March 18, 2006

STATESBORO, Ga. – The South Carolina men’s golf team sits in a tie for eighth place of 15 teams on Saturday following the first two rounds of play at the Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational, at the par-72 Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro, Ga. USC shot a team score of 300 in the first round, but came back to fire a 283 in the second round.

Senior captain Eirik Johansen (Stavanger, Norway) paced the Gamecock effort. He appears tied for 10th on the individual leaderboard after shooting a 75 in the first round and matching his best round of the season on the second 18 holes with a four-under par 68.

Sophomore Mark Anderson (Beaufort, S.C.), who won the individual title at the 2005 Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational, is tied for 33rd along with teammates Patrick Cunning (Aiken, S.C.) and Allen Koon (Bamberg, S.C.). Anderson fired an opening round 74 and came back to post a 73 in the second. Cunning, a redshirt freshman, and Koon, a true freshman, turned in identical scores with a 76 in the first and a one-under par 71 on the second 18 holes.

Freshman Florian Fritsch (Wiesloch, Germany) carded a 75-74=149 and sits tied for 46th.

First-place North Carolina owns a four-stroke lead on second-place Kentucky. Michigan State’s Matt Harmon holds the individual lead after firing 68-69=147 (-7) Saturday. The Gamecocks are tied with Alabama for eight. Other SEC teams in the field include Auburn (T-3rd), Tennessee (T-3rd), Florida (5th) and LSU (T-11th).

The Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational draws to a close on Sunday with the final 18 holes. Live updates are available throughout the tournament online at www.golfstat.com

Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational (March 18, 2006)First & Second Rounds
South Carolina IndividualsT10th    Eirik Johansen 75-68=143 (-1)T33rd   Mark Anderson    74-73=147 (+3)T33rd   Patrick Cunning    76-71=147 (+3)T33rd   Allen Koon  76-71=147 (+3)T46th   Florian Fritsch    75-74=149 (+5)TEAM TOTAL       300-283=583
Team Standings1. North Carolina   291-278=5692. Kentucky     285-288=573T3. Auburn      285-291=576T3. Tennessee       297-279=5765. Florida      294-284=5786. North Carolina State 295-284=5787. Michigan State   295-285=580T8. South Carolina   300-283=583T8. Alabama     298-285=58310. Minnesota       295-290=585T11. Georgia Southern   299-288=587T11. Ohio State     302-285=587T11. LSU        294-293=59314. Augusta State   300-293=59315. Toledo      306-298=604