April 20, 2015

South Carolina junior Matt NeSmith fired a final-round 67 (-3) on Sunday at Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course to become just the second golfer in program history to win medalist honors at the SEC Championship.

NeSmith, who joins Eric Ecker (1998) as the only Carolina golfers to win an SEC title, wrapped up the weekend with a 54-hole total of 196 (-14), which is a school SEC Championship record. His nearest competitor, Auburn’s Ben Schlottman, finished six shots back with a total of 202 (-8).

Notable
• NeSmith became just the second Gamecock to win an SEC title. Eric Ecker claimed medalist honors at the rain-shortened 1998 SEC Championship in Athens, Ga., with a total of 136.
• NeSmith’s total of 196 is a school SEC Championship record.
• NeSmith is the first Gamecock to win consecutive events since Carl Paulson won
the PING Intercollegiate (4/11/93) and the Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate (4/25/93) back-to-back in 1993
• The Gamecocks finished runner-up at the SEC Championship for the fourth time in school history (1998, 2008, 2013, 2015).
• Carolina’s 54-hole total of 830 is a school SEC Championship record, besting the previous record of 838 set by the 2014 squad.
• The Gamecocks finished tied for first in the field in par-5 scoring (4.73, -8). Individually NeSmith led the field in par-5 scoring (4.17, -5).
• NeSmith has shot in the 60s in seven-straight rounds.
• NeSmith recorded just one bogey on the weekend.