Feb. 12, 2013

Results

POOLER, Ga. — South Carolina sophomore men’s golfer Will Murphy posted a final-round 71 (-1) on Tuesday to finish runner-up in the Savannah Quarters Individual at Savannah Quarters Country Club.

Murphy, who turned in a career-best 54-hole total of 211 (-5), finished seven strokes back of Alabama’s Trey Mullinax, who won the event with a score of 204 (-12). With his finish being the highest of the four Gamecocks competing at the individual only event, Murphy secured the fifth spot in the lineup for South Carolina’s first team tournament of the spring, the Bayou City Collegiate Championships in Houston, Texas.

Fellow sophomore Sean Kelly also had a strong finish as he shot a solid 2-over 74 to wrap up the week tied for fifth with a total of 218 (+2).

“I’m very proud of Will Murphy and Sean Kelly for finishing inside the top 10 this week in Savannah,” South Carolina associate head coach Don Hill said. “Will seems to be turning a corner in his golf career. This week he not only carded the lowest round of his career (66) but this is also his best finish as a Gamecock. His confidence is growing with each event he plays, and the hard work he’s putting in on his short game is really paying off. I hope he can carry this momentum to Houston next week.”

Junior Caulder Moore just missed a top-10 finish as he carded a 78 (+6) on Tuesday to close out the week in a three-way tie for 13th with a score of 226 (+10). Senior Dean Hester shot an 82 (+10) as he finished tied for 22nd with a score of 230 (+14).

The Gamecocks will open team competition on Feb. 22 in the Bayou City Collegiate Championships. The 54-hole event will be contested at Redstone Golf Club in Houston, Texas. South Carolina enters the spring coming off one of its most successful fall seasons in recent history. The Gamecocks had medalists in back-to-back tournaments for the first time since 1993, as senior Dykes Harbin won the AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic and sophomore Caleb Sturgeon claimed the Wendy’s Kiawah Classic title in the final tournament of the fall. As a team the Gamecocks also claimed their first tournament title since 2009, cruising to a 20-stroke victory at the Wendy’s Kiawah Classic.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS2. Will Murphy       74-66-71=211 (-5)T5. Sean Kelly        73-71-74=218 (+2)T13. Caulder Moore 73-75-78=226 (+10)T22. Dean Hester 75-73-82=230 (+14)