April 17, 2010

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Senior George Bryan IV posted the low round of the tournament with a 66 (-4) on Saturday, and South Carolina remains in fourth place through two rounds at the SEC Men’s Golf Championship at Sea Island Golf Club.

The Gamecocks posted a team score of 288 (+8) and stand at 570 (+10) for the tournament, 10 shots behind tournament leader Georgia. It was a tough day for scoring at the par 70, 6,991-yard Seaside Course as only two teams – Georgia and Kentucky – turned in team rounds under par.

Bryan IV, however, did not find such trouble as he followed up Friday’s even-par round with a 4-under-par effort to move into a tie for the lead with Alabama’s Hunter Hamrick. The senior native of Chapin, S.C., opened with a pair of birdies, then bogeyed the fourth hole to drop back to 1-under. He would again card back-to-back birdies at the 6th and 7th holes to make the turn in 32 (-3). A birdie at the lengthy par-3 12th got him to 4-under, and he would stay there after a bogey at 14 and a birdie at the 15th. Bryan’s round marked his second-best score of the season, one stroke behind a 65 in the second round of the Administaff Augusta State Invitational.

Paul Woodbury had a solid day, posting a 72 (+2) to go along with an opening-round 70. He is at 2-over for the tournament and tied for 15th place through two rounds. Woodbury had 16 pars on the day with a pair of front-nine bogeys as the only blemishes on the scorecard.

Sophomore Wesley Bryan, who led the team with a 69 on Friday, finished with a 76 (+6) on Friday to drop to a tie for 32nd place. After carding three birdies in the opening round, he was unable to post one Saturday as he finished with four bogeys and a double-bogey. Senior Patrick Rada was three shots better in the second round with a 74 (+4). He had a pair of birdies to go along with four bogeys and a double-bogey in his Saturday round. Freshman Clint Tolleson shot 77 (+7) in the second round to move to 10-over for the week.

Georgia shot 277 (-3) on Saturday to take the lead at 560 (E), four shots ahead of first-round leader Arkansas at 564 (+4). Tennessee moved up to third place at 568 (+8) and the Gamecocks are two shots back of the Vols in fourth. Behind Bryan IV and Hamrick, Georgia’s Russell Henley and Ole Miss’ Jonathan Randolph are tied for third place at 137 (-3), one shot behind the leaders.

For the third straight day, the Gamecocks will be the first group off the No. 1 tee at 8 a.m. They will be paired with LSU and Auburn for the final round of play. Live scoring is available through Golfstat.com, and fans can receive periodic updates via Twitter by following @GamecockMGolf.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS
T1. George Bryan IV – 70-66=136 (-4)
T15. Paul Woodbury – 70-72=142 (+2)
T32. Wesley Bryan – 69-76=145 (+5)
52. Clint Tolleson – 73-77=150 (+10)
53. Patrick Rada – 77-74=151 (+11)

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Georgia – 283-277=560 (E)
2. Arkansas – 278-286=564 (+4)
3. Tennessee – 283-285=568 (+8)
4. SOUTH CAROLINA – 282-288=570 (+10)
5. LSU – 283-288=571 (+11)
T6. Auburn – 280-292=572 (+12)
T6. Florida – 280-292=572 (+12)
T6. Kentucky – 296-276=572 (+12)
T6. Mississippi – 288-284=572 (+12)
10. Mississippi State – 282-292=574 (+14)
11. Vanderbilt – 284-298=582 (+22)
12. Alabama – 297-289=586 (+26)