Clemson senior Turk Pettit wins men’s individual national title at 2021 NCAA Championship
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Turk Pettit is leaving college golf as a national champion.
The senior won his final college event at the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship, claiming the individual championship at 7 under after an even-par 70 Monday in the final round of stroke play at Grayhawk Golf Club.
The Auburn, Alabama, native is just the second Tiger to claim a men’s individual national title, following Charles Warren in the 1997 championship at Conway Farms Golf Club outside Chicago.
Head coach Larry Penley, who is retiring this season after 38 years at the helm of his alma mater, originally had a 35-year plan, but decided to extend his career to exit with Pettit and the 2021 class.
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“I really had a 35-year plan, but then I bring in Colby Patton, who was the son of one of my former players, Turk Pettit and Kyle Cottam. And I knew immediately that those three guys were going to be very special,” Penley told Golfweek earlier this week. “They have meant a whole lot to our golf program. They’ve all made All-American. They’ve all been great champions. I thought it might be kind of cool to go out with those three. Now Colby and Kyle are going to come back, so I’m gonna go out with Turk and William Nottingham.”
Oklahoma State’s Bo Jin held the individual lead after 54 holes, but struggled for the first time this week on the challenging Raptor course on Monday. The freshman from Beijing was tied with Pettit on his final hole, but made bogey on No. 18 to card a 3-over 73, his first round over par at the championship.
