April 15, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Three South Carolina golfers finished in the top 15 individually and the team tied for fourth Sunday at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate, played at the Ohio State Golf Club’s Scarlet Course (Par 71, 7,455 yards) in Columbus, Ohio. Originally scheduled for 54 holes, the event was shortened to 36 due to cold and wet conditions.

South Carolina was tied for second through the first round on Saturday after recording a team score of 294 (+10). The second round was halted on Saturday, also due to the weather, but concluded on Sunday and scores soared across the board. The Gamecocks shot 313 to record a total of 607 (+39). Carolina tied with Northwestern.

Sophomore Florian Fritsch (Munich, Germany) and freshman George Bryan IV (Chapin, S.C.) tied for seventh to lead South Carolina. Bryan produced a two-round total of 70-80=150 (+8) while Fritsch recorded rounds of 73-77=150 (+8). It marked Bryan’s third top-10 finish of the season and Fritsch’s best finish of the season.

Junior Warren Thomas (Columbia, S.C.) turned in a season-best performance by tying for 11th individually. Thomas was one stroke behind Bryan and Fritsch with rounds of 74-77-151 (+9).

Junior Mark Anderson (Beaufort, S.C.) shot 77-79=156 to tied for 36th and sophomore Allen Koon rounded out the Gamecock lineup by tying for 46th with a score of 78-81=159.

Redshirt sophomore Patrick Cunning (Aiken, S.C.), who played as an individual, tied for 61st after firing identical rounds of 81.

The team finish tied for South Carolina’s best of the season. The Gamecocks shared fourth place at the Schenkel E-Z- Go Invitational (March 17-18) and placed fourth outright at the Augusta State Invitational (March 30-April 1).

The Gamecocks will compete in the SEC Championship this week at the Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga. The Championship runs April 20-22.

Robert Kepler Intercollegiate
South Carolina Scores (Final)
T7 George Bryan IV 70-80=150 (+8)
T7 Florian Fritsch 73-77=150 (+8)
T11 Warren Thomas 74-77=151 (+9)
T36 Mark Anderson 77-79=156 (+14)
T46 Allen Koon 78-81=159 (+17)

T61 Patrick Cunning 81-81=162 (playing as an individual)

Final Team Leader Board
1 Louisville, U. of 292 299 591 +23
2 Michigan State 295 305 600 +32
3 Penn State U. 296 310 606 +38
T4 South Carolina 294 313 607 +39
T4 Northwestern 295 312 607 +39
6 Illinois 306 306 612 +44
7 Ohio State Univ. 305 315 620 +52
T8 Michigan, U. of 313 310 623 +55
T8 Purdue 303 320 623 +55
10 Indiana University 313 312 625 +57
11 Notre Dame, U. of 314 314 628 +60
12 Iowa, U. of 308 324 632 +64
13 Wisconsin, U. of 319 320 639 +71
14 Ohio University 309 331 640 +72
15 SMU 317 324 641 +73
16 Marshall University 322 332 654 +86