Clemson's Jacob Bridgeman wins ACC title in a playoff
Jacob Bridgeman (Clemson Athletics photo)
Three rounds in the 60s weren't enough for
Jacob Bridgeman to close out the ACC individual championship on Saturday but the Clemson senior had no problem putting in some extra work to get his hands on a trophy no Tiger player has hoisted in 13 years.
Coming off rounds of 69-66 at Sharkâs Tooth Golf Course in Panama City, Fla., Bridgeman's final round of 68 left the Inman, SC native as the leader in the clubhouse at 13-under but North Carolina's
Peter Fountain, the defending ACC individual champion, rolled in a birdie on the 17th hole and parred the last to force a playoff.
After Bridgeman missed a six-foot birdie putt for the win on the first playoff hole, the two players went back to the 18th tee box for a second time. After Fountain hit his second shot to the back of the green, Bridgeman hit his to within seven feet, setting up another birdie opportunity. After Fountain missed from long range, Bridgeman cashed in to become the first Clemson golfer since David May in 2009 to win the ACC individual championship.
It was the fifth career victory for Bridgeman, which ties a Clemson record.
Despite Bridgeman's heroics, Clemson tied for ninth with Duke as a team and did not qualify for the match play portion of the tournament, which starts on Sunday.
At 35-under par, the seventh-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels earned the top-seed in the four-team match play portion of the tournament and will face Wake Forest, which edged out Notre Dame by one stroke to gain the fourth seed. Georgia Tech, the two seed, will face Florida State in the other semifinal match.
Sunday's semifinals and Monday's championship match will be televised on ACC Network Extra beginning at 9 a.m. ET.
ABOUT THE ACC Championship
Men's collegiate championship of the
Atlantic Coast Conference. 54 holes of stroke play
(team and individual competitions) followed by match
play.
View Complete Tournament Information