April 16, 2004

ST. SIMON’S ISLAND. GA. – The South Carolina men’s golf team found scoring conditions difficult on the opening day of the Southeastern Conference Championship and is in seventh place after 18 holes of play in St. Simon’s Island, Ga. The 54-hole tournament is being contested at the Sea Island Golf Club’s par-70, 6,898 Seaside Course.

The Gamecocks finished the first day of play with a team score of 14-over-par, 294. That total is 25 shots behind the blistering pace of team leader Georgia, which scorched the Seaside Course’s layout for an opening-round score of 11-under-par, 269, and was the only team to reach red figures on day one.

Junior Alex Hamilton, who finished the day with a 1-over-par 71, and is tied for 18th place, leads South Carolina’s individuals in the field. That score was six shots back of individual leader Clint Provost of Alabama, who carded a 5-under-par, 65 on Friday.

The next Gamecock individual in the field is junior Martin Rominger, who is part of an eight-player tie for 20th place at 2-over-par, 72. Sophomore Eirik Johansen follows Rominger in 35th place, following his first-round score of 74. Rounding out the South Carolina contingent in the field are junior Jake Thompson and sophomore West Streib, who are in 47th and 54th places respectively after their first-round scores of 77 and 79.

The SEC Championship will continue on Saturday with the second round of play and conclude on Sunday with the final round. Full tournament results and live scoring are available at www.secsports.com.

TEAM STANDINGS AFTER 18 HOLES1.      Georgia         269      -112.      Alabama         280        E3.      Auburn          281       +1T4.     Florida         283       +3T4.     Tennessee       283       +36.      Kentucky        287       +77.      South Carolina  294      +148.      Vanderbilt      295      +159.      Miss. State     297      +1710.     LSU             298      +1811.     Arkansas        300      +2012.     Ole Miss        302      +22
TOP-10 INDIVIDUALS1.      Clint Provost, Alabama      652.      David Denham, Georgia       66        Brendon Todd, Georgia       664.      Will, Claxton, Auburn       68        Kevin Kisner, Georgia       68        John-Scott Rattan, Tenn.    687.      Duke Butler, Florida        69        Stuart Moore, Auburn        69        Richard Scott, Georgia      6910. Eight players tied at 70
SOUTH CAROLINA INDIVIDUALST18.   Alex Hamilton                71T20.   Martin Rominger              72T35.   Eirik Johansen               7447.    Jake Thompson                77T54.   West Streib                  79