FSU sports information:
Junior All-American Luke Clanton shot a 2-under par 68 and is in a tie for third place in the individual standings, and the No. 2 ranked Seminoles are in a tie for fifth place in the team standings after the first round of the Fighting Illini Invitational at the Olympia Fields Country Club. Clanton, the Haskins Award nominee and No. 1 ranked amateur in the world, is playing in his first collegiate event of the season after an incredible summer during which he became the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1961 to record three top-10 finishes in the same season as an amateur on the PGA Tour.
Arizona State, with three players in the top-12 of the individual standings, is the team leader after the first 18 holes of the event. The Sun Devils hold a five-stroke lead over a group of four teams (Georgia Tech, Florida, Illinois, and North Carolina) and a six stroke lead over the Seminoles. Benjamin Reuter of Georgia Tech and Jose Luis Ballester of Arizona State share the individual lead as both golfers carded 6 under par scores of 64 on the par 70 course at Olympia Fields.
“We came out ready to compete today and had very good energy,” said Seminole Head Coach Trey Jones. “I feel like each player is in a very good spot and needs to stay aggressive. It’s easy to let a tough course take some of your aggressiveness away, but we have a committed to aggressive swings. The aggressiveness comes with confidence, and I see that continuing to grow on this team.”
Clanton led the Seminoles through the first round with a 68 – the 10th time in his career that he carded first round score in the 60s. He has carded a first round score in the 60s in five of his last six collegiate events including a 65 in the first round of the NCAA Stanford Regional during the spring of 2024.
Clanton played well throughout the round and was three under par with three birdies and 13 more holes played at par on his first 16 holes. He began the round with five consecutive holes scored at par and was never above par at any time during the round. He then totaled three birdies on his next 10 holes to move to three under par.
Clanton, who begins his second round within four strokes of the lead, has finished in the top five of the individual standings of six consecutive collegiate events – the Seminole Intercollegiate (1st) the Valspar Collegiate Invitational (1st), the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial (1st), the ACC Championship (5th), the NCAA Stanford Regional (tied for 5th) and the NCAA Championship (tied for 2nd).
Redshirt freshman Carson Brewer, who was the Seminoles’ leading golfer in the season-opening Folds of Honor Collegiate, carded a 1 under par score of 69 and in a tie for 11th place in the individual standings. He began the first round with consecutive birdies to quickly move to two under par. Brewer totaled 17 holes scored at par or better with two birdies during the round. He closed the round with a clean card of rounds scored of par over this final 10 holes of the round.
Brewer has scored three consecutive rounds at under par (70 in the second and third rounds of the Folds of Honor and a 69 in the first round of the Fighting Illini) and is just four strokes over par for the first four rounds of his Florida State career.
Senior Michael Mays was the third of the Seminoles to card a score of par or better as he finished the first round with an even par score of 70. He led Florida State with five birdies in his first round, as he too, was never above par during the round. Mays was even par on his front nine with two bridies, and even par on his back with three birdies. He is in a tie for 22nd place in the individual standings.
Mays has now carded rounds of par or better in the three of his first four rounds of the fall season.
Graduate student Gray Albright and junior Jack Bigham both finished with scores of 73 – allowing all five Seminoles to finish with scores of 73 or better.
The Seminoles will play with Florida and North Carolina in Saturday’s second round.
Fighting Illini Invitational, Sept. 20-22, 2024
Olympia Fields Country Club/Olympia Fields, Ill./Par 70
T5/15. – Florida State, 281
T3.– Luke Clanton, 68
T11. – Carson Brewer, 69
T22. – Michael Mays, 70
T46. – Jack Bigham, 73
T46. – Gray Albright, 73
Fighting Illini Invitational, Sept. 20-22, 2024
Olympia Fields Country Club/Olympia Fields, Ill./Par 70
1. – Arizona State, 273
T2. – Georgia Tech, 279
T2. – Florida, 279
T2. – North Carolina, 279
T5. – Florida State, 280
T5. – Stanford, 280
T5. – Illinois, 280
8. – Texas, 281
9. – Northwestern, 283
10. – Oklahoma State, 284
11. – Texas A&M, 286
12. – Texas Tech, 287
13. – Alabama, 291
14. – Baylor, 295
15. – Michigan, 300
Junior All-American Luke Clanton shot a 2-under par 68 and is in a tie for third place in the individual standings, and the No. 2 ranked Seminoles are in a tie for fifth place in the team standings after the first round of the Fighting Illini Invitational at the Olympia Fields Country Club. Clanton, the Haskins Award nominee and No. 1 ranked amateur in the world, is playing in his first collegiate event of the season after an incredible summer during which he became the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1961 to record three top-10 finishes in the same season as an amateur on the PGA Tour.
