June 5, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A week after wrapping up his first season with the South Carolina men’s golf team at the NCAA Championship, rising sophomore Matt NeSmith will begin his summer schedule this week on the highest level as he is set tee off as an amateur in the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

The 72-hole event runs Thursday through Sunday and will be held at the par-70, 7,239-yard TPC Southwind course. NeSmith earned a sponsor’s exemption to the event when he was named the AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year in October.

A native of North Augusta, S.C., NeSmith had one of the most successful freshman seasons in school history, earning SEC Freshman of the Year and PING All-Southeast Region honors. He led the team in scoring with a stroke average of 72.64, which is the second lowest average for a freshman in school history. His seven top-10 finishes are tied for the second most all-time in a single season at South Carolina. He helped lead the Gamecocks to a runner-up finish at the SEC Championship and a tie for second finish at the NCAA Columbus Regional, which secured the program’s first berth to the NCAA Championship since 2009. NeSmith was South Carolina’s top finisher at the NCAA Championship, finishing tied for 38th after firing a final-round 66 (-4).

The St. Jude Classic will not be NeSmith’s first PGA experience. He played in the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., in August and missed the cut by just two strokes with rounds of 70 (E) and 71 (+1).

NeSmith will tee off in the first round on Thursday at 8:48 a.m. CDT on the 10th tee. A live leaderboard will be available all four days at pgatour.com. Television coverage will be available on Thursday and Friday from 3-6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1-2:30 p.m. on the Golf Channel. CBS will also televise the final two rounds from 3-6 p.m.