Aug. 10, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina seniors Will Murphy and Caleb Sturgeon and junior Matt NeSmith will open play at the 114th U.S. Amateur Championship on Monday in Johns Creek, Ga.

The Gamecock trio will tee it up at the Atlanta Athletic Club’s Highlands Course and Riverside Course. The club’s Highlands Course will be a par-71, 7,490-yard layout, and the Riverside Course will be set up at par 72 and 7,381 yards.

The championship, which runs through Aug. 17, begins with a field of 312 golfers who will play 18 holes of stroke play on Monday and 18 on Tuesday. The field will then be cut to the low 64 scorers for six rounds of match play.

NeSmith, who is making his second-straight appearance at the U.S. Amateur, qualified by winning the sectional qualifier at Columbia Country Club on July 8 with a 36-hole total of 130 (-12). Murphy finished runner-up at the same event with a total of 133 (-9) to qualify as well. Sturgeon won a sectional qualifier at Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount, N.C., on July 21 with a total of 131 (-13) to secure his spot at the championship.

A native of Laurens, S.C., Sturgeon will be the first Gamecock to tee off on Monday as he is set to begin play at 8:35 a.m. on the Highlands Course. NeSmith will tee off at 1:05 p.m. on the Riverside Course, while Murphy’s tee time is set for 1:10 at the Highlands Course. Live scoring will be available at USGA.org.