Clegg Earns Second Career Victory, Matches School Record

Tuesday, November 10

Vestavia Hills, Ala. (Old Overton Country Club)

All Day

Mississippi State

Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate

Clegg Earns Second Career Victory, Matches School Record

November 10, 2020 | Men's Golf

Full Results

By: Adrian Spears, Communications Student Assistant

Mississippi State's men's golf team completed its fall season on Tuesday with a ninth-place finish at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate. The Bulldogs carded a three-day total of 842 led by sophomore Ford Clegg.

Clegg shot under par all three days to tie the school-record 54-hole toal of 198 (15-under) and tied with Ole Miss' Jackson Suber for medalist honors. The victory marks the second individual championship of Clegg's career.

Two other Bulldogs have shot a 198 over three rounds. The record was first set during the 1999-2000 season by Alex Rocha at the Gator Invitational. Ben Wood then matched the record in the 2014-15 season, also at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate.

"We showed a lot of character this week as a team," head coach Dusty Smith said. "It certainly was not easy for us today, but I thought we showed a lot of resilience especially after hitting a rough stretch mid round. I am so proud of Ford on the individual win. He is a special player and I am glad he was able to finish it off. He showed what he is made of on the final two holes by making two clutch putts for himself and the team."

Senior Garrett Johnson shot a 72 in the final round to end the tournament in 43rd. He shot his best round of the tournament on Sunday with an even 70. Sophomore Ben Nelson finished tied for 35th after shooting a 71 on Sunday, following a career-best 68 on Monday.

Freshman Hunter Logan tied with South Carolina's Jack Wall for 55^th, shooting a three-day total of 219. True freshman Loïc Ettlin finished his first collegiate fall by carding 221 for the tournament.

"We need to continue to grow as a team and get better from our experiences," Smith said. "We left some shots out there today and lost some focus during our round. I believe we are close to being a complete team but we need to be able to put three rounds together. This off season will be a great time for us to work and to continue our process of becoming better daily."

For more information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU's golf program on Twitter and Instagram and like them on Facebook by searching @HailStateMG.

Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate – Final
T1.   Auburn (821, -19)
T1.   Georgia (821, -19)
T1.   Vanderbilt (821, -19)
4.   Tennessee (829, -11)
5.   Ole Miss (834, -6)
  6.   Arkansas (837, -3)
7.   South Carolina (838, -2)
8.   Texas A&M (841, +1)
9.   Mississippi State (842, +2)
10.   Florida (846, +6)
11.   Missouri (850, +10)
12. Alabama (851, +11)
13. LSU (865, +25)
14. Kentucky (866, +26)