Clemson, S.C.—Former Clemson golfers Lucas Glover, Kyle Stanley and Sam Saunders all will compete in the opening round of the 2019 United States Open on Thursday.  The 72-hole tournament will be played June 13-16 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Cal.

It will be the largest representation of former Tigers at the US Open since  2012 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco when  Glover, Stanley and Jonathan Byrd all competed.  The record for former or current Tigers in the US Open is five in 2011.

Saunders will be the first player to strike a ball on Thursday as he will begin play from the first hole at 6:45 a.m. Pacific time.  Saunders will play with Carlos Ortiz and Marcus Fraser over the first two rounds.

Stanley begins play off the 10th tee at 7:40 a.m. pacific time and will be paired with Billy Horschel and Danny Willett.   Glover, the 2009 US Open Champion, will begin Thursday at the first tee at 1:25 p.m. Pacific time and  will play with Paul Casey and Patrick Cantlay.

Saunders qualified for the U.S. Open on Monday in Columbus, Ohio.  Playing in a strong field of professionals, Saunders had rounds of 64 and 69 to finish with a nine-under par 133, third best in the field.  This will be Saunders’  third US Open.  He missed the cut in 2011 after scores of 74-75, and finished 50th in 2015.

Saunders, who played at Clemson from 2005-08, is an exempt member of the PGA Tour this year after finishing in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup points race last year.  He has made nine of 17 cuts so far this year and is 188th on the FedEx Cup points list this year.

Stanley qualified for the US Open by virtue of his top 30 finish in the FedEx Cup race last season.  This will be his sixth US Open and he has made the cut twice, a 53rd place finish in 2009 at Bethpage Black and a 73rd place finish at Merion in 2013.  He last played in the US Open in 2018.

Stanley, a two-time first-team All-American at Clemson between 2006-09 and a teammate of Saunders, is 111th on the FedEx Cup points list so far this year.    He has made nine cuts in 18 events with a tie for eighth at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte his best performance.  Last year when he won $3.9 million he finished sixth on tour in greens in regulation.

Glover won the 2009 US Open at Bethpage Black in New York and is still the only former Clemson golfer to win a professional major.  This will be his 14th US Open and his final year of a 10-year exemption after winning in 2009.  

Glover, who was a two-time first-team All-American at Clemson between 1997-01, is having one of his best years with a #36 ranking on the current FedEx Cup points list. He has already won $1.87 million this year and just went over the $22 million mark in career earnings last week.  He has 12 top 20 finishes this year in 17 tournaments. 

This will be Glover’s 14th appearance in the US Open, more than any other former Clemson player.