Clemson tops tight GC of Georgia leaderboard

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (Oct. 20, 2018) – There’s a new team atop the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate, and with one round to play at the prestigious event, a handful of teams are poised to make a move. Clemson had an 8-under 280 in the second round at the Golf Club of Georgia and moved one spot up the board to take a one-shot lead into the final round.

Clemson, at 20 under, will sleep on the lead, but the next three teams on the leaderboard are all within three strokes of the lead. Wake Forest had a 7-under 281 on Saturday to reach 19 under. USC matched Clemson’s 280 and is 18 under in third. Finally, first-round leader and tournament host Georgia Tech slipped to 1 over on Saturday and is 17 under for 36 holes. That left the Yellow Jackets in fourth.

Clemson got a big boost from Turk Pettit, who turned in a bogey-free 4-under 68. In fact, Pettit hasn’t made a bogey since his opening hole on Friday, when he also had 68. Pettit is second on the individual leaderboard, behind USC’s Justin Suh.

Suh has had back-to-back rounds of 67 to build a two-shot lead at 10 under.

Even though another five shots separate Alabama, in fifth, from Georgia Tech, the Crimson Tide had the best round of the day on Saturday. A 10-under 278 kept them in sight of the leaders.

Georgia Tech is looking for its third win in this event, and its first since 2012. Defending champion Oklahoma State is not in the field. Among the Yellow Jacket lineup, Tyler Strafaci was the only player to go under par on Saturday. He led the team with 2-under 70 and is T-13 on the individual leaderboard.