Gamecocks in Third Place at Bayou City Collegiate Championships

Feb. 22, 2014

Results

HUMBLE, Texas — Junior Blaine Woodruff fired a career-low 66 (-6) on Saturday to help the 25th-ranked South Carolina men’s golf team shoot a 283 (-5) in the second round of the Bayou City Collegiate Championships at the Golf Club of Houston.

The Gamecocks will enter the final round in third place with a two-round total of 571 (-5). Tournament host Houston added to its first-round lead with an 11-under 277 on Saturday. The Cougars sit atop the leaderboard with a total of 557 (-19). Texas is in second place with a total of 566 (-10).

Individually, Woodruff climbed 48 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for eighth with a total of 141 (-3). The Acworth, Ga., native began the round with a birdie on No. 1 but gave it back two holes later with a bogey on No. 3. He regained momentum with back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes and moved to 4-under with an eagle on the par-5 eighth. Woodruff was just as solid on the back nine with just one blemish on the scorecard, a bogey on the par-3 14th. Birdies on No. 10, 15 and 17 sent Woodruff into the clubhouse at 6-under on the day.

Sophomore Matt NeSmith and junior Will Murphy finished the day in a tie for 31st with a total of 145 (+1). NeSmith turned in a 2-under 70 on Saturday, recording three birdies and only one bogey. Murphy carded a 3-over 75 with two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey on his scorecard.

Junior Caleb Sturgeon posted a 78 (+6) and is in a tie for 41st with a total of 146 (+2). Sturgeon was 2-under through eight holes but he struggled down the stretch, recording two bogeys and three double bogeys.

Sophomore Will Starke is in a tie for 43rd with a total of 147 (+3) after shooting an even-par 72 on Saturday. He recorded a pair of birdies and a pair of bogeys on the afternoon.

The Gamecocks are two shots ahead of Arkansas in the team standings. The Razorbacks sit alone in fourth place with a total of 573 (-3). Baylor rounds out the top five with a total of 574 (-2).

Final-round play is slated to get underway with a shotgun start on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET. Live scoring will be available through GOLFSTAT.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTST8. Blaine Woodruff (5)      75-66=141 (-3)T31. Matt NeSmith (1)       75-70=145 (+1)T31. Will Murphy (4)     70-75=145 (+1)T41. Caleb Sturgeon (2)       68-78=146 (+2)T43. Will Starke (3)     75-72=147 (+3)
TEAM STANDINGS1. Houston          280-277=557 (-19)2. Texas            285-281=566 (-10)3. South Carolina        288-283=571 (-5)4. Arkansas             287-286=573 (-3)5. Baylor           288-286=574 (-2)6. Louisiana Tech       290-286=576 (E)7. Mississippi State        289-289=578 (+2)8. South Florida        293-286=579 (+3)9. Rice             288-293=581 (+5)10. New Mexico State        294-289=583 (+7)11. UTSA            292-292=584 (+8)12. Charlotte           293-292=585 (+9)13. Lamar           298-295=593 (+17)14. Louisiana           295-299=594 (+18)15. Houston Baptist         295-300=595 (+19)