Hootie at Bulls Bay Notes
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March 23, 2006

The No. 21/30 (GCAA/Golfweek) South Carolina men’s golf team is set to compete in the second annual Hootie and Bulls Bay Collegiate Invitational, Sunday, March 26, through Tuesday, March 28, at Bulls Bay Golf Club (Par 71 — 7,147 yards) in Awendaw, S.C., near Charleston. Along with College of Charleston and Clemson, South Carolina is tri-host of the event, which is put on by Bulls Bay course owner Joe Rice.

HOW TO GET RESULTS
Live results will be available online throughout the tournament at www.golfstatresults.com.

“HOOTIE” HEADLINING
Tournament namesake Hootie and the Blowfish will perform for the teams, tournament sponsors and guests over the weekend. Band members Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber and Jim Sonefeld are all members at Bulls Bay Golf Club and South Carolina graduates. In 2005, the tournament raised $30,000 for the Hootie and the Blowfish Foundation, created to benefit the children of South Carolina through education and support school music programs nationwide.

CAROLINA LINEUP
Head coach Puggy Blackmon will take the same lineup to consecutive events for the first time this season. That group includes a senior, a sophomore a redshirt freshman and a pair of true freshmen.

Player        Tourneys  Rounds  Stroke Avg.     Low Rd.1. Eirik Johansen  7   21  72.86   682. Florian Fritsch    8   18  73.67   683. Mark Anderson    7   21  76.33   724. Allen Koon  4   12  76.83   725. Patrick Cunning    3   5   75.11   71

THE “HOOTIE” FIELD
Fifteen of the nation’s best teams, all of which are from the southeastern part of the country, will invade Bulls Bay Golf Club this weekend. In addition to in-state rivals Clemson and College of Charleston, South Carolina will face five of its SEC brethren, including defending “Hootie” champion Kenutcky, Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Vanderbilt. Florida State, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia and Wake Forest will represent the Atlantic Coast Conference while Augusta State and UCF round out the field.

Teams that appear in this week’s Golfweek/Sagarin top 30 include No. 14 Clemson, No. 15 North Carolina, No. 18 Kentucky, No. 22 Alabama, No. 27 NC State, No. 38 Auburn and No. 30 South Carolina.

2005 INAUGURAL HOOTIE AT BULLS BAY
South Carolina picked up a seventh-place finish in the inaugural Hootie at Bulls Bay Collegiate Invitational. After an opening round 288, USC fired rounds of 296 and 297 to wrap up the tournament.

Senior Alex Hamilton led Carolina with a 10th-place finish on the individual leaderboard. Hamilton produced the best round of any Gamecock with a 68 in the opening round. The Aiken, S.C., native finished with a score of 218 over three rounds.

West Streib finished two strokes behind Hamilton and tied for 20th with a three-round total of 220. Junior Eirik Johansen was one-stroke behind Streib at 221 and tied for 25th. Freshman Mark Anderson tied for 40th with a score of 225. Junior Robert Svensson carded a three-round total of 239 and tied for 71st.

Kentucky won the event by defeating Augusta State in a one-hole playoff. Both teams finished with 54-hole total of 866. Augusta State’s Scott Jamieson took home medalist honors with a three-day total of 205. Other SEC teams in the field included Auburn (third), Georgia (fourth), LSU (fifth), Alabama (10th) and Vanderbilt (T13th). Clemson finished 12th.

GAMECOCKS IN THE RANKINGS
South Carolina slipped from No. 16 to No. 21 in the latest (March 16) Golf Coaches’ Association of America Bridgestone Top 25 Poll, released on March 16. A total of five Southeastern Conference teams appear in the poll, led by No. 1 Georgia. Florida is ranked third, Tennessee is tied for No. 11 and Alabama holds down the No. 23 spot.

In the latest Golfweek/Sagarin ratings, the Gamecocks are No. 30. Eirik Johansen and Florian Fritsch are listed among the top 35 individuals at No. 25 and 50, respectively.

GAMECOCK PLAYER NOTES
Eirik Johansen (Senior, Stavanger, Norway)
Johansen boasts four top-10 finishes this season and a total of 18 during his career at USC … One of two golfers to compete in every varsity event this season … Best Gamecock finisher in five of seven events this season … Matched his lowest round of the season with a 68 in the second round of the Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational (March 18-19) … Tied for fourth at the TOPY Cup (Sept. 6-8) and earned fourth-place outright at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate (Oct. 15-16) in helping the Gamecocks to the team title.

Mark Anderson (Sophomore, Beaufort, S.C.)
One of two golfers to participate in every varsity event this season … Best showing of the season came at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship (Feb. 5-7) as he placed 10th … Posted a low round of 72 in the first round of the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate (Oct. 15-16).

Florian Fritsch (Freshman, Wiesloch, Germany)
True freshman has competed in six of seven varsity events … Owns two top-10 finishes … Best Gamecock finisher in two tournaments … Placed second at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate (Oct. 15-16) and in a tie for sixth at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship (Feb. 5-7) … Low round is a 68, carded in the second round of the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate.

Patrick Cunning (Redshirt Freshman, Aiken, S.C.)
Redshirt freshman has competed in three varsity events, including USC’s win at the Bank of Tennesseee Intercollegiate (Oct. 15-16) … Fired his low round of 71 in the second round of the Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational (March 18-19) … Best individual finish is a tie for 32nd at the TOPY Cup (Sept. 6-8).

Allen Koon (Freshman, Bamberg, S.C.)
True freshman has participated in four varsity events, including all three tournament this spring … Had back-to-back top 25 showings at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship (Feb. 5-7) and the Gator Invitational (Feb. 18-19) … Shot his low round of 71 in the second round of the Schenel E-Z-Go (March 18-19).