Several Former Clemson Golfers to Compete at Congaree

Lucas Glover headlines a group of former Clemson Tigers who have a shot at winning on the PGA Tour this week.

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Three PGA tournaments in South Carolina in the same year?

Yep, three PGA tournaments in South Carolina in the same year. And this last one is bringing in a ton of Clemson flavor. 

After the Palmetto State already hosted the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head in April and the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island in May, it'll now be the site of the Palmetto Championship at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, S.C.

This time, six former Clemson golfers will be competing in the state where they first made their names when the first round begins Thursday. All of them played for recently-retired men's golf coach Larry Penley.

With the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines looming next week, this isn't an especially strong field, which opened up spots for several former Tigers. Lucas Glover leads the way not only as the highest-ranked golfer from Clemson in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup, but he's also one of Congaree’s Professional Ambassadors with great knowledge of a unique course that's taking the place of the Canadian Open in the Tour schedule. 

"It's different. It's firm and fast. It's fun," Glover recently told Golfweek. "It's 100 percent playable to all golfers. It's designed that way. It's a good test for a good player and a fair test for an average to high handicapper. I think the PGA Tour players will like it. It will be in good shape. The greens will be good. It's a cool place."

Kyle Stanley, a former All-American from Clemson, withdrew from the tournament. His play would've tied a record for the most Tigers in a single PGA event. 

Other former Tigers certainly share some familiarity with Congaree this week, maybe giving them an advantage over the field that includes stars Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka. Here's a look at where each Clemson golfer stands in odds to win the tournament, according to FanDuel Sportsbook: 

• Glover: +4500
• Doc Redman: +7000
• Ben Martin: +8000
• Bryson Nimmer: +24000
• Jonathan Byrd: +35000
• D.J. Trahan: +45000

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