April 13, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Men’s Golf team starts postseason play when they take part in one of the nation’s most challenging conference tournaments, the 2016 SEC Championship. The tournament runs from April 15-17 at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga.

Live scoring for all three rounds is available at Golfstat.com. The Gamecocks will tee off at 8:20 a.m. on Friday, with Saturday and Sunday tee times to be determined later. Fans can get more information on the SEC Championship by visiting the league’s Tournament Central page.

BREAKING DOWN THE 2016 SEC CHAMPIONSHIP

Eight of the 14 teams at the SEC Championship are ranked in the Golfstat top-25, including top-15 clubs Georgia (4), Auburn (6), Vanderbilt (7), South Carolina (13) and LSU (14). The Gamecocks are 12-8 head-to-head against SEC opponents this season.

This is the 16th straight season that St. Simons Island, Ga., hosts the SEC Men’s Championship and the 14th time that Sea Island Golf Club will serve as host. The 7,055-yard, par-70 Seaside layout is ranked as the seventh-best course in the state of Georgia according to Golf Digest.

Quoting Coach Bill McDonald

LAST SEASON AT THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2015 SEC Championship was an historic tournament for then-junior Matt NeSmith, who won medalist honors in record fashion. NeSmith broke South Carolina’s 54-hole school record with a score of 196 (-14), six strokes clear of the field. He made just one bogey for the entire tournament.

As a team, the Gamecocks tied for second with a score of 830 (-10), even with Vanderbilt and three strokes behind conference champion LSU. South Carolina’s score of 830 was a program record at the SEC Championship.

Two other current Gamecocks were part of the 2015 SEC Championship squad; Sean Kelly tied for 42nd (215, +5) and Will Starke tied for 47th (217, +7).

SOUTH CAROLINA’S SEC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

This will be South Carolina’s 25th appearance at the SEC Championship. The Gamecocks have finished as conference runner-up four times. They lost by one stroke to Georgia in 1998, eight strokes to Alabama in 2008, two shots to the Crimson Tide in 2013 and three shots to LSU last season.

Matt NeSmith is one of two Gamecocks to finish as the medalist at the SEC Championship. The first to achieve the feat, Eric Ecker, won the rain-shortened 1998 event with a 36-hole score of 136. In 2010, Gamecock George Bryan IV tied Georgia’s Russell Henley for the top spot, at 204, before Henley took the trophy in a playoff.

Two Gamecocks will be making their fourth and final appearance at the SEC Championship this week. In addition to his 2015 victory, NeSmith tied for 21st (210, E) in 2014 and 20th (212, +2) in 2013. Will Starke tied for 47th last year, 26th (211, +1) in 2014 and 63rd (229, +19) in 2013. Sean Kelly is making his third trip to Sea Island; he tied for 42nd last season and 23rd (219, +9) in 2013.

RECAPPING THE HOOTIE AT BULLS BAY INTERCOLLEGIATE

South Carolina stood in the winner’s circle for a fourth time this season when they ran away with the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, their second-straight victory at the event. Carolina trailed Charleston Southern after the first day but held an eight-shot lead after two days and ended with a tournament-record score of 841 (-23), 15 strokes clear of College of Charleston. The Gamecocks led by as many as 20 strokes during the last round.

Individually, sophomore Keenan Huskey blitzed the field with a score of 205 (-11) to win medalist honors by six strokes. The Greenville, S.C., native opened with a career-best round of 65 (-7) and was one of only three players to break 70 in blustery conditions on the final day. It was his second win of the season.

Each of the five Gamecocks at Bulls Bay finished in the top-10. Scott Stevens ran his top-10 streak to four consecutive tournaments by tying for sixth at 214 (-2). Seniors Matt NeSmith, Will Starke and Sean Kelly each tied for 10th at 215 (-1). The finish was the best of the season for Kelly, and NeSmith extended his Gamecocks record with his 24th career top-10.

HUSKEY NAMED SEC GOLFER OF THE WEEK AFTER HISTORIC WIN

Sophomore Keenan Huskey was named Southeastern Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week on April 6 on the heels of his six-stroke win at the Hootie. It was Huskey’s first career SEC weekly honor and the third this year for the Gamecocks after Matt NeSmith was chosen on March 9 and March 16. Huskey’s win was his second of 2015-16, which makes him one of just eight Gamecocks to win twice in one season. He joins a group that includes Allen Powers (1966-67), Steve Liebler (1979-80), Carl Paulson (1992-93), Kyle Thompson (1998-99 and 2000-01), George Bryan IV (2009-10), Paul Woodbury (2009-10) and NeSmith (2014-15 and 2015-16).

