June 15, 2011
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Seventeen former golfers from ACC schools, including four from Georgia Tech, are in the field for the 2011 US Open this week at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.
The Yellow Jackets have the second most athletes at the event with four players, including Briny Baird, amateur Michael Barbosa, Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar. Baird began his college career at Georgia Tech before he transferred to Valdosta State.
The league’s 17 players are from seven different schools: Clemson (5), Duke (2), Tech, Maryland (1), North Carolina (2), NC State (1) and Wake Forest (2). The Pac-10 is second with 14 players, while the SEC and the Big 12 have 11 each.
Former Tiger Lucas Glover is the only one of this year’s ACC participants to have won the US Open, which he did in 2009. Former Tar Heel Davis Love III was runner-up in 1996.
The ACC contingent consists of five ACC Player of the Year selections, three ACC Freshman of the Year picks, and four ACC Individual Champions. Wake Forest’s Bill Haas was a two-time ACC Player of the Year in 2003 & 2004, while Cink (’95), Kuchar (’98) and Webb Simpson (’08) also earned the honor. Kuchar (’97), Haas (’01) and Simpson (’05) were also ACC Freshman of the Year as rookies in the league. Love (’84), Mark Wilson (’96), Simpson (’08) and David May (co in ’09) were ACC individual champions.
Clemson is tied with UNLV and Oklahoma State for the most representation by an NCAA school with five. The Tiger contingent is led by veterans Jonathan Byrd and Lucas Glover. Sam Saunders, David May and Elliot Gealy all gained entry into the field through qualifying tournaments.
Play in the 2011 US Open begins Thursday morning.
Special thanks to ClemsonTigers.com for 2011 US Open research.
Former ACC Golfers in 2011 US Open
Clemson (5) – Jonathan Byrd, Elliot Gealy, Lucas Glover, David May, Sam Saunders
Duke (2) – Adam Long, Kevin Streelman
Georgia Tech (4) – Briny Baird, Michael Barbosa, Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar
Maryland (1) – Fred Funk
North Carolina (2) – Davis Love, Mark Wilson
NC State (1) – Marcell Turnesa
Wake Forest (2) – Bill Haas, Webb Simpson
