Garrett Johnson (left), Ford Clegg (middle) and former MSU golfer Joe Deraney (right) competed in the 120th U.S. Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. in August.
Bulldog Golfers See Summer Success in Individual Competitions
August 25, 2020 | Men's Golf
By Austin Coats, Graduate Assistant/Communications
STARKVILLE – While regular season play may have ended in March for the Mississippi State men's golf team, its student-athletes kept grinding throughout the summer.
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The 2020 break featured four wins for MSU golfers in individual competitions as well as a laundry list of top 10 finishes.
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A trip to the 120th U.S. Amateur Championship highlighted the summer for two Bulldog golfers. Garrett Johnson and Ford Clegg earned spots in the prestigious event this year and competed at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon in August.
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Clegg shot 1-under in the two-round stroke play portion to finish tied for 30th, well above the 64-player cut line to advance to match play. Johnson's 2-over score was enough to earn a spot in an 18-player playoff for the final three match play spots, but he did not advance.
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Johnson's best performance of the break came at the Travis Hudson/Bernard Weinstein Invitational in June, where he posted rounds of 66, 64 and 68 for a total 15-under 198 and the tournament title. He also tied for 17th at the Southern Amateur in July.
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Cameron Clarke capped the break with back-to-back tournament victories as he carded 11-under scores for both the Grenada Invitational and Old Waverly Invitational in August. Clarke boasted top 15 performances in each of the five events he played in this summer, all coming in the Magnolia State.
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Fellow fourth-year Bulldog Austin Fulton also showed consistency during the break, grabbing three top 10 finishes in as many events. In June, Fulton matched his winning score from the 2019 Rice Planter's Amateur to take home runner-up honors in this year's event. Fulton carded 69 or better in six of 10 rounds this summer, with his best, a 65, coming in the finale of the Southeastern Amateur on July 23 where he finished tied for seventh.
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Following a solid freshman campaign, Hunter Logan carried his success into the summer. Logan concluded his five-event campaign with a 6-under showing at the Old Waverly Invitational, tying for the second-best score. Logan tallied top 10 finishes in four of his five tournaments, including the Chattanooga Choo Invitational where he posted scores of 67, 69 and 70 to tie for fourth place with Bulldog teammate Austin Vukovits.
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The Chattanooga Choo Choo Invite was one of three top five finishes for Vukovits. In June, Vukovits shot  4-under 206 to finish as the runner-up at the Indiana State Amateur. Then, in early August, Vukovits won five rounds of match play to secure medalist honors at the Resorters Tournament in Alexandria, Minnesota.
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Ben Nelson tallied three top 10 placements in four events, including a runner-up performance at the Magnolia Amateur in July where he carded scores of 66, 70 and 69 for a total 8-under 205 showing. In July, Nelson competed at the Southeastern Amateur where he posted his best round of the summer, firing 64 on his second time through the course.
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Griffin Agent and incoming freshmen Harrison Davis and Loïc Ettlin each had at least one top 15 performance this summer. In late July, Agent tied for 15th at the W.E. Cole Cotton States Amateur to earn a spot in match play, where he won his opening matchup, 2 & 1.
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For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateMG.
STARKVILLE – While regular season play may have ended in March for the Mississippi State men's golf team, its student-athletes kept grinding throughout the summer.
Â
The 2020 break featured four wins for MSU golfers in individual competitions as well as a laundry list of top 10 finishes.
Â
A trip to the 120th U.S. Amateur Championship highlighted the summer for two Bulldog golfers. Garrett Johnson and Ford Clegg earned spots in the prestigious event this year and competed at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon in August.
Â
Clegg shot 1-under in the two-round stroke play portion to finish tied for 30th, well above the 64-player cut line to advance to match play. Johnson's 2-over score was enough to earn a spot in an 18-player playoff for the final three match play spots, but he did not advance.
Â
Johnson's best performance of the break came at the Travis Hudson/Bernard Weinstein Invitational in June, where he posted rounds of 66, 64 and 68 for a total 15-under 198 and the tournament title. He also tied for 17th at the Southern Amateur in July.
Â
Cameron Clarke capped the break with back-to-back tournament victories as he carded 11-under scores for both the Grenada Invitational and Old Waverly Invitational in August. Clarke boasted top 15 performances in each of the five events he played in this summer, all coming in the Magnolia State.
Â
Fellow fourth-year Bulldog Austin Fulton also showed consistency during the break, grabbing three top 10 finishes in as many events. In June, Fulton matched his winning score from the 2019 Rice Planter's Amateur to take home runner-up honors in this year's event. Fulton carded 69 or better in six of 10 rounds this summer, with his best, a 65, coming in the finale of the Southeastern Amateur on July 23 where he finished tied for seventh.
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Following a solid freshman campaign, Hunter Logan carried his success into the summer. Logan concluded his five-event campaign with a 6-under showing at the Old Waverly Invitational, tying for the second-best score. Logan tallied top 10 finishes in four of his five tournaments, including the Chattanooga Choo Invitational where he posted scores of 67, 69 and 70 to tie for fourth place with Bulldog teammate Austin Vukovits.
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The Chattanooga Choo Choo Invite was one of three top five finishes for Vukovits. In June, Vukovits shot  4-under 206 to finish as the runner-up at the Indiana State Amateur. Then, in early August, Vukovits won five rounds of match play to secure medalist honors at the Resorters Tournament in Alexandria, Minnesota.
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Ben Nelson tallied three top 10 placements in four events, including a runner-up performance at the Magnolia Amateur in July where he carded scores of 66, 70 and 69 for a total 8-under 205 showing. In July, Nelson competed at the Southeastern Amateur where he posted his best round of the summer, firing 64 on his second time through the course.
Â
Griffin Agent and incoming freshmen Harrison Davis and Loïc Ettlin each had at least one top 15 performance this summer. In late July, Agent tied for 15th at the W.E. Cole Cotton States Amateur to earn a spot in match play, where he won his opening matchup, 2 & 1.
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For more information on the Bulldogs, follow the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @HailStateMG.
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