State Alum Tim Clark Tees Off Against Defeated Tiger Woods Today in Accenture Match Play

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UPDATE: Clark has just eliminated the World’s #1 Four and Two with stellar back nine play.  T’he match was even at the turn, and the former Wolfpack star turned it on, blazing his way to victory on the 16th hole.

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Many of you folks may not follow professional golf, but it’s interesting to note that today at 2:02pm EST, NC State alumnus Tim Clark tees off against Tiger Woods in the second round Accenture Match Play tournament.  They will play an 18-hole match, with the winner advancing and the loser going home.  Woods, arguably the greatest athlete of our generation, is returning from re-constructive knee surgery after an 8-plus month layoff.  He easily defeated #64 Brendan Jones, and just behind his match, #32 Clark was closing out former US Open and fellow South African Retief Goosen.  This set up today’s showdown.  Coverage will be on Golf Channel.

For those of you unfamilir with Clark, don’t be so quick to count him out in his match against Woods. Playing Woods is not a totally unfamiliar situation for the South African, who counts the 2006 Masters among his six career runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour; in fact, Clark has won just about everywhere but the U.S.  So far.  Clark has over twelve million dollars in official earnings, and seven wins globally, including last year’s Australian Open.

Expect Clark’s alma mater to be mentioned several times during the telecast, which is good news for NC State’s golfing program generally.  It never hurts to have an alumnus squarely in the spotlight of their sport, and Clark will certainly have that today.   Coupled with the new Lonnie Poole Golf Course on Centennial Campus that is slated to open in late spring of this year, it’s fair to say that things are looking up for one of our key non-revenue programs.

Additional note: if you watch today’s telecast of the tournament, keep an eye out for the “Sunshine and Lollipops” Nike commercial that focuses on Tiger’s return to competitive golf.  At the very end, NC State’s Carl Petterson is the guy who lets out the long sigh.  It’s pretty funny stuff, and Petterson was a good sport (and a well paid one too) to be in that spot.

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25 Responses to State Alum Tim Clark Tees Off Against Defeated Tiger Woods Today in Accenture Match Play

  1. Pack Leader 02/26/2009 at 8:58 AM #

    Go Clark!!! I love tiger but I would be Just fine with the alum getting the win.

  2. wpackman33 02/26/2009 at 9:03 AM #

    I hope Tim Clark smokes him. I can’t stand Tiger. i know he’s one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game but i’m just not a big fan of his. The big thing for me is the media. They would lick his golf cleats if he let ’em. I was watching sportcenter last night and all they talked about was him. Stuart Scott was the usual idiot that he is. I know he is the best golfer, i’m not arguing that, but there are other things going on in the golf world that some people would like to be paid attention too. The PGA and the golf media are setting themselves up for a big failure when Tiger is no longer around. That was evident in these past 8 months.

    Anyway, i’ll get off my soap box. i know tons of people will disagree too.

    But seriously, Go TIM CLARK!!!

    GO STATE!!!

  3. Pack Leader 02/26/2009 at 9:20 AM #

    wpackman33 i know what you mean ESPN doesnt know how to market golf without tiger there. I watched SportsCenter yesterday and they have a list of topics they will discuss in the next hour on the right hand side and 4 of the 10 topics was tiger. seriously?? They even had an up-to-date countdown clock on when he returns. What happens after tiger?? no golf? I partly blame the PGA because they refuse to market young talent other than tiger. Somehow they need someone young like JB Holmes, Adam Scott, C Villegas or someone to rival Tiger. In my opinion the best golf in the last 25 years was when tiger and Phil was battling eachother and quite frankly hated eachother.

  4. RickJ 02/26/2009 at 9:24 AM #

    Look for Clark’s wolf head club cover on his driver.

  5. Alpha Wolf 02/26/2009 at 9:29 AM #

    In my opinion the best golf in the last 25 years was when tiger and Phil was battling eachother and quite frankly hated each other.

    Possibly, because that was after the Nicklaus/Watson rivalry had run its course.

    I would say though that the best golf I have seen in that time-span was Nicklaus in 1986 winning the Masters. Or last year’s US Open with Rocco Mediate and Tiger going 91 holes to determine a winner. I’ve always like Rocco since I met him in Greensboro at the old GGO.

  6. wpackman33 02/26/2009 at 2:02 PM #

    I’m listening to it on the internet and the first thing they say when they intro Tim Clark is that his alma matar is North Carolina State. That’s what i’m talking about.

  7. primacyone 02/26/2009 at 2:54 PM #

    TC is 1 down through 4.

    Playing even except for the Par 5. Tiger on the green in 2 on the Par 5 #2. Takes 3 strokes to reach the green for TC.

  8. primacyone 02/26/2009 at 3:06 PM #

    TC birdies #5 with a 60′ putt. All Even.

