Bridgeman leads the way as Clemson claims team crown in The Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate

   Behind a sweep of the top three spots in the individual standings, led by an impressive victory by Jacob Bridgeman, a sophomore from Inman, S.C., Clemson rolled to a 16-shot victory in The Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate, which wrapped up Tuesday at the Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, S.C.

   It was the 79^th tournament victory for Clemson’s legendary head coach, Larry Penley, in his 37^th year at the helm.

   Clemson, No. 22 in the latest Golfstat rankings, fired an opening salvo of 13-under-par 267 over the 6,617-yard, par-70 Palmetto layout in the first round of Monday’s double-round. The Tigers added a 4-under 276 Monday afternoon, but still only held a two-shot lead over Atlantic Coast Conference rival Virginia, ranked 79^th.

   But with Bridgeman and William Nottingham,a senior from Kingsport, Tenn., each firing a 5-under 65 in Tuesday’s final round, Clemson closed with a 10-under 270 for a 27-under 813 total.

Clemson finished in third place in the Austin Regional last spring and came up just short of a spot in match play in the NCAA Championship at The Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark., losing in a playoff to SMU for the eighth and final berth.

   Virginia had posted solid rounds of 9-under 271 and 6-under 274 in Monday’s double-round. The Cavaliers cooled off with a final round of 4-over 284 to claim runnerup honors at 11-under 829.

   It was another 23 shots back to Furman in third place, the Paladins closing with an 8-over 288 for a 12-over 852 total. Furman’s best round, a 2-under 278, came in Monday afternoon’s second round.

Reigning American Athletic Conference champion Memphis, ranked 67^th, was four shots behind Furman in fourth place at 16-over 856 after finishing up with a 5-over 285. The Tigers had opened with a 9-over 289 before posting their best round of the tournament, a 2-over 282, in Monday afternoon’s second round.

   Reigning Patriot League champion Army was another 10 shots behind Memphis in fifth place at 26-over 866. The Black Knights posted a pair of 7-over 287s in Monday’s double-round before closing with a 12-over 292.

   I missed Temple’s first outing of the spring, a 16^th-place finish in the 18-team field in the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate at Wexford Plantation’s Arnold Palmer Signature Course on Hilton Head Island, S.C. last month.

   Head coach Brian Quinn’s Owls finished in a tie for 10^th place in the 15-team field at Palmetto Golf Club with Akron at 41-over 881. Temple opened with a 298 and added a 294 in Monday afternoon’s second round before closing with its best round of the tournament, a 9-over 289.

   Bridgeman just kept getting better each time he took on the Palmetto layout, opening with a 3-under 67 and getting a share of the lead at the end of Monday’s double-round with teammate Turk Pettit, a junior from Auburn, Ala., at 7-under 133 after adding a 4-under 66 in the afternoon.

Bridgeman’s final-round 65 gave him a 12-under 198 total.

   Pettit had opened with a scorching 6-under 64 and added a 1-under 69 to share the lead with Bridgeman. Pettit’s final round of 1-under 69 left him four shots behind Bridgeman in second place at 8-under 202.

   Nottingham completed the sweep of the top three spots by Clemson as his final-round 65 left him a shot behind Pettit in third place at 7-under 203. Nottingham carded a pair of 1-under 69s in Monday’s double-round.

   Zack Gordon, a sophomore from Gaffney, S.C., finished in the group tied for 13^th place at 3-over 213 as he matched par in the opening round with a 70 that was a throw-out for the Tigers and added a 2-over 72 before closing with a 1-over 71.

   Kyle Cottam, a junior from Knoxville, Tenn., rounded out the Clemson lineup as he finished up with a second straight 4-over 74 to finish among the group tied for 17^th place at 5-over 215. Cottam did, however, contribute a 3-under 67 to Clemson’s sizzling opening round.

   Virginia’s Pietro Bovari, a freshman from Italy, finished alone in fourth place in the individual standings, a shot behind Clemson’s Nottingham at 6-under 204. Bovari started slowly with a 1-over 71, but came on strong with a 5-under 65 in Monday afternoon’s second round before finishing up with a 3-under 67.

   Temple junior Dawson Anders, a Souderton product and the winner of the 2017 Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship, had his best career finish, sharing fifth place with Virginia’s Weiwei Gao, a junior from the Philippines, at 2-under 208, four shots behind Bovari.

   Anders got off to a solid start, adding an even-par 70 to his opening-round 71 in Monday’s double-round before closing with a 3-under 67 to get it to 2-under. Gao opened with a 2-under 68 and matched par with 70s in each of the last two rounds.

   Memphis’ Isaiah Jackson, a senior from Golden, Miss., was another shot behind Anders and Gao in seventh place at 2-under 208 after he added a pair of 2-under 69s to his opening-round 73.

Furman’s Stephen Reynolds, a senior from Greenville, S.C., was a shot behind Jackson in ninth place at even-par 213. Reynolds had rounds of 1-under 69 and 2-under 68 in Monday’s double-round before closing with a 73.

   Virginia’s Jimmie Massie, a junior from Lynchburg, Va., finished alone in ninth place at 2-over 211. Massie was only three shots behind the hot pace set by Clemson’s Bridgeman and Pettit after Monday’s double-round as he added a 1-under 69 to his opening round of 3-under 67. Massie cooled off in the final round with a 5-over 75.

   Backing up Anders for Temple was Graham Chase, a freshman from Charlotte, N.C. who landed in the group tied for 36^th place at 12-over 222. Chase struggled in the opening round with a 77, but bounced back with a 2-over 72 in Monday afternoon’s second round and closed with a 3-over 73.

   Sophomore Conor McGrath, the younger of Temple’s McGrath brothers out of the Academy of the New Church and Huntingdon Valley Country Club, finished among the group tied for 50^th place at 225 as he added a pair of 74s to his opening-round 77.

   Sophomore Anthony Barr, who, like Anders, starred scholastically at Souderton, landed in the group tied for 64^th place at 230. Barr opened with a solid 73, but registered scores of 78 and 79 in the final two rounds.

   Rounding out the Temple lineup was the older of the McGrath brothers, Liam, a senior who finished among the group tied for 69^th place at 232 after closing with his best round of the tournament, a 5-over 75.