AUBURN, Ala. — LSU senior John Humphries fired a 2-under par 70 on Saturday in the final round of the 2003 NCAA East Regional to finish in a tie for 39th place at the Auburn University Club.
Humphries, making his third-straight NCAA regional appearance, tied a personal record for lowest round shot in NCAA play on Saturday, as he also shot a 70 in the second round of the 2002 NCAA Central Regional last May in Little Rock, Ark. Humphries finished in a tie for 45th place in Little Rock a year ago and tied for 104th place at the East Regional in Williamsburg, Va. in 2001.
Humphries, a 2003 First-Team All-SEC selection and the Player of the Year on the 2003 LSWA All-Louisiana Golf Team, steadily climbed up the leader board during the weekend, after shooting a 5-over par 77 in Thursday’s opening round. He shot even-par 72 on Friday to move from a tie for 81st place to 61st heading into Saturday.
Top-ranked Clemson won the East regional championship with a 25-under par 839. Georgia Tech, led by Troy Matteson’s steady play during the weekend, finished second at 16-under 848. Five teams from the Southeastern Conference qualified for the NCAA Championship including SEC champion Florida and regional host Auburn, who finished 10th at 13-over par 877.
Matteson claimed the individual title, firing a 15-under par 201 which included a 6-under 66 in Saturday’s final round. Virginia Commonwealth’s Ted Brown and South Alabama’s Ryan Gildersleeve secured spots in the 2003 NCAA Championship as individuals, as Brown finished tied for second at 8-under par 208 and Gildersleeve tied for fourth at 7-under 209. The regional featured six individual golfers and the top two qualified for the NCAA Championship. The top 10 teams from each of the three regions advance to the NCAA’s May 27-30 in Stillwater, Okla.
Humphries will compete in sectional qualifying for the 2003 U.S. Open next month at a site to be determined. Humphries fired a 4-under par 67 last Monday in Marksville in the local qualifying round.
TEAMS WHO QUALIFIED FOR 2003 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP: 1. Clemson, 2. Georgia Tech, 3. Florida, 4. Tennessee, 5. Duke, 6. Wake Forest, 7. (tie) Augusta State, South Carolina, 9. Vanderbilt, 10. Auburn (Host)