No. 17 Gamecocks, Miles Roll to Wins at Southern Intercollegiate

ATHENS, Ga. — No. 17 South Carolina finished the regular season on a high note after winning the 2019 Southern Intercollegiate Monday evening, a one-day, 36-hole event hosted by the University of Georgia. The Gamecocks ran away with the victory in breezy conditions at Athens Country Club, winning by 20 shots with a final tally of 562 (-14) after two under par rounds of 284 (-4) and 278 (-10).
 
Senior Will Miles took home medalist honors at 8-under par to lead the team. He shot 71 (-1) in the first round and 65 (-7) in round two en route to his second collegiate win. Miles led the field in red numbers with 14 as he was the only player in the 85-man field to post double-digit birdies today. With his impressive victory today, Miles joins All-Americans Keenan Huskey, Matt NeSmith and Kyle Thompson as the only players in program history to win multiple times in the same season. Huskey won twice as a sophomore in 2015-16, NeSmith won twice as a junior in the spring of 2015 and Thompson won two times as a sophomore in the spring of 1999.
 
“It was a great day for the team and Will just played lights out in the second round,” said head coach Bill McDonald. “Play was fairly slow today, but it was another excellent effort by our guys. This team has a lot of confidence, and we are very much looking forward to the SEC Championship next week.”
 
Fellow senior Scott Stevens was the runner-up medalist at 4-under after rounds of 71 (-1) and 69 (-3). It’s the fourth career second place finish for Stevens. The Chattanooga, Tenn., native has started every tournament the past four seasons for South Carolina with 30 top-20s in 47 starts.
 
Junior Caleb Proveaux and senior Ryan Stachler also finished in the top-10 for the Gamecocks. Proveaux took home third place with rounds of 70 (-2) and 72 (E), marking the second career top-five for the local product out of Lexington, S.C. Stachler finished ninth after back-to-back, even par 72s. Four of Stachler’s six career top-10s have come in Carolina’s hot stretch this spring. In 22 rounds this season, the Alpharetta, Ga., native, has just one double-bogey (third round of the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational). Junior Jamie Wilson finished T-35^th after shooting 77 (+5) and 75 (+3) respectively, snapping a streak of six consecutive under par rounds.
 
NOTABLE
> Today marked McDonald’s 24^th victory as head coach at South Carolina, adding to his program record for tournament wins. McDonald’s first victory came at the 2007 NCAA West Regional when he was serving as interim head coach that spring.
> The team now has three wins during the 2018-19 season, marking the fourth time under McDonald with three or more victories in the same season (2013, 2015, 2016, 2019). His team won a program record five times during the 2014-15 season.  
> In the team’s last five outings dating back to the record setting win at Palmetto Golf Club on March 12, South Carolina is 111-under par with three victories, a third-place finish in a loaded field at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational on March 19 and a runner-up finish at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational April 7.
> During the stretch, Carolina has recorded a team scoring average of 277.50 with 267 birdies and 15 eagles.
> The Gamecocks led the field in birdies (39), eagles (3), par-4 scoring average (4.02, +2) and par-5 scoring average (4.40, -24) at the Southern Intercollegiate today.
> South Carolina picked up a crucial win over No. 14 Georgia by 23 shots at the event, improving its record against SEC opponents to 13-10 this season.
 
UP NEXT
Carolina has a week off before getting ready for the beginning of postseason play at the 2019 SEC Championship (April 24-28), which will be held at Sea Island Golf Club (St. Simons Island, Ga.) for the 19^th time. The conference tournament will be the same format as the past two seasons with 54-hole stroke play followed by match play between the top-eight teams in stroke play. Click here for more information.
 
FINAL TEAM SCOREBOARD – 2019 SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE 
1. No. 17 South Carolina – 562 (-14)
2. Wofford – 582 (+6)
3. No. 14 Georgia – 585 (+9)
4. Gardner-Webb – 592 (+16)
T-5. Kennesaw Statee – 593 (+17)
T-5. USC-Upstate – 593 (+17)
T-5. Western Kentucky – 593 (+17)
8. North Alabama – 602 (+26)
9. UNCW – 608 (+32)
10. Youngstown State – 611 (+35)
11. Georgia (B) – 615 (+39)
12. North Georgia – 616 (+40)
13. Savannah State – 619 (+43)
T-14. Central Arkansas – 622 (+46)
T-14. Western Carolina – 622 (+46)
T-16. Nicholls State – 627 (+51)
T-16. Francis Marion – 627 (+51)
 
FINAL GAMECOCK LEADERBOARD – 2019 SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE
1. Will Miles – 136 (-8)
2. Scott Stevens – 140 (-4)
T-3. Caleb Proveaux – 142 (-2)
9. Ryan Stachler – 144 (E)
T-35. Jamie Wilson – 152 (+8)
 
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