June 8, 2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Former South Carolina golfer Mark Silvers III will play in the 2010 U.S. Open after finishing second in sectional qualifying on Monday at Ansley Golf Club in Roswell, Ga.

Silvers, a 2009 Carolina graduate and a native of Savannah, Ga., posted rounds of 72-70-142 (-2) to tie for second place with Chris Epperson of Hilton Head Island, S.C. With only two spots up for grabs in next week’s U.S. Open, Silvers outlasted Epperson on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to earn his first berth in the national championship. Georgia rising senior Russell Henley, the 2010 SEC Champion, was the medalist at 73-64=137 (-7), carding nine birdies in his second round.

Senior George Bryan IV and 2008 graduate Mark Anderson also competed in sectional qualifying but did not advance.

Silvers was named the 2009 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was named to the All-SEC Second Team and the GCAA Honorable Mention All-America Team as a senior. His final-round 64 at the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional propelled the Gamecocks to that year’s NCAA Championship, where he was South Carolina’s top finisher as he tied for 18th place.

This year, Silvers has played in five events on the eGolf Professional Tour with his top finish coming in the Golf in Morocco Classic, where he tied for 16th place in the event held at the Gamecocks’ home course of Cobblestone Park and nearby Columbia Country Club.

The 110th U.S. Open Championship will be held at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif., June 17-20. Entries were open to any professional and to amateurs with USGA Handicap Indexes not exceeding 1.4. The USGA received 9,052 entries for the Championship.