CHASING RECORDS

Seniors Matt NeSmith and Will Starke entered the season with several career school records within reach. The duo sits in spots one and two for career scoring average with NeSmith in the top spot at 71.66 and Starke in second at 72.09. NeSmith won his fourth career individual tournament at the General Hackler Championship, which moves him into a tie for second in the Gamecock record books behind Kyle Thompson, and he now holds the school’s all-time record with 24 career top-10 finishes.

MCDONALD’S 18

Gamecock head coach Bill McDonald is the winningest coach by tournament victories in school history with 18. McDonald broke the previous record of nine held by Puggy Blackmon (1995-2007) with Carolina’s win at the Carpet Capital Collegiate in September 2014. McDonald captured a school-record five wins in 2014-15 and snagged his fourth victory this season with Carolina’s 15-shot victory at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate.

GAMECOCKS EARN MACKENZIE TOUR STATUS

Three Gamecock seniors earned status on the Mackenzie Tour at the Canadian circuit’s Q-School, which wrapped up on April 2. Will Starke was the medalist at the event, finishing with a score of 272 (-16) to earn a full exemption for the full 2016 season. Matt NeSmith finished one stroke behind Starke to earn an exemption to the first leg of the tour, and Sean Kelly tied for 17th to earn conditional status. The three current Gamecocks will join 2015 South Carolina alumnus Caleb Sturgeon on the 2016 Mackenzie Tour circuit. Sturgeon tied for 11th at the first round of Q-School, and he will be exempt through the first reshuffle.

NESMITH NAMED TO BEN HOGAN AWARD WATCH LIST; SEMIFINALISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED APRIL 13

Matt NeSmith was named to the 2016 Ben Hogan Award Watch List on Feb. 10. NeSmith is one of 25 candidates for the top award in men’s college golf and the first Gamecock in program history to make the list. Awarded by Colonial Country Club, the Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches Association of America, the Ben Hogan Award presented by Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) is issued annually to the top men’s NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer. The list will be trimmed to 10 semifinalists on April 13, and the winner will be crowned on Monday, May 23, prior to the start of the PGA TOUR’s Colonial National Invitation Tournament.

RECAPPING THE VALSPAR COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL (MARCH 21-22)

The Gamecocks took on perhaps the strongest field in college golf’s regular season when they finished tied for fifth at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational. Carolina’s overall score of 874 (+22) was 19 shots back of Texas. The team’s best round was the last, a 282 (-2) that moved the Gamecocks up four spots on the leaderboard.

Individually, Matt NeSmith again carried South Carolina with a score of 213 (E) to tie for fifth. It was his 23rd career top-10 finish, setting a new program record. Scott Stevens notched his third straight top-10, with a score of 215 (+2) to tie for 10th. Keenan Huskey (220, +7) tied for 25th, Will Starke (227, +14) tied for 59th and Will Miles (235, +22) tied for 72nd. Starke’s 69 in the final round was the best of the tournament for the Gamecocks.

RECAPPING THE GENERAL HACKLER CHAMPIONSHIP (MARCH 12-13)

South Carolina won for the second time in less than a week when they captured the General Hackler Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Gamecocks finished seven shots better than Virginia with a team score of 841 (-23). The Gamecocks trailed North Florida after the first round by a single stroke, but a 279 (-9) in the second round helped Bill McDonald’s team build a three-shot lead going into the final day. Through Virginia briefly took the lead on Sunday, the Gamecocks were better on the back nine to secure the win.

With the win, the Gamecocks achieved consecutive victories for the fourth time since 1987-88 and the second time in as many years. The victory was the first time on record that Carolina has won two tournaments in the span of one calendar week.

Senior Matt NeSmith tied Virginia’s Ryan Stanger for medalist honors, at 207 (-9). NeSmith fired back-to-back 67s in the final two rounds and birdied the 54th hole to secure the win. It was the second individual victory of the week for NeSmith and the fourth of his Gamecock career.

Scott Stevens added a top-10 finish, shooting 213 (-3) to tie for ninth. Will Starke and Keenan Huskey each tied for 15th at 215 (-1), while Will Miles tied for 31st (218, +2) and Sean Kelly tied for 47th (223, +7).

RECAPPING THE PALMETTO INTERCOLLEGIATE (MARCH 7-8)

South Carolina won their second consecutive Palmetto Intercollegiate title, finishing with a tournament record score of 821 (-19), 18 shots better than Virginia. The Gamecocks nearly set a school record with their second round, a 266 (-14) that was one shot higher than the program best 18-hole score.

