Gamecocks Finish Fifth at SEC Championship

April 27, 2014

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ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — The South Carolina men’s golf team finished fifth at the SEC Championship after carding a 283 (+3) in the final round on Sunday at Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course.

The Gamecocks wrapped up the event with a total of 838 (-2), which is the lowest 54-hole SEC Championship total in school history.

Top-ranked Alabama won its third-straight SEC title with a total of 806 (-34). LSU finished second with a total of 822 (-18), followed by Auburn (829) and Georgia (833).

Junior Will Murphy was the Gamecocks’ top finisher as he tied for fifth with a total of 205 (-5), which matches the second lowest 54-hole SEC Championship total in school history. Murphy, whose top-five finish is the third of his career, carded a 71 on Sunday, which included four birdies and five bogeys.

Sophomore Matt NeSmith posted a 1-over 71 on Sunday and just missed a top-20 showing, finishing in a tie for 21st with a total of 210 (E). He made bogey on two of his final three holes on the front side to make the turn at 2-over but responded with a bogey-free 34 (-1) on the back nine to get into the clubhouse at 1-over.

Sophomore Will Starke fired the low round of the day for the Gamecocks as he shot a 3-under 67 to end the weekend in a tie for 26th with a total of 211 (+1). After recording a par, a bogey and a par on his first three holes of the day, Starke reeled off birdies on five of his next six holes to make the turn at 4-under. A birdie on No. 11 moved him to 5-under, but he gave back two strokes with consecutive bogeys on holes 13 and 14. He tallied one more red number with a birdie on 15 but fell back to 3-under for the day with a bogey to close out his round on No. 18.

Freshman Ben Dietrich concluded his first SEC Championship with a round of 74 (+4). He finished the weekend in a tie for 43rd with a total of 217 (+7). On the afternoon, Dietrich recorded one birdie, three bogeys and a double bogey.

Junior Caleb Sturgeon turned in a final-round 72 (+2) to finish in a tie for 51st with a total of 218 (+8). After making a bogey on holes three and five, Sturgeon battled down the stretch and made 13 straight pars to close out his round.

Alabama’s Bobby Wyatt took home medalist honors with a total of 192 (-18).

The Gamecocks will now wait for NCAA Regional pairings to be announced. The pairings will be announced live on the Golf Channel from 10 to 11 a.m. on Monday, May 5. South Carolina will be selected to compete in one of the following regionals: Auburn University Club in Auburn, Ala., The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia, Mo., Lonnie Poole Golf Course in Raleigh, N.C., Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill., Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore., and Briggs Ranch Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTST5. Will Murphy (4)      66-68-71=205 (-5)T21. Matthew NeSmith (1)    65-72-73=210 (E)T26. Will Starke (2)     74-70-67=211 (+1)T43. Ben Dietrich (5)       72-71-74=217 (+7)T51. Caleb Sturgeon (3)       77-69-72=218 (+8)
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS1. Alabama          272-266-268=806 (-34)2. LSU              284-275-263=822 (-18)3. Auburn           274-281-274=829 (-11)4. Georgia          277-284-272=833 (-7)5. South Carolina        277-278-283=838 (-2)T6. Missouri            288-280-274=842 (+2)T6. Arkansas            280-287-275=842 (+2)8. Kentucky             287-284-273=844 (+4)T9. Texas A&M           288-286-275=849 (+9)T9. Mississippi State       287-281-281=849 (+9)11. Vanderbilt          288-288-276=852 (+12)T12. Tennessee          289-290-280=859 (+19)T12. Florida            292-281-286=859 (+19)14. Mississippi         292-293-290=875 (+35)