The Clemson Tigers, ranked No. 71 nationally in the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Rankings, put together a strong performance to claim the team title at the Palmetto Intercollegiate, held at the historic Alister MacKenzie-designed Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, SC. The Tigers carded rounds of 289-274 to post a 36-hole total of 3-over-par, securing the victory in an event shortened due to inclement weather on Monday.
Junior Lucas Augustsson of Sweden led the way for Clemson, shooting an opening-round 68 to take the solo lead. He followed up with a 71, finishing T-3 at 1-under-par. The Tigers had all five team members placed inside the top 15 on the leaderboard.
Junior Thomas Higgins of Ireland shot rounds of 71-69 to finish T-5 at even-par. Senior Andrew Swanson climbed the leaderboard with a final-round 67 after an opening 74, placing him seventh at 1-over. Senior Kian Rose of South Africa shot 76-68 to finish T-11 at 4-over, while freshman Rich Wills rounded out Clemson’s scoring with rounds of 77-70, finishing T-15 at 7-over.
This was Clemson’s first appearance at the Palmetto Intercollegiate since 2021, when the Tigers last won the event with a 19-under-par total. The victory adds to the program’s strong history at the tournament, with Clemson winning four of its last five appearances.
USC Aiken senior Oscar Abrahamsson delivered a standout performance, rebounding from an opening-round 74 with a brilliant 64 in the final round. Campbell University senior Henric Bjelke of Norway posted rounds of 72-66 to match Abrahamsson’s 36-hole total, forcing a playoff with a clutch 15-foot par putt on his final hole of regulation.
On the first extra hole, Abrahamsson capitalized on the moment, sinking a birdie to secure medalist honors. His strong finish also contributed to USC Aiken’s runner-up placement in the team standings.
Tournament host USC Aiken led the field in both Par-3 and Par-5 scoring, posting averages of 3.10 and 4.45, respectively. Clemson led in Par-4 scoring with a field-best 4.08 average. USC Aiken also recorded the most birdies in the tournament with 34.