Oct. 17, 2014

Tournament Notes

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The 10th-ranked South Carolina men’s golf team will host the Camden Collegiate Invitational this weekend to close out its fall schedule. Teams will play 36 holes on Saturday and 18 on Sunday on the par-70, 6,455-yard layout at Camden Country Club in Camden, S.C.

The Lineup
• Junior Will Starke: Team-best 70.00 stroke average…Three top-15 finishes, including two top fives…Runner-up at the Collegiate Challenge Cup.
• Junior Matt NeSmith: 71.22 stroke average…Two top-20 finishes, including a tie for fourth showing at the Collegiate Challenge Cup.
• Senior Caleb Sturgeon: 73.11 stroke average…One top-10 finish…Placed 45th at the Collegiate Challenge Cup.
• Freshman Keenan Huskey: Making Gamecock debut.
• Senior Blaine Woodruff: Making season debut.
• Individuals: Sophomore Ben Dietrich, junior Sean Kelly, junior Brendan Gramley.

Coach’s Outlook
“It’s mostly South Carolina teams as a base,” South Carolina head coach Bill McDonald said of this week’s tournament field. “We have 11 Division I golf programs in the state of South Carolina, and I think that’s unique for a state the size of South Carolina. I wanted to do something that highlighted those programs, and we are filling in with some schools from North Carolina and Radford is coming down from Virginia. It’s the first year of the event. I’m just really excited about it. I think Camden is a real classic, old school type of golf course and I think it will be challenging for everybody. It looks like the weather is going to work out for us, which is great. I’m just hoping it is a fun weekend for everybody.”

Live Scoring
Live scoring will be available both days through Birdie Fire.

Admission
Admission to this weekend’s tournament is free.

About the Camden Collegiate Invitational
South Carolina head coach Bill McDonald wanted to organize a tournament that highlighted the golf programs in South Carolina, and a total of nine programs from the state will be competing in Camden this weekend. The tournament will be contested on a challenging par-70, 6,455-yard layout at Camden Country Club. The course was designed by renowned course architect Donald Ross. Camden Country Club has hosted the Carolinas Golf Association Men’s Four-Ball Tournament 58 years as well as qualifying for the U.S. Amateur and Mid-Amateur.

Breaking Down the Field
Including the 10th-ranked Gamecocks, a total of 15 teams will be competing at Camden Country Club this weekend. Nine of the 15 teams are from the Palmetto State, including Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Francis Marion, Furman, Presbyterian, USC Aiken, USC Upstate and Wofford. USC Aiken is the top-ranked team in Division II and has won both tournaments it has played in this fall. Appalachian State, Davidson, Elon, Gardner-Webb, High Point and Radford round out the field. The Gamecocks haven’t competed against any of the teams in the field this season but they had a 21-0 head-to-head record against this field last season.

Last Time Out
The Gamecocks finished fourth at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Collegiate Challenge Cup with a total of 859 (+7). Junior Will Starke was Carolina’s top finisher as he finished runner-up with a total of 206 (-7). The Gamecocks also defeated then-No. 13 Virginia 3-2 in match play to wrap up the event.

Keeping it in the 72s
Three Gamecocks have a stroke average below 73 this season. Junior Will Starke leads they way with an average of 70.00, while junior Matt NeSmith (71.22) and senior Will Murphy (72.33) also have an average below 73. Last season four Gamecocks – Starke, NeSmith, Murphy and Caleb Sturgeon – wrapped up the year with a stroke average in the 72s, which is the first time of record that has happened in school history.

Making it a Habit
The Gamecocks have finished in the top five in 11 of their last 14 tournaments dating back to last season, including four tournament wins. Carolina matched the school record for top-five finishes in a single season last year with nine, including three wins.

Hot Streak
Junior Will Starke has been playing some of the best golf of his career this fall as he has finished in the top 15 in all three events, including two top fives, and won his match against Virginia’s Ji Soo Park. Starke has shot below 70 in five consecutive rounds (67-69-69-68-69) and has only carded one round above par this season (73).

Gamecocks in the Golfstat Statistics Rankings
As a team South Carolina ranks 10th in the nation in average score (72.13) and fifth versus par (+0.44). The Gamecocks are second in par-4 scoring (4.05) and tied for eighth in eagles (7). Junior Will Starke is tied for the national lead in eagles (4), 19th in par-5 scoring (4.47) and tied for 20th in birdies (36).

Climbing the Record Book
Senior Caleb Sturgeon and juniors Will Starke and Matt NeSmith continue to climb up South Carolina’s career scoring average list. NeSmith currently ranks first all-time with an average of 72.31, while Starke ranks third with an average of 72.44 and Sturgeon is sixth with an average of 73.07. Senior Will Murphy is just outside the top 10 with an average of 73.27.

A Top 25 Program
Under the guidance of head coach Bill McDonald, South Carolina has consistently been ranked in the top 25 of several polls the last two years. The Gamecocks ended last year ranked No. 14 in the final Golfstat Rankings, No. 21 in the final regular-season Golf World/Nike Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the Golfweek Rankings. Carolina is currently ranked No. 10 in the Golf Coaches Association of America Coaches Poll, No. 10 in the Golfstat Relative Rankings and No. 16 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings.

A Look Back at the 2013-14 Season
The 2013-14 season was a special year for the South Carolina men’s golf program. The Gamecocks finished ninth at the NCAA Championship, which is the second-best finish at the national championship in program history. During the regular season, Carolina matched the school record with nine top-five finishes in 12 events, including three tournament wins. At one point during the season, the Gamecocks reeled off a school-record seven straight top-three finishes. Four Gamecocks wrapped up the season with a stroke average below 73, the first time of record that has happened in school history.

Among the Best in the World
South Carolina senior Will Murphy and junior Matt NeSmith are ranked in the top 100 in the latest Golfweek/Amateurgolf.com World Player Rankings. Murphy is No. 7 in the world and No. 3 in the U.S., while NeSmith is No. 187 in the world and No. 87 in the U.S. In the Scratch Players World Amateur Rankings, Murphy is ranked No. 45, and NeSmith is No. 86.

Roster Breakdown
South Carolina’s roster is made up of 10 golfers, including two true freshmen, one sophomore, four juniors and three seniors. Seven of the 10 golfers are from the Palmetto state, with the other three hailing from Georgia, New York and Pennsylvania. A total of six golfers have NCAA Championship experience.

Gamecock Accolades in 2013-14
The Gamecocks received several individual and team accolades last season. Will Murphy earned PING Honorable Mention All-America honors. Matt NeSmith was named to the PING All-Southeast Region Team and was a second-team All-SEC selection. Caleb Sturgeon was named a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar. Ben Dietrich made the SEC Community Service Team. As a team, the Gamecocks earned GCAA All-Academic Team Honors.