Oct. 28, 2008

WINDERMERE, Fla. – The Isleworth Golf & Country Club got the better of every team in the field in Tuesday’s final round of the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational, and South Carolina was no exception as the Gamecocks shot 312 (+25) to take home a 16th-place finish among a very elite field.

“They didn’t like that there were a lot of low scores last year, so they had all the pins tucked and the greens running faster than normal,” head coach Bill McDonald said. “It was a good test for sure. But we’ve got a lot of work to do to prove that we’re in the elite part of college golf. We’re not far off, but we’ve got some work to do.

“The course played hard…realistically, (the equivalent of) par was probably a couple of strokes above par. Some holes were dead into the wind with tough pin placements. If you missed a green, it was hard to get up and down. But a lot of teams played well enough to content, so we’ve got to figure out how to do that.”

It was the Gamecocks’ first tournament in a month, with the final round coming one month to the day since South Carolina took home the tournament title at Vanderbilt’s Mason Rudolph Invitational.

“We don’t see fields this strong but maybe two or three times a year,” McDonald said. “I think it might have hurt a little to have a month off, looking back. But this is good for us, too. It’s definitely got everyone’s attention, it will inspire us to play better next week and have a productive offeseason. The fall season…it’s great if you play well, but if not, you learn from it and improve on it heading into the spring.”

George Bryan IV stayed consistent throughout his three rounds, shooting 75 (+3) each day to earn the top finish for the Gamecocks. After a bogey and a double-bogey in his first three holes, he finished his first nine with three birdies to make the turn at even par. However, three bogeys on his back nine dropped him to 3-over, and he finished in a tie for 26th place.

His brother, freshman Wesley Bryan, rebounded from a 79 in Monday’s second round to post a 76 (+4) in which he carded four birdies. However, four bogeys on each side dropped him to 4-over, giving him a tie for 41st with a 12-over finish for the week.

The Bryan brothers managed to stay below the day’s average score of 78.66 – some four strokes higher than Monday – but others were not so fortunate. Patrick Rada (81), Mark Silvers (81) and Allen Koon (84) all had tough days and finished in ties for 57th, 67th, and 72nd, respectively.

On the strength of their commanding lead through two rounds, the Georgia Bulldogs defended their team title with a total score of 867 (+3). Their 296 in Tuesday’s final round equaled the low team round of the day and left them 17 strokes ahead of second-place finisher Alabama, who shot 884 (+20). Indiana took third place at 886 (+22).

Georgia’s Russell Henley maintained his 36-hole lead and took individual medalist honors with a 74 (+2) on Tuesday to finish at 4-under, two shots ahead of a pair of Hoosiers, Jorge Campillo and Alex Martin. Only two players finished Tuesday’s final round in red figures – Alabama’s Bud Cauley (70) and Oklahoma State’s Rickie Fowler (71).

The Gamecocks will have a week to regroup before heading to their final tournament of the fall season, the Rees Jones Intercollegiate at Haig Point in Daufuskie Island, S.C. Play begins Nov. 3 with 36 holes, then concludes with an 18-hole round Nov. 4.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS