April 3, 2010

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Led by stellar rounds from George Bryan IV, Wesley Bryan and Paul Woodbury, the 17th-ranked South Carolina men’s golf team posted a team score of 266 (-22) that broke an 11-year-old school record in the second round of the Administaff Augusta State Invitational on Saturday.

Coupled with a first-round of 286 (-2), the Gamecocks are in second place at 552 (-24) after a 36-hole day at the par-72, 7,161-yard Forest Hills Country Club. South Carolina’s second-round 266 broke the previous record of 267, which was set on Oct. 11, 1999, at the TaylorMade/Red River Classic.

“It was amazing,” head coach Bill McDonald said. “The morning (first-round) putts just wouldn’t fall, but in the afternoon, the guys just started making them. We had 37 birdies in the second round among five guys; 33 from the four scores that counted. And this golf course is not that easy, either. It’s really amazing that we shot what we did, and Augusta State is still beating us by eight shots. That just goes to show you how good those guys are. It was a lot of fun to watch. (Assistant coach) Mike (Burcin) and I had a blast out there.”

The Bryan brothers of Chapin, S.C., both posted second-round totals of 65 (-7) after shooting even par 72s in the morning round. George made the turn at 4-under with a bogey-free front nine, then birdied 10 and 11 before a bogey at the 12th. He would then card a pair of birdies down the stretch to finish at 7-under, which ties for his personal best as a collegian. Wesley had nine birdies in his second round – including a stretch of five in seven holes – to go along with two bogeys to post the second-best score of his career, one stroke short of a 64 that he posted on Monday at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate. Both Bryan brothers are tied for seventh place heading into Sunday’s final round.

Despite the Bryans’ second-round heroics, the day’s leader for the Gamecocks was senior Paul Woodbury, who posted rounds of 69-67=136 (-8) to move into a tie for fourth place overall. Woodbury had a five-birdie, two-bogey outing in his first round for his second straight round in the 60s, then bettered that with a personal-best 67 in the afternoon that included eight birdies to go along with three bogeys.

Freshman Clint Tolleson posted rounds of 73-69=142 (-2) to tie for 29th place through two rounds; he had eight birdies of his own in his second round to go along with five bogeys. Senior Patrick Rada is tied for 47th place after rounds of 73-72=145 (+1) as he carded seven birdies and eight bogeys over his 36 holes on the day.

Host team and No. 3-ranked Augusta State holds the team lead at 544 (-32) after rounds of 274-270 on their home course. The Gamecocks are second, eight shots back, with Tennessee in third place at 559 (-15). The Jaguars’ Patrick Reed has the individual lead at 133 (-11) with Alabama’s Bud Cauley and Clemson’s Corbin Mills tied for second place at 135 (-9). Woodbury is one shot back, tied for fourth.

The Gamecocks will be paired with Augusta State and Tennessee for Sunday’s final round, with the Gamecocks’ tee times set to begin at 10:30 a.m. Live scoring is available through Golfstat.com.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS
T4. Paul Woodbury – 69-67=136 (-8)
T7. George Bryan IV – 72-65=137 (-7)
T7. Wesley Bryan – 72-65=137 (-7)
T29. Clint Tolleson – 73-69=142 (-2)
T47. Patrick Rada – 73-72=145 (+1)