Oct. 26, 2008

WINDERMERE, Fla. – South Carolina got strong play from several members of its eighth-ranked squad and shot 297 (+9) in the first round of the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational Sunday at Isleworth Golf and Country Club. The Gamecocks were in eighth place after day one, but only three strokes back of the top five in a field that features 12 teams ranked in the Top 25.

Freshman Wesley Bryan turned in the top round of the day for South Carolina with a 73 (+1). Starting on hole No. 10, he put together a bogey-free first nine holes with a pair of birdies to make the turn at 2-under. But a pair of bogeys sandwiched around a birdie to start his second nine kept him at one-under until a double-bogey at his final hole dropped him to one-over and a tie for 18th place.

Junior Patrick Rada was up and down through his first nine holes as two birdies and three bogeys left him one-over at the turn. After a bogey at the first hole (his 10th of the day), Rada finished with eight straight pars to shoot 74 (+2), good enough for a tie for 28th.

Senior Allen Koon and junior George Bryan IV are tied for 35th after matching 75s (+3) in Sunday’s opening round. Koon had a pair of birdies on the day, but three bogeys and a double left him three-over heading into Monday’s second round. Bryan, like Koon, had a solid round, running off nine straight pars at one point, but two bogeys and a double-bogey were countered by only one birdie to leave him tied for 35th.

Mark Silvers III struggled to find a rhythm, making the turn at three-over and making four straight bogeys on his back nine to finish with a 79 (+7) and a tie for 73rd place.

Sixth-ranked Alabama was the only team under par for the day, shooting 287 (-1) for the first-round tournament lead. Indiana was two strokes back with a 289 (+1), with Southern California one behind the Hoosiers at 290 (+2).

Not surprisingly, the two top players came from the two top teams. Jorge Campillo from Indiana and Matthew Swan of Alabama shot matching 68s to share the tournament lead at 4-under. Oklahoma State’s Kevin Tway was one stroke back at 3-under.

South Carolina will tee off in the first group of the day in Monday’s second round, beginning at 8 a.m. from the No. 1 tee. For full coverage and live results, log on to golfstat.com.