Arizona State, with three players in the top-12 of the individual standings, is the team leader after the first 18 holes of the event. The Sun Devils hold a five-stroke lead over a group of four teams (Georgia Tech, Florida, Illinois, and North Carolina) and a six stroke lead over the Seminoles. Benjamin Reuter of Georgia Tech and Jose Luis Ballester of Arizona State share the individual lead as both golfers carded 6 under par scores of 64 on the par 70 course at Olympia Fields.
“We came out ready to compete today and had very good energy,” said Seminole Head Coach Trey Jones. “I feel like each player is in a very good spot and needs to stay aggressive. It’s easy to let a tough course take some of your aggressiveness away, but we have a committed to aggressive swings. The aggressiveness comes with confidence, and I see that continuing to grow on this team.”
Clanton led the Seminoles through the first round with a 68 – the 10th time in his career that he carded first round score in the 60s. He has carded a first round score in the 60s in five of his last six collegiate events including a 65 in the first round of the NCAA Stanford Regional during the spring of 2024.
Clanton played well throughout the round and was three under par with three birdies and 13 more holes played at par on his first 16 holes. He began the round with five consecutive holes scored at par and was never above par at any time during the round. He then totaled three birdies on his next 10 holes to move to three under par.
Clanton, who begins his second round within four strokes of the lead, has finished in the top five of the individual standings of six consecutive collegiate events – the Seminole Intercollegiate (1st) the Valspar Collegiate Invitational (1st), the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial (1st), the ACC Championship (5th), the NCAA Stanford Regional (tied for 5th) and the NCAA Championship (tied for 2nd).
Redshirt freshman Carson Brewer, who was the Seminoles’ leading golfer in the season-opening Folds of Honor Collegiate, carded a 1 under par score of 69 and in a tie for 11th place in the individual standings. He began the first round with consecutive birdies to quickly move to two under par. Brewer totaled 17 holes scored at par or better with two birdies during the round. He closed the round with a clean card of rounds scored of par over this final 10 holes of the round.
Brewer has scored three consecutive rounds at under par (70 in the second and third rounds of the Folds of Honor and a 69 in the first round of the Fighting Illini) and is just four strokes over par for the first four rounds of his Florida State career.
Senior Michael Mays was the third of the Seminoles to card a score of par or better as he finished the first round with an even par score of 70. He led Florida State with five birdies in his first round, as he too, was never above par during the round. Mays was even par on his front nine with two bridies, and even par on his back with three birdies. He is in a tie for 22nd place in the individual standings.
Mays has now carded rounds of par or better in the three of his first four rounds of the fall season.
Graduate student Gray Albright and junior Jack Bigham both finished with scores of 73 – allowing all five Seminoles to finish with scores of 73 or better.
The Seminoles will play with Florida and North Carolina in Saturday’s second round.
Fighting Illini Invitational, Sept. 20-22, 2024
Olympia Fields Country Club/Olympia Fields, Ill./Par 70
T5/15. – Florida State, 281
T3.– Luke Clanton, 68
T11. – Carson Brewer, 69
T22. – Michael Mays, 70
T46. – Jack Bigham, 73
T46. – Gray Albright, 73
Fighting Illini Invitational, Sept. 20-22, 2024
Olympia Fields Country Club/Olympia Fields, Ill./Par 70
1. – Arizona State, 273
T2. – Georgia Tech, 279
T2. – Florida, 279
T2. – North Carolina, 279
T5. – Florida State, 280
T5. – Stanford, 280
T5. – Illinois, 280
8. – Texas, 281
9. – Northwestern, 283
10. – Oklahoma State, 284
11. – Texas A&M, 286
12. – Texas Tech, 287
13. – Alabama, 291
14. – Baylor, 295
15. – Michigan, 300