All five Gamecocks finished in the top-10, led by medalist Matt NeSmith. NeSmith birdied the 54th hole to win by one stroke with a score of 203 (-7). It’s his third career tournament title individually.

Will Starke finished third individually, at 205 (-5), while both Will Miles and Scott Stevens tied for sixth, at 209 (-1). Miles shot 66 in the second round and was tied for the individual lead after 36 holes, while Starke also posted a 66 on Monday afternoon. Sophomore Keenan Huskey placed 10th, at 201 (E) to round out the Gamecock lineup.

STARKE GRABS SPOT ON BYRON NELSON AWARD NOMINEE LIST

Senior Will Starke was named to the nominee list for the 2016 Byron Nelson Award on March 9. Starke was one of 10 players eligible for the award, given annually to a graduating senior who excels not only on the golf course but also in the classroom and community. A native of Chapin, S.C., Starke earned All-America honors from PING and Golfweek in 2015 in addition to garnering All-America Scholar laurels from Cleveland Golf/Srixon. He’s a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection and a two-time individual tournament medalist.

NeSMITH WINS CONSECUTIVE SEC MEN’S GOLFER OF THE WEEK AWARDS

Senior Matt NeSmith was named Southeastern Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week on March 9 and again on March 16. He’s now won the award three times as a Gamecock.

NeSmith won the SEC’s top weekly honor after capturing medalist honors at the Palmetto Intercollegiate, held March 7-8 in Aiken, S.C., and then again after finishing as the co-medalist at the General Hackler Championship, which ran March 12-13 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He has won four career medalist honors.

RECAPPING THE ALL-AMERICAN INTERCOLLEGIATE (FEB. 19-21)

South Carolina finished third against one of the strongest fields in the nation at the All-American Intercollegiate in Humble, Texas. The Gamecocks finished the three-day event with a total score of 868 (+4), 13 strokes behind tournament champion Arkansas and 12 shots behind Houston. South Carolina’s best day was Saturday, when they collectively shot 287 (-1).

Senior Matt NeSmith finished second individually, with a score of 210 (-6), three strokes back of medalist honors. NeSmith posted his best 54-hole score and highest individual finish of the season while playing in very tough conditions. His best round came on Sunday, a bogey-free 67 (-5) that included five birdies. He made just one bogey on his final 34 holes. Playing as an individual, freshman Will Miles finished tied for 7th at 214 (-2). Miles shot 71 (-1) on Friday, matching Carolina’s best round of the day, and he equaled NeSmith’s 67 (-5) on Sunday. The round matched his career best and was, along with NeSmith, the lowest round of the day in the entire tournament.

Scott Stevens (219, +3) finished tied for 21st, with Will Starke (221, +5) checking in tied for 26th, Sean Kelly (222, +6) placing tied for 31st and Keenan Huskey (225, +9) tying for 46th.

RECAPPING THE SAVANNAH QUARTERS INDIVIDUAL INTERCOLLEGIATE (FEB. 8)

South Carolina sent three golfers to compete as individuals in Savannah, with freshman Will Miles pacing the trio. Miles (+5, 149) tied for 13th, while Ryan Stachler (+12, 156) placed 30th and Alex Handy (+16, 160) tied for 40th. Originally scheduled for 54 holes, the final round was cancelled due to inclement weather.

RECAPPING THE KA’ANAPALI CLASSIC COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL (NOV. 6-8)

South Carolina took on a strong field and finished in fifth place in their final tournament of the fall, carding a three-day total of 864 (+12), 27 strokes behind tournament champion Oklahoma. Individually, Keenan Huskey led Carolina with a sixth place result with a total score of 210 (-3). His second round score of 69 (-2) was the best round of the event by a Gamecock. Matt NeSmith and Will Starke tied for 36th, at 220 (+7), and freshman Scott Stevens finished 44th, one stroke back of the seniors.

Just one shot behind Stevens was Miles, who finished the tournament tied for 49th. His best round was his last, a one-under-par 70. The highlight of the day came on the 485-yard, par-5 9th hole, where he carded his first eagle of the season.

RECAPPING THE CAMDEN COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL (OCT. 24-25)

South Carolina captured the Camden Collegiate Invitational for the second year in a row, winning by 25 strokes over Charleston Southern. The host Gamecocks set a school record in the second round with a 15-under 265 to pull away from the field and coasted with a 285 on the final day for their first win of the season. South Carolina’s 2-under 838 marked the first time in 2015-16 it finished a tournament under par. Sophomore Keenan Huskey captured his first medalist honor with a 5-under 205 to edge freshman teammate Will Miles by three strokes. It was Miles’ first career tournament. Freshman Scott Stevens placed in a tie for 10th after shooting a 215 (+5), freshman Ryan Stachler tied for 22nd (+8, 218) and senior Sean Kelly was T-26th (+9, 219). For head coach Bill McDonald, it was his 15th career win at the helm for South Carolina, extending his school record over Puggy Blackmon by six.

