April 9, 2006

TEMPE, Ariz. – The South Carolina men’s golf team fired a final round team score of 292 and finished 11th of 15 teams on Sunday in the Arizona State University Thunderbird Invitational, played at the Karsten Golf Club (Par 71 — 7,017 yards) in Tempe, Ariz. The Gamecocks concluded the tournament with a total score of 869 (+17).

Freshman Florian Fritsch (Wiesloch, Germany) was highest finisher for South Carolina in a tie for 28th place with rounds of 71-67-76=214. Fritsch’s second round 67 marked a career best and matches the lowest score by Carolina golfer this season. Senior Eirik Johansen (Stavanger, Norway) produced a pair of rounds under par, including the low round for the Gamecocks on Sunday. Johansen wrapped the tournament at 69-76-70=215 and tied for 32nd.

Redshirt freshman Patrick Cunning (Aiken, S.C.) recovered from a first round 80 to post scores of 72 and 71 in the final two rounds. His total score of 223 tied for 61st. Sophomore Mark Anderson (Beaufort, S.C.) finished two strokes behind Cunning at 71-79-75=225 and tied for 65th. Freshman Allen Koon (Bamberg, S.C.) rounded out the South Carolina contingent in a tie for 72nd with scores of 77-74-77=228.

Arizona won the team title for the second consecutive year and Kansas State’s Ben Kern collected individual medalist honors with a 14-under par, 199-stroke performance.

The only other Southeastern Conference team in the field was Arkansas, which finished four strokes behind Carolina and in 13th-place.

South Carolina will next compete in the 2006 SEC Championship, April 21-23, in St. Simons Island, Ga., at the Sea Island Golf Club.

South Carolina IndividualsT 28    Florian Fritsch  71   67   76    214T 32    Eirik Johansen    69   76   70    215T 61    Patrick Cunning  80   72   71    223T 65    Mark Anderson  71   79   75    225T 72    Allen Koon    77   74   77    228TEAM TOTAL: 288-289-292=869
Fin.   School                   Scores1   Arizona     278-280-272=830       -222   UNLV        279-270-282=831       -213   San Diego State  277-272-286=835       -17    Kansas State        287-271-277=835       -175   Stanford        283-276-279=838       -146   Arizona State   283-277-281=841       -117   Illinois        285-282-287=854        +28   UCF              291-290-280=861        +99   Colorado State  283-297-283=863       +1110   California     287-285-292=864       +1211   South Carolina  288-289-292=869       +1712   Texas      284-289-298=871       +1913   Arkansas        294-293-286=873       +2114   Oregon      294-289-294=877       +2515   Penn State     302-300-307=909       +57