March 12, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C — South Carolina junior Will Starke has been named the SEC Men’s Golfer of the Week, the league office announced Thursday.

Starke earns the honor for the second time in his career after claiming medalist honors to lead the eighth-ranked Gamecocks to the Palmetto Intercollegiate title, the team’s school-record matching fourth win this season. The victory is also Carolina’s third straight, which is a school record.

A native of Chapin, S.C., Starke fired rounds of 65, 69 and 67 to finish atop the leaderboard at the Palmetto Intercollegiate with a total of 201 (-9), which is tied for the second lowest 54-hole total in school history. Starke has five top-five finishes this season, moving him into a tie for second with David Seawell (1993-94), Carl Paulson (1992-93) and Webb Heintzelman (1983-84) for most top-five finishes in a single season at Carolina. He has shot in the 60s in 12 of his last 14 rounds and currently ranks second in the SEC with a stroke average of 69.61.

Starke and the Gamecocks return to action this weekend at the Seminole Intercollegiate. The 54-hole event runs Friday through Sunday at Southwood Golf Club in Tallahassee, Fla.