Oct. 3, 2010

By Wes Todd
Assistant Media Relations Director

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Four individuals will compete for the South Carolina men’s golf team in the Rees Jones Intercollegiate, which runs Monday and Tuesday at Haig Point Golf Club in Daufuskie Island, S.C.

Senior Chase Liebler and sophomores Michael Raines, Dykes Harbin and Clint Tolleson will compete as individuals in the two-day event on the Rees Jones Signature Course. Tolleson has experience in this event, having played here in 2009 when the Gamecocks competed as a team and won by a whopping 37 shots. Tolleson tied for 23rd place with rounds of 82-69-79=230.

Raines will be making his first appearance as a Gamecock. A native of Acworth, Ga., Raines transferred to South Carolina in the fall of 2009 after playing baseball at Berry College in Rome, Ga., for a year. He redshirted the 2009-10 season after suffering a shoulder injury in the fall, and he dons the Garnet and Black for the first time this week.

Liebler played in three “Garnet Team” events last season with his best finish being a tie for 28th at the Coker Intercollegiate. Liebler, the son of former Gamecock head coach Steve Liebler, joined the team last August via walk-on tryouts after not competing at the collegiate level his first two years at South Carolina.

Harbin will also be making his fourth “Garnet Team” appearance for the Gamecocks. Last season, he had a pair of top-10 finishes in individual events, highlighted by a victory at the 2009 Charleston Southern Fall Invitational. Harbin had a 74.85 scoring average in seven individual rounds last season.

While the Gamecocks will not be able to defend their two consecutive team titles at the Rees Jones Intercollegiate, a Gamecock individual could win for the third straight year. Paul Woodbury tied for medalist honors each of the last two seasons, falling in a playoff to Wesley Bryan in 2008 but then defeating George Bryan IV in extra holes in 2009.

Joining the Gamecocks and host Michigan State will be Alabama State, Charleston Southern, Jackson State, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, San Jose State, Tennessee State, Winthrop and Wofford. The tournament begins at 8:30 a.m. both days with 36 holes on Monday and an 18-hole finish Tuesday.