Kelly Finishes Strong as Gamecocks Place 10th at SEC Championship

April 17, 2016

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2016 SEC CHAMPIONSHIP
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GAMECOCK SCORECARDS

Will Starke
Round 1: 75
Round 2: 78
Round 3: 76
To Par: +19
Place: T66th

Matt NeSmith
Round 1: 70
Round 2: 75
Round 3: 72
To Par: +7
Place: T13th

Scott Stevens
Round 1: 74
Round 2: 76
Round 3: 74
To Par: +14
Place: T49th

Keenan Huskey
Round 1: 75
Round 2: 75
Round 3: 73
To Par: +13
Place: T38th

Sean Kelly
Round 1: 73
Round 2: 68
Round 3: 74
To Par: +5
Place: T10th

Pos.	Team	R1	R2	R3	Total
1.	Georgia	277	291	285	853 (+13)
2.	Texas A&M	287	283	286	856 (+16)
T3.	Florida	285	290	286	861 (+21)
T3.	Arkansas	288	283	290	861 (+21)
5.	LSU	294	286	284	864 (+24)
6.	Auburn	291	283	291	865 (+25)
7.	Kentucky	277	289	302	868 (+28)
8.	Vanderbilt	286	294	294	874 (+34)
9.	Tennessee	286	292	297	875 (+35)
10.	South Carolina	292	294	293	879 (+39)
11.	Alabama	294	292	294	880 (+40)
12.	Missouri	289	292	300	881 (+41)
13.	Mississippi	301	298	289	888 (+48)
14.	Mississippi State	304	298	295	895 (+55)

Dates: April 15-17

Location: St. Simons Island, Ga.

Course: Sea Island Golf Club

Par: 70

Yards: 7,005

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Men’s Golf team ended their week at the 2016 SEC Championship on Sunday, finishing 10th overall. The Gamecocks shot a round of 293 (+13) on Sunday to end the tournament with a score of 879 (+39).

The highlight of the week for the Gamecocks came from veteran Sean Kelly. The senior finished tied for 10th, his best career finish at the SEC Championship, by posting a three-day score of 215 (+5). Kelly’s Saturday 68 (-2) was the top round of the tournament for the Gamecocks.

Georgia rallied to win the team championship, posting a three-day score of 853 (+13). The Bulldogs edged Texas A&M (856, +16) by three strokes, with Florida and Arkansas each sharing third place, eight shots back.

Individually, Georgia’s Lee McCoy took the medalist trophy with a three-round total of 207 (-3). He topped Kentucky’s Tyler McDaniel by two strokes. They were the only two individuals to finish the tournament under par.

Kelly shot 74 (+4) on Sunday to close his weekend at Sea Island Golf Club. After struggling out of the gate on Sunday, Kelly regained his form and closed strong. He played the last four holes in 1-under, including a birdie on the par-5 7th hole, to secure his top-10 result.

Matt NeSmith posted the best round of the day for the Gamecocks, a 72 (+2). He finished the event at 217 (+7) to tie for 13th place. The 2015 SEC Championship medalist added two birdies to his card on Sunday, making a 4 on the par-5 5th and 15th holes.

Keenan Huskey finished his first SEC Championship appearance with a three-day total of 223 (+13) to finish tied for 38th. The sophomore posted his best round of the week on Sunday, a 73 (+3) that included three birdies. He was the lone Gamecock to card a birdie on his final hole, the par-4 9th.

Freshman Scott Stevens placed 49th, with a cumulative total of 224 (+14). The Chattanooga, Tenn., native matched his best round of the tournament on Sunday, coming home in 74 (+4).

Will Starke shot a 76 (+6) on Sunday to tally a three-round score of 229 (+19). The senior notched a pair of birdies in his final round of the tournament and finished tied for 66th place.

Quoting Coach Bill McDonald

“Sean Kelly played some really good golf this week. His round yesterday was excellent, a 68 in those conditions. He got off to a really bad start today and was 3-over after three holes and hung in there. I just couldn’t be happier for him. That’s a great finish.”

Round Changer

Kelly’s top-10 finish was his second in a row after he also achieved the feat at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate earlier this month. The senior carded six birdies on the week, including four as part of his Saturday 68. The under par round was one of only seven posted by the entire SEC Championship field on Saturday.

Notable

NeSmith’s 13th-place finish is his second-best in SEC Championship play. In addition to his victory last season, he tied for 21st in 2014 and 20th in 2013.
Kelly’s previous best finish at the SEC Championship was a tie for 23rd in 2013.

Up Next for the Gamecocks

The Gamecocks will now turn their attention to NCAA postseason play. South Carolina will learn their NCAA Regional fate on Thursday, May 5 at 9:30 a.m., when selections are revealed live on Golf Channel. The 2016 NCAA Regionals will be held in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Marana, Ariz., Kohler, Wis., Albuquerque, N.M., Stillwater, Okla., and Franklin, Tenn.