RECAPPING THE TAVISTOCK COLLEGIATE INVITE (OCT. 18-20)

Senior Matt NeSmith earned a 16th-place finish (+4, 220) at the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational after carding an even 72 in the tournament’s final round at Isleworth Country Club in Orlando, Fla. It was his third top-20 finish this fall in as many events and the 27th of his career. His 12 birdies over the course of the invitational were second-most in the field. The Gamecocks finished ninth in the event with an overall score of 887 (+23). Illinois (+1, 865) won the Tavistock Invitational after rallying from a 9-stroke deficit in the third round. Sophomore Keenan Huskey also turned in a solid final round, recording a 1-over 73. Huskey finished the event in a tie for 28th (+7, 223). Senior Will Starke earned a 34th-place finish (+8, 224), redshirt senior Sean Kelly recorded a 49th-place finish (+12, 228) and freshman Scott Stevens ended the tournament in a tie for 46th (+11, 227). Stevens’ 3.00 par-3 scoring average for the tourney ranked him third among all competitors.

RECAPPING THE SHOAL CREEK INVITATIONAL (SEPT. 28-29)

Senior Sean Kelly led the Gamecocks with a 2-under 70 on the final day of the Shoal Creek Invitational in Birmingham, Ala., as Carolina finished the tournament in sixth place with a 54-hole total of 876 (+12). The Gamecocks entered the day in a tie for second at 6-over (582) with North Florida and College of Charleston, all seven strokes behind tournament host UAB (-1, 575) after 36 holes. The Blazers ran away with the tournament on the final day, shooting 12-under to win by 15 strokes over North Florida. Kelly shot 2-over for the tournament after carding a pair of 74s in the first two rounds combined with his 70 on the final day and took a tie for 12th place on the individual leaderboard at 218, his eighth career top-20 finish. Classmate Matt NeSmith was the low man for the Gamecocks at the tournament for the second time in a row with a 216 (73-70-73) to finish even and tied for seventh, the 19th top-10 finish of his career.

RECAPPING THE CARPET CAPITAL COLLEGIATE (SEPT. 11-13)

The Gamecocks posted a final-round 296 (+8) at The Farm Golf Club in Rocky Face, Ga., to finish in third place at the Carpet Capital Collegiate. South Carolina wrapped up the weekend with a 54-hole total of 880 (+16). Auburn captured the tournament title with a total of 868 (+4) after shooting a 287 (-1) on the final day. Carolina senior Matt NeSmith recorded his 18th career top-10 finish as he tied for seventh with a total of 217 (+1) after shooting a final-round 74 (+2). He tallied a pair of birdies and four bogeys on the afternoon. Freshman Scott Stevens concluded a solid debut for the Gamecocks with a tie for 14th with a total of 221 (+5). Stevens carded a 76, which included one birdie and five bogeys.

EXPERIENCE RETURNS

Carolina returns seven golfers from last year’s squad, including seniors Matt NeSmith, Will Starke and Sean Kelly. The senior trio has played in a combined 116 tournaments for the Gamecocks during their careers and has recorded 44 top-10 finishes. Starke (second-team PING and Golfweek) and NeSmith (third-team PING and Golfweek) were named All-Americans last season and both earned first-team PING All-Southeast Region and All-SEC honors. They collected spots on the Golfweek Preseason All-America teams this fall with NeSmith landing on the first team. NeSmith is a candidate for the Ben Hogan Award, and Starke was on the initial Byron Nelson Award nominee list.

FRESHMAN CONTRIBUTOR

Newcomer Scott Stevens has quickly established himself as a potential fixture in the Gamecocks’ lineup throughout the season having now appeared in South Carolina’s top five for each tournament. He finished in a tie for 14th place in his first tournament, the Carpet Capital Collegiate, and followed with a tie for 20th at the Shoal Creek Invitational. At the Camden Collegiate Invitational, he took home a tie for 10th to mark his first career top-10 finish, and he fired Carolina’s best first round score, a 70, at the Ka`anapali Classic Collegiate Invitational. Stevens now has five top-10 results this season. His score has counted in 26 of 30 rounds that he has played as a member of the lineup.

UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS

The Gamecocks will turn their attention to NCAA postseason play following the conclusion of the SEC Championship. 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.