April 3, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C — The South Carolina men’s golf team moved up three spots to No. 5 in the Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll, the Golf Coaches Association of America announced Friday.

The Gamecocks made the climb in the poll after winning the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate title on Tuesday. The win was Carolina’s fifth this season, which is a school record. The Gamecocks won the tournament by 11 strokes with a 54-hole total of 838 (-26), while junior Matt NeSmith captured medalist honors by winning a three-hole playoff after finishing play in a three-way tie for first with a total of 205 (-11).

Carolina has finished in the top five in a school-record eight-straight events and has recorded a top-five finish in 17 of its last 20 events dating back to last season, including eight tournament wins.

The Gamecocks will return to action on April 17-19 at the SEC Championship. The 54-hole event will be held at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga.

Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll
1. Florida State
2. Texas
3. Illinois
4. Arizona State
5. South Carolina
6. Vanderbilt
7. LSU
8. Auburn
9. Texas Tech
10. Georgia Tech
11. Oregon
12. Stanford
13. Southern California
14. Washington
15. UCLA
16. Oklahoma
17. Baylor
18. USF
19. Oklahoma State
20. North Carolina
21. California
22. Wake Forest
23. Kennesaw State
24. Virginia
25. New Mexico