Larry
Penley, a championship winner as both a player and a coach,
will be inducted into the South Carolina Golf Hall of
Fame in December.
The
long-time coach of Clemson University's high-powered team,
Penley will become the 58th member of the state's golf
shrine on Dec. 5 in ceremonies at Columbia Country Club.
A
native of Dallas, N.C., Penley, 50, excelled in junior
and collegiate competition and developed into one of the
dominant amateurs in the Carolinas. In a four-year stretch
(1986-89), he finished second-first-first-second in the
South Carolina State Amateur. He often qualified for the
United States Amateur, and his other titles include in
both the Carolinas Golf Association's and the South Carolina
Golf Association's Mid-Amateur championships.
His
playing accomplishments only begin to tell the Larry Penley
story. A 1983 Clemson graduate, he became the Tigers'
head coach for the 1983-84 season. Since that first year
only two of Penley's teams have failed to reach NCAA finals.
The
2003 Tigers won the NCAA Championship and seven other
Clemson teams posted top-five finishes in the national
tournament. Overall, his teams have won 58 tournaments,
eight Atlantic Coast Conference Championships and seven
NCAA Regional titles.
He
has been chosen ACC coach of the year six times, NCAA
District coach of the year five times and national coach
of the year once.
A
member of the College Golf Hall of Fame, he has coached
two U.S. Public Links champions (Kevin Johnson, 1987,
and D.J. Trahan, 2000), a U.S. Amateur champion (Chris
Patton, 1989), an NCAA champion (Charles Warren, 1997)
and a U.S. Open champion (Lucas Glover, 2009).
Glover,
Trahan and Jonathan Byrd are former Penley players who
have won tournaments on the PGA Tour. His program has
produced more than 50 All-American selections.
LARRY
PENLEY QUICK FACTS
Born:
Feb. 14, 1959 in Dallas, N.C.
Family:
Married to former Heidi Grove. The couple has two daughters,
Kelsey Lou and Mollie Ashton, and a son, Andrew William.
Education:
1983 graduate of Clemson University with bachelor's degree
in recreation and parks administration.
Playing
experience: Member of Clemson golf team 1977-81. First-team
all-ACC 1981. Winner of Iron Duke Classic and Southern
Intercollegiate in 1981. South Carolina Amateur champion
1987 and 1988. South Carolina Mid-Amateur champion 1990.
Carolinas Mid-Amateur champion 1992.
Major
coaching honors: National coach of the year 2003. ACC
coach of the year 1987, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004.
Major
coaching championships: National championship 2003; NCAA
Regional championships 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003,
2004; ACC championships: 1987, 1988, 1990, 1997, 1998,
2000, 2003, 2004.

Lucas
Glover, Charles Warren and Coach Penley.