June 12, 2008

By Trey Bloomer, University of South Carolina Media Relations

COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina sophomores George Bryan IV and Patrick Rada turned in top-40 performances at the 55th Sunnehanna Amateur Tournament for Champions June 5-8. Played at The Course at Sunnehanna Country Club, the prestigious event featured 69 of the top amateur players in the United States as well as abroad.

Bryan turned in a total score of 288 (+8), which put him in a tie for 27th overall. He got off to a rocky start in the first round of the tournament and finished day one with a 74, but rebounded with a 72 in round two and went one shot better the next day with a 71. Bryan posted three birdies on the final day, including two on the final nine holes. With a final-round 71, he moved up four spots in the final standings.

Rada started the tournament in much the same fashion as Bryan with a 74 on the first round. Rada recovered slightly on the next round with a 73 only record another 74 in round three. In the final round, though, the Anderson, S.C., native put together a respectable 71 to become one of the biggest movers in the tournament. Rada jumped 12 spots in the final round and finished in a tie for 38th. He birdied three of the first four holes in his final round for a total of five birdies on the day. Rada finished the four days with a total score of 292 (+12).

Rickie Fowler, from Murrieta, Calif., won the event going away, finishing an impressive five strokes better then second-place finisher Daniel Woltman from Beaver Dam, Wis. Posting an impressive six birdies in the initial round to set the tone, Fowler lead the event wire to wire, finishing with a tournament total of 272 (-8).