Kleen named SoCon Golfer of the Week
Published 5:53 pm Wednesday, February 15, 2023
- Contributed Photo ETSU’s Algot Kleen is named Southern Conference Golfer of the Week.
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Buccaneer earns second career weekly award after claiming first collegiate win
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After capturing his first collegiate win Tuesday at the Puerto Rico Classic, ETSU’s Algot Kleen (Fiskebackskil, Sweden) was named Southern Conference Golfer of the Week, announced the league office on Wednesday.
Kleen, who earned his second career conference weekly award, posted a 54-hole score of 13-under-par 203 en route to winning medalist honors at the Puerto Rico Classic by three strokes. Kleen posted rounds of 6-under 66 in the opener and the finale to secure his first collegiate title.
For the tournament, Kleen led the 77-player field with 17 birdies, while playing the par-5s at seven-under and the par-3 and par-4s each at three-under.
Following his 66 in the opener, Kleen sat in second place as he was two shots off his teammate Mats Ege (Kristiansand, Norway) for the lead. Kleen remained in second with a 1-under 71 in Monday’s second round – again sitting two strokes behind the leader. The Fiskebackskil, Sweden native heated up in Tuesday’s final round as he played the front nine at 3-under 33, taking the lead with the second of three birdies on the front at the par-3, 203-yard No. 6. On the back nine, Kleen enjoyed back-to-back birdies on No. 11 and No. 12, and put the icing on the win with birdies on the par-5, 600-yard No. 15 and the par-4, 411-yard No. 17.
Kleen’s tied his lowest collegiate round with the 6-under 66 on Sunday and Tuesday, while becoming just the second Buccaneer to win the Puerto Rico Classic. David Christensen won the event in 1999.
The Bucs, who have played in the tournament 25 times, posted their highest team finish on Tuesday. ETSU led for the first two days and finished second with a team score of 25-under-par 839. The Blue & Gold finished runner-up to No. 16 Oklahoma, while ETSU beat six teams ranked in the Top 50, including No. 9 Tennessee and No. 24 Ohio State.
ETSU is back in action March 6 when the Bucs play in the Wake Forest Invitational, held in Pinehurst, N.C.
For more information on Buccaneer men’s golf, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s golf page.
