Welcome to the club: These two Tigers made Clemson history, 24 years apart
Charles Warren has always kept up with his college golf team since graduating from Clemson in 1998.
It’s not unusual for him to have shared a phone call or text with his former coach Larry Penley and know the names of players at any given time.
On Memorial Day, Warren wasn’t watching the Tigers compete in the NCAA tournament at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Greenville resident spent the holiday on the lake, but he was getting minute-by-minute updates on Clemson’s status.
The last was the best one: Senior Turk Pettit had won the individual title.
“We’ve had a lot of guys who have had chances,” Warren said. “We’ve had a lot of good teams that have had chances, but it just goes to show you that it takes a lot of things to go right to have somebody win the whole thing.”
Warren knows this better than anyone, except maybe Pettit now. Warren was Clemson’s first individual champion in 1997 and spent eight years on the PGA Tour.
Making Clemson history
Much like Pettit, Warren had to wait around for a little while for other golfers to finish before learning his fate on June 1, 1997 at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Illinois.
At the time, all signs pointed to Jason Gore, who played for eventual team champ Pepperdine, winning the individual crown. A double bogey on the par-5 18th hole, however, dropped him into a four-way tie for third. It also tied Warren and Texas golfer Brad Elder for first, resulting in a playoff round.
Elder hit his second shot into the water and bogeyed. Warren made a two-putt par, etching his name into Clemson’s record books.
“It was kind of a whirlwind,” Warren recalled. “He made six and I made five, and that was the difference. It was a pretty cool way to end that year. Then I lost by a shot my senior year, so I finished second my senior year.”
Joining the club
Twenty-four years later, Pettit was preparing for potentially the same fate with a playoff round against Oklahoma’s Bo Jin. The Sooner’s putt for par went wide, however, allowing Pettit to win earlier than expected.
“We were actually mentally getting ready for playoffs,” said Penley, who experienced a bit of deja vu at that moment. “Actually, he wanted to go to the putting green and hit a few putts, so he was engaged. We’re sitting there watching Bo Jin play the last hole, never pulling against anyone, but it was exciting to see Turk win. The relief on Turk’s face and the joy on Turk’s face, the joy on his teammates’ face was very special.”
Once the tournament was over, Warren grabbed his phone to call Pettit. The new champ was busy with interviews and celebrating, so Warren called Penley with a message for Pettit.
He had only four words for him: Welcome to the club.
“I know how much it’s meant to me over the last 24 years,” Warren said, “and he probably doesn’t have an idea of how much it’ll possibly define him as a golfer over the next however many years, but I’m extremely happy for him.”
The former PGA golfer also noted how Pepperdine won the team portion both times a Tiger won the individual award, adding more symmetry to the unforgettable moments.
Pettit and Warren are planning to meet soon and share in the elation of a shared victory.
“I didn’t really realize it, that I won at the time,” said Pettit, who was also named a first-team All-American by the Collegiate Golf Coaches Association. “But now I kind of realize it, how cool that is and what type of memory that’ll be way down the road.”
The achievement came as no surprise to Penley. Four years ago while recruiting, he could tell there was something special about the trio of seniors, including Pettit, a former two-year starting quarterback at Lee-Scott Academy in Auburn, Alabama.
The road to becoming a champion wasn’t always easy, but the payoff in the end made it all worth it.
Looking to the future
After closing out his college career — as well as sending Penley into retirement on a high note — Pettit looks forward to the next step in his golfing career.
He’ll have some decisions to make, but he leaves Clemson optimistic. The champion doesn’t believe it’ll take another 24 years for the program to have its third golfer join the exclusive Warren-Pettit club. The Tigers could even have a second team title on the horizon, giving the 2003 squad some company.
“We’ve got some talent on our team,” Pettit said. “They’re very capable of winning a national title as a team and individually, so I’m excited. Look forward to what they have to do. ... Jordan Byrd, he’s the new head coach, and I think he’s going to do a great job of recruiting great players and great kids that can win a national title. With them coming in, hopefully they’ll work hard and do what they need to and be successful.”
