Dec. 4, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina senior golfer Will Murphy has been named the 2014 South Carolina Golf Association Player of the Year, the SCGA announced Thursday.

Murphy is the first Gamecock to win the award since Mark Anderson, who claimed 2009 Player of the Year honors.

A native of Columbia, S.C., Murphy turned in a spectacular year playing in nationally recognized amateur events. He finished atop the SCGA points standings with 415 despite not gaining any points from SCGA conducted events and earning all of his points by late July. He captured two prestigious amateur titles, winning the Azalea Invitational in March at the Country Club of Charleston and claiming the Sunnehanna Amateur at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pa., in June.

Murphy also accumulated points by finishing tied for fifth at the SEC Championship, tied for 15th at the NCAA Championship, tied for seventh at the Palmetto Amateur, tied for 10th at the Northeast Amateur, tied for 18th at the Porter Cup and by qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Championship.

A 2014 PING Honorable Mention All-American, Murphy played in three tournaments for the Gamecocks during the fall and helped lead the team to a win at the Carpet Capital Collegiate with a tie for eighth finish. He has played in 31 career events for the Gamecocks and has recorded 11 top-20 finishes.

Murphy and the Gamecocks will open their spring schedule at the Bayou City Collegiate Championships on Feb. 20-22 at the Golf Club of Houston in Humble, Texas.