April 4, 2004

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The South Carolina men’s golf moved up two places over the final 20 holes of play on Sunday and finished tied for eighth with NC State and Texas at the Cleveland Golf/Augusta State Invitational in Augusta, Ga. The 54-hole tournament was contested at the par-72, 7,231-yard Forest Hills Golf Club.

The Gamecocks were unable to find red figures on the weekend, along with the much of the field, and finished the event with a 54-hole score of 293-294-295-882. That score was 21 strokes behind team champion Minnesota, which was the only team to finish play under par at 3-under-par, 283-291-287–861.

Alex Hamilton and Jake Thompson led South Carolina’s individuals in the field, as both finished tied for 28th place with three-round scores of 71-74-76-221 and 70-72-79-221, respectively. Those scores were 14 shots off the pace of individual co-medalists, Matt Hendrix of Clemson and Duke’s Nathan Smith, who both finished play in the tournament at 9-under-par, with scores of 72-68-67-207 and 68-70-69-207, respectively.

The next Gamecock individual in the event was Martin Rominger, who tied with seven other players for 35th place at 77-73-72-222, just one stroke behind Hamilton and Thompson. The South Carolina contingent in the field was rounded out by Eirik Johansen and West Streib, who finished tied for 52nd and 67th, with scores of 77-78-70-225 and 75-75-77-227.

The Gamecocks will now have two weeks off before heading to Sea Island, Ga., for the SEC Championship, which will be held April 16-18. Full tournament results for the Augusta State Invitational are available at www.golfstatlive.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA INDIVIDUALST28.    Alex Hamilton 71-74-76-221    Jake Thompson 70-72-79-221T35.    Martin Rominger 77-73-72-222T52.    Eirik Johansen   77-78-70-225T67.    West Streib 75-75-77-227