Feb. 21, 2005

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.– The University of South Carolina men’s golf team is tied for second place with UCLA after a windy second day of the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The team shot an 18-over par 306 for a two-round total of 592 and is four strokes off the lead held by Alabama at 588.

“Conditions today were very difficult with an unusual southwestern wind gusting to 30mph,” stated head coach Puggy Blackmon. .”Scoring was high and the team once again got off to a poor start, but they battled back which is a very positive sign.”

Junior Robert Svensson currently is tied for fourth on the individual leader board at 145 (+1) after shooting a 3-over par 75 today. Freshman teammate Mark Anderson moved up to a tie for seventh at 2-over par after finishing round one yesterday in a tie for 13th.

“Robert Svensson continues his solid play and freshman Mark Anderson finished with a team-low round of 74 despite being 4-over-par through the first four holes,” said Blackmon. “We’re in great position going into the final round tomorrow and hopefully our guys will respond well.”

Junior Eirik Johansen fired a 5-over par 77 and is tied for 19th with 11 other players at 149 (+5). Rounding out the scoring for the Gamecocks are junior West Streib, who shot an 8-over par 80 to finish in a tie for 42nd, and senior Jake Thompson, who carded a 9-over par 81 and is in a tie for 77th.

South Carolina needs a strong third and final round tomorrow in order to defend their title. The first Gamecock golfer will tee off at 9 a.m. Full results can be found at www.golfstatresults.com.

TEAM RESULTS

1 Alabama 297-291 -588 +12
T2 UCLA 292-300 -592 +16
T2 South Carolina 286-306 -592 +16
4 Florida 292-302 -594 +18
5 LSU 288-307 -595 +19
T6 Augusta State 293-303 -596 +20
T6 Tennessee 291-305 -596 +20
T8 North Florida 301-300 -601 +25
T8 Kentucky 293-308 -601 +25
T8 UCF 301-300 -601 +25
11 Duke 294-310 -604 +28
12 UAB 299-309 -608 +32
T13 Coastal Carolina 306-305 -611 +35
T13 Georgia State 293-318 -611 +35
15 Arkansas 300-312 -612 +36
16 Florida State 322-305 -627 +51
17 Northwestern 308-320 -628 +52

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

T4 Robert Svensson 70-75 -145 +1
T7 Mark Anderson 72-74 -146 +2
T19 Eirik Johansen 72-77 -149 +5
T42 West Streib 72-80 -152 +8
T77 Jake Thompson 79-81 -160 +16