  9. Alpha Wolf 02/26/2009 at 3:08 PM #

    Good place to follow the match in the office…hit refresh to get the latest view.

    http://blogs.golf.com/presstent/2009/02/live-blogging-1.html

  10. Alpha Wolf 02/26/2009 at 3:09 PM #

    Tiger Woods v. Tim Clark, Clark 1-up thru 6

    3:15 p.m. “One of the biggest fried-egg lies you’ll ever see,” Azinger says of Woods ball in the bunker. All it needs it a side of bacon and grits. Not pretty. Tiger thumps it out to about 12 feet, but Clark has already chipped it close. Woods needs this putt to halve. Nope, misses it on the low side. Clark takes the lead. “Fiesty Tim Clark will not go away,” Zinger adds. “Tiger will have to beat him.”

    3:10 p.m. Clark, with the honor, hits first at the 182-yard par-3 5th. I missed what club he hit, but he could have taken two less. He bombed it through the green. Tiger, perhaps influenced by Clark’s over-clubbing, knocks an 8-iron into the front bunker. Very un-Tiger-like. Center of the green would have left him a good position to win the hole. As for Tiger’s knee, it looks sound. Doubtlessly he’d love to close this match out after 15 or 16 holes.

  11. primacyone 02/26/2009 at 3:20 PM #

    Showing about a 3 hole delayed highlight feed of Tiger’s shots today here:

    http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r470/video/tiger_returns.html

    You know, it’s all about Tiger.

  12. primacyone 02/26/2009 at 3:24 PM #

    Even again after 7 with a birdie by Tiger.

    This is like a Pack Basketball game.

  13. Alpha Wolf 02/26/2009 at 3:36 PM #

    primacy, you might be able to get a live feed on justin.tv.

  14. primacyone 02/26/2009 at 3:41 PM #

    TC and Tiger both Birdie #8.

    Great for TC he didn’t lose a shot on the par 5. Took both 3 shots to get to the green.

  15. primacyone 02/26/2009 at 4:01 PM #

    All square through the first 9. Got to like that for TC. TC’s short game is working today. Tiger’s mid game is a little lacking.

    Too bad is not football season with a Thrusday night game at CF. I’m ready to head out of here and do some tailgaiting after keeping up with 9 holes of golf at work.

    I guess I’ll have a couple extra for a Thrusday night basketball game tonight. Have a feeling I’m going to need them one way or another – either from negative stress or total excitement tonight.

  16. Wulfpack 02/26/2009 at 4:12 PM #

    Tiger Woods IS golf, there is no question about it. He is dominating his sport the way no other player is. A couple of years and he is officially the most accomplished golfer of all time.

  17. primacyone 02/26/2009 at 4:26 PM #

    All even after 10.

    “Tiger Woods IS golf . . .”

    ^ From Alpha’s link. Latest post.

    “Golf Magazine senior editor and resident conspiracy theorist Mike Walker asks: “If Tiger’s behind in the last few holes, will NBC execs order Roger Maltbie to start coughing in Tim Clark’s backswing?” Not likely, but NBC has said that Tiger will be a big part of the weekend telecast whether he’s playing or not.”

  18. primacyone 02/26/2009 at 4:30 PM #

    Allright. Time for the crazy stuff. Tiger just BOGIED A PAR 5 AND TC BIRDIES with a gimmie after an approach shot inches from the hole.

    TC up 1 after 11.

  19. primacyone 02/26/2009 at 4:37 PM #

    TC CAME TO PLAY TODAY.

    He just nailed his T shot on the par 3 #12.

    TC UP 2 after 12.

    Could be a good day for the wolfpack!!!

  20. primacyone 02/26/2009 at 4:54 PM #

    TC up 3 after 13.

    This sucka is going to be over in two more holes.

    I’m calling it now. Great, Great day for TC!

  21. Alpha Wolf 02/26/2009 at 5:26 PM #

    It’s two up now. Tim played for State…you didn’t think this would be easy, did you?

    Back to three. Clark on the tee. 180 yard par 3. … and Clark hits it to four feet! Looked like when it landed, it might go in, but the ball broke off as it lost speed.

    Tiger is up now. He misses the green and it falls into a collection area. BIG advantage Clark.

  22. Pack Leader 02/26/2009 at 5:53 PM #

    WAY TO GO CLARK!!!!! GOOD MOJO FOR TONIGHT!!!

  23. wufpup76 02/26/2009 at 6:28 PM #

    sweet … congratulations!

  24. Sw0rdf1sh 02/26/2009 at 7:06 PM #

    Great job Tim. Now you know what it feels like to punch a Stanford guy square in the mouth!

    Now just follow that up with Swedish Model Hypnotist Training 101 and you will be ready for big time!

    You did South Africans and NCSU proud either way!

  25. blpack 02/26/2009 at 8:57 PM #

    Great win for TC! I hope he has a great 2009 on the tour. Maybe Tiger will struggle a little this year. Too soon to tell. Someone(s) really needs to step up and challenge. Weak comp the last couple years.

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