want tickets to the 2012 PGA Championship at the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island you better get on the ball. The tournament is already almost sold out and shortly after the final putt drops at this year’s PGA Championship all the remaining tickets are sure to be gone as well.
Today we caught up with Kiawah Island Golf Resort president Roger Warren to talk about the upcoming event and how golf fans across the state can secure tickets to the tournament.
Those of you accustomed to how difficult Masters badges are to come by will be pleasantly surprised with how easy it will be to scoop up some of the remaining tickets.
AUDIO: Roger Warren explains ticket purchase
“What people have to do right now is go to PGA2012.com and register,” Warren said from our SCRN studios Tuesday. Go to the area that looks for registration for tickets. Register for the right to purchase tickets starting August 14th this year.”
What is the signifance of August 14th you ask? Sunday August 14th is the day the final round of the 2011 PGA Championship will be played. Once the tournament ends you will be able to purchase tickets as you want for the ’12 event on Kiawah Island. Tickets will be sold to those who are registered on a first come first serve basis until they are sold out. It isn’t expected to take long. Oh, and when they say tickets go on sale after the ’11 PGA Championship, they mean RIGHT after.
“When the last putt falls on that day that will be the trigger for people who have preregistered to go online and purchase tickets,” Warren said.
This is the first time in its 94 year history that the PGA Championship, or any major championship for that matter, has been played in South Carolina. Needless to say, this is a big opportunity to see one of the four biggest golf tournaments in the world up close and personal.
Warren said to be sure to get registered so you don’t miss out.
“You’ve gotta make your decision and get it done starting August 14th or you are going to miss this opportunity.”
SportsTalk Tweets
