May 4, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C — The sixth-ranked South Carolina men’s golf team has earned the top seed in the NCAA Bremerton Regional in Bremerton, Wash., the NCAA announced Monday morning.

The 54-hole regional will be contested at the par-72, 7,115-yard Olympic Course at Gold Mountain Golf Club on May 14-16. A total of 81 teams and 45 individuals make up the six regional sites, and the top five teams and low individual not on those teams from each regional will advance to the NCAA Championship, which will be held May 29-June 3 at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.

The Gamecocks are making their 23rd NCAA Regional appearance overall and their 19th in the last 20 seasons. A total of nine SEC teams received regional bids. Carolina is the lone SEC program in the Bremerton Regional and will be joined by second-seeded Washington, the regional host. Southern California is the No. 3 seed, followed by Baylor, UAB, TCU, Iowa State, Sam Houston State, Michigan, UC Davis, VCU, Pepperdine, Cleveland State and South Dakota.

Eight of the 14 teams in the Bremerton Regional are ranked in the top 50 of the Golfstat Relative Rankings, including four top-25 teams. Carolina is the No. 6 team in the rankings, while Washington (No. 12), Southern California (No. 17) and Baylor (No. 18) are also in the top 25.

Carolina will enter the regional coming off a record-breaking regular season. The Gamecocks won a school-record five tournament titles and matched the school-record for top-five finishes in a season with nine straight. Carolina finished tied for second at the SEC Championship, while junior Matt NeSmith became the second Gamecock to capture an individual SEC title as he won by six strokes with a school-record 54-hole total of 196 (-14). Carolina’s team stroke average of 280.93 is on pace to shatter the single-season school record of 287.46 (2013-14).

Under the guidance of head coach Bill McDonald, the Gamecocks have made seven regional appearances and will look to advance to the NCAA Championship for a third-straight year. Carolina won its only regional title in 2007, winning the West Regional on its way to a tie for 11th finish at the NCAA Championship.

Notable
• The regional bid is Carolina’s 23rd overall and its 19th in the last 20 seasons.
• Carolina has earned seven regional bids under the guidance of head coach Bill McDonald.
• The Gamecocks have won one regional title all-time, capturing the 2007 West Regional title at the ASU Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz.
• South Carolina is the only school in the country in which both the men’s and women’s golf programs earned No. 1 seeds.

2015 NCAA BREMERTON REGIONAL
May 14-16 – Gold Mountain Golf Club (Olympic Course) – Bremerton, Wash.

1. South Carolina
2. Washington
3. Southern California
4. Baylor
5. UAB
6. TCU
7. Iowa State
8. Sam Houston (AQ)
9. Michigan
10. UC-Davis
11. VCU (AQ)
12. Pepperdine (AQ)
13. Cleveland State (AQ)
14. South Dakota (AQ)

Individuals
1. Byron Meth, University of the Pacific
2. Jose Mendez, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
3. Alex Franklin, Oregon State University
4. Jordan Rodgers, Brigham Young University
5. James Fahy, Gonzaga University