Sept. 10, 2010

ROCKY FACE, Ga. – South Carolina sophomore Dean Hester posted one of 22 rounds at par or better with an even-par 72 to lead the Gamecocks on Friday at the Carpet Capital Collegiate. The Gamecocks shot 298 (+10) as a team and are in 10th place after one round.

Hester went 34-38 in his opening round at The Farm Golf Club (par 72, 7,012 yards) to tie for 16th place. After starting with a bogey at the first, the native of Dublin, Ga., caught fire with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 2 and 3, then made five straight pars before another birdie at the 9th to make the turn at 2-under. The back nine would play tougher, yielding no birdies and two bogeys at 10 and 16 to give him an even-par round.

Freshman Blaine Woodruff, playing in his first collegiate event, posted a 35-39=74 (+2), to tie for 31st place after 18 holes. Woodruff also made the turn under par after birdies at the sixth and ninth holes along with bogey at No. 5. He was still 1-under through 15 holes, but three straight bogeys to close his round at 2-over.

Fellow freshman Logan Harrell and sophomore Clint Tolleson posted matching rounds of 76 (+4) to share a tie for 43rd place. Harrell started out hot with two birdies in his first three holes, then made three bogeys over his next five before a birdie at No. 9 pulled him back to even par at the turn. Bogeys at 13, 14, 17 and 18 gave him a back-nine 40 to drop him to 4-over for the day.

Tolleson started slow with three bogeys on his first four holes, then made double-bogey at the ninth to drop him to 4-over at the turn. But he played the next three holes at 3-under with birdie at the 10th and an eagle 3 at the short par-5 12th to get back to 1-over. But like Woodruff, he bogeyed the final three holes to finish at 4-over. Junior Wesley Bryan struggled on the day, posting an 85 (+13).

Alabama leads the team standings after an opening 280 (-8), followed by Clemson (-5) and Auburn (-3). Individually, a pair of Tigers share the lead as Auburn’s Blayne Barber and Clemson’s David Dannelly posted matching rounds of 67 (-5).

The Gamecocks’ tee times begin at 8:50 a.m. Saturday on the No. 10 tee, once again paired with Clemson and Georgia Tech. Live scoring is available through golfstat.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS
T16. Dean Hester – 72 (E)
T31. Blaine Woodruff – 74 (+2)
T43. Logan Harrell – 76 (+4)
T43. Clint Tolleson – 76 (+4)
60. Wesley Bryan – 85 (+13)