April 17, 2011

Photo Gallery

By Wes Todd
Assistant Media Relations Director

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Caulder Moore wrapped up his freshman year on a high note with a 1-under-par 69 in Sunday’s final round of the SEC Championship. The Gamecocks shot a final-round 298 (+18) to finish the week at 887 (+47) and in 10th place, two shots back of Kentucky and three back of Ole Miss.

Moore posted his best 18-hole varsity round as a Gamecock on a course that surrendered very few sub-par rounds this week. Today’s score was one shot better than a round of 70 in the final round of the Mason Rudolph Championship in September, his first collegiate event. Moore did, however, post rounds of 68 and 65 at the Barefoot at the Beach – a non-varsity event – en route to a runner-up finish there in March.

On Sunday, Moore made the most of the benign weather conditions and less-tricky pin placements as he carded four birdies on the round. After a bogey at the par-3 12th, he came back with birdie at the par-5 15th to get back to even for the day as he turned at even par. He would then make birdies at Nos. 2 and 4 to get to 2-under before a three-putt bogey at the fifth. Two more pars at the sixth and seventh kept him at 1-under, but a stellar approach shot from the edge of the bunker on No. 8 left him with a short birdie putt, which he converted to get to 2-under with one hole to play. His par putt at 18 just eked by the hole as he finished with a 69 and a tie for 21st place at 8-over-par for the week.

Despite some difficulties in his final round, junior Wesley Bryan was the Gamecocks’ top finisher for the week as he earned his third top-10 of the year, tying for 14th place. He shot 76 (+6) in the final round to finish at 6-over for the tournament. He got off to a rough start, bogeying two of his first three holes, then made bogey at the 16th to make the turn at 3-over. After pars at Nos. 1 and 2, he three-putted for bogey at No. 3, then missed the next two greens and made bogeys on each. He would right the ship, however, and make pars on his last four holes to shoot 38-38=76.

Freshman Blaine Woodruff was consistent throughout the week, posting his third straight round of 76 (+6) to finish off the week. A pair of double-bogeys on 13 and 17 were costly to the freshman from Acworth, Ga., as he played the rest of his round at 2-over-par. Sophomore Dykes Harbin got off to a really rough start that included a controversial ruling on his initial shot of the day, leading to a triple bogey-double-bogey start to the round. But from there, he was steady with three more bogeys on the back but a bogey-free front nine that included a birdie on the closing ninth to finish off a round of 77 (+7). Dean Hester finished off his first trip to the SEC Championship with an 81 (+11), but he birdied the difficult 18th for the second straight day.

Florida captured the SEC title with a final-round 281 (+1) to give the Gators a team total of 848 (+8), winning by six shots over Alabama, who shot the low round of the tournament with a 2-under-par 278 Sunday. The Gators’ Andres Echavarria was the tournament medalist, winning on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff over LSU’s John Peterson as the two tied at 1-under-par 209.

SEC MEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP – FINAL ROUND
April 17, 2011 • St. Simons Island, Ga.
Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside) • Par 70, 6,991 Yards

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS
T14. Wesley Bryan – 71-69-76=216 (+6)
T21. Caulder Moore – 73-76-69=218 (+8)
48. Blaine Woodruff – 76-76-76=228 (+18)
T49. Dean Hester – 74-74-81=229 (+19)
54. Dykes Harbin – 76-78-77=231 (+21)

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Florida – 285-282-281=848 (+8)
2. Alabama – 291-285-278=854 (+14)
3. Tennessee – 286-287-283=856 (+16)
4. Georgia – 292-288-282=862 (+22)
5. LSU – 292-291-282=865 (+25)
6. Arkansas – 286-294-290=870 (+30)
7. Auburn – 292-294-286=872 (+32)
8. Mississippi – 303-291-290=884 (+44)
9. Kentucky – 293-297-295=885 (+45)
10. South Carolina – 294-295=298=887 (+47)
11. Mississippi State – 299-310-293=902 (+62)
12. Vanderbilt – 299-308-299=906 (+66)