March 27, 2012

AWENDAW, S.C. — On the most difficult scoring day at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, South Carolina played its best golf of the tournament on Tuesday, shooting a final-round 296 (+8) at Bulls Bay Golf Club.

The Gamecocks climbed three spots to finish in sixth place with a three-round score of 877 (+13). Carolina posted the third lowest round of the day to make the move despite dealing with winds between 20-30 mph for most of the round. Junior Dykes Harbin and freshman Will Murphy each shot a 72 (E), while sophomore Blaine Woodruff and freshman Caleb Sturgeon each recorded a 4-over 76 to lead the way in the windy conditions.

“We had unbelievable winds out of the north, which is the hardest for the golf course,” South Carolina head coach Bill McDonald said. “It was sometimes a three or four-club wind. I was really proud of Will Murphy and Dykes Harbin. They shot even par rounds. Caleb Sturgeon and Blaine Woodruff hung in there too and really helped us. We came really close to moving well up the board. Considering how frustrated they were the first two days, I was proud of how they came back with a strong round today and helped us move up the board. That showed a lot of character.”

Harbin’s 72 was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 13th that moved him to 2-under on the day. However, he bogeyed two out of his final four holes to finish the round at even par. Harbin earned his third top-20 finish of the season by tying for 19th with a three-day total of 219 (+3).

Murphy tied for 29th with a score of 223 (+7). He got off to a strong start with birdies on three of his first six holes on his way to making the turn at 2-under but he was unable to move up the leaderboard after carding a 2-over 37 on the back nine.

Sturgeon wrapped up the tournament in a tie for 19th with a score of 219 (+3), while Woodruff finished in a tie for 25th with a score of 222 (+6).

Senior Wesley Bryan shot an 82 (+10) on the day as he tied for 45th with a score of 227 (+11).

Second-ranked Auburn shot a 294 (+6) on Tuesday and won the tournament with a three-round total of 854 (-10). Virginia took second with a score of 863 (-1), followed by Texas A&M (866), Kentucky (869) and LSU (875). Auburn’s Niclas Carlsson posted a final-round 71 (-1) to claim medalist honors with a score of 211 (-5).

The Gamecocks have a short turnaround before heading to their next tournament as they are scheduled to begin play on Saturday in the Insperity Augusta State Invitational. The 54-hole event runs through Sunday at Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS
T19. Dykes Harbin 74-73-72=219
T19. Caleb Sturgeon 71-72-76=219
T25. Blaine Woodruff 73-73-76=222
T29. Will Murphy 76-75-72=223
T45. Wesley Bryan 73-72-82=227

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Auburn 285-275-294=854
2. Virginia 287-289-287=863
3. Texas A&M 289-278-299=866
4. Kentucky 285-282-302=869
5. LSU 286-287-302=875
6. South Carolina 291-290-296=877
7. North Carolina State 291-279-312=882
8. North Carolina 290-281-313=884
9. Mississippi 292-284-316=892
10. Augusta State 294-294-306=894
T11. Wake Forest 298-299-305=902
T11. Wisconsin 301-298-303=902
13. College of Charleston 295-300-310=905
T14. Maryland 293-299-319=911
T14. Wofford College 294-298-319=911