Sept. 10, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The eighth-ranked South Carolina men’s golf team will open the 2015-16 season this weekend at the 27th Carpet Capital Collegiate. The 54-hole event will be contested Friday through Sunday at the par-72, 7,012-yard The Farm Golf Club in Rocky Face, Ga.

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
Dates: Friday, Sept. 11-Sunday, Sept. 13
Location: The Farm Golf Club (Par: 72, Yards: 7,012) — Rocky Face, Ga.
Gamecock Lineup: 1. Matt NeSmith, 2. Will Starke, 3. Sean Kelly, 4. Keenan Huskey, 5. Scott Stevens, Individual: Ryan Stachler
Field: 15 teams (Alabama, Auburn, Chattanooga, Clemson, Dalton State, Florida, Georgia Tech,
Kennesaw State, LSU, North Carolina, North Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee)
Live Scoring: Golfstat
Notes: Carpet Capital Collegiate

From the Coach
“I thought everybody came back really sharp,” South Carolina head coach Bill McDonald said. “We just finished up a really good qualifier. It was one of the most competitive we have had here since I’ve been coaching. These guys are ready to get going. The Carpet Capital is always one of our favorite events to go to. I’m just glad to have everyone back and am looking forward to getting on the road.”

History at The Farm
The Gamecocks are making their 25th appearance overall and their 10th straight at the Carpet Capital Collegiate. Carolina’s best finish came at last year’s event as it captured the tournament title with a 54-hole total of 848 (-16). The Gamecocks also finished tied for first in 2007. A pair of Gamecocks have earned medalist honors at The Farm, as Kyle Thompson won in 2000 and David Seawell finished first in 1994.

Last Time at The Farm – Sept. 5-7, 2014
Carolina won its first Carpet Capital Collegiate title last season with a 54-hole total of 848 (-16). The Gamecocks entered the final round three strokes off the lead but fired a 12-under 276 to win the title. Will Starke finished tied for fourth with a total of 209 (-7) to lead the way, while Will Murphy (211) and Matt NeSmith (214) finished tied for eighth and tied for 18th, respectively.

Breaking Down the Field
This year’s field will once again be one of the toughest in the country, as 11 of the 15 teams finished last year ranked in the top 50 of the Golfstat Relative Rankings. Carolina is one of seven SEC teams at the event, joining defending national champion LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee. Rival Clemson, Georgia Tech and North Carolina will represent the ACC, while Chattanooga, Dalton State, Kennesaw State, North Florida and South Florida round out the field.

Experience Returns
Carolina returns seven golfers from last year’s squad, including seniors Matt NeSmith, Will Starke and Sean Kelly. The senior trio has played in a combined 101 tournaments for the Gamecocks during their careers and has recorded a combined 38 top-10 finishes. Starke (second team PING and Golfweek) and NeSmith (third team PING and Golfweek) were named All-Americans last season and both earned first team PING All-Southeast Region and All-SEC honors. Junior Ben Dietrich has played in 15 tournaments for the Gamecocks, including the 2014 NCAA Championship, while sophomore Keenan Huskey has played in three tournaments and senior Brendan Gramley has played in two tournaments as an individual.

Chasing Records
Seniors Matt NeSmith and Will Starke enter the season with several career school records within reach. The duo is currently tied for first in career scoring with an average of 71.79. Starke is tied for third in career top-five finishes with 11, while NeSmith is tied for fifth with nine. The school record is 14 held by Kyle Thompson and David Seawell. NeSmith is tied for fourth in career top-10 finishes with 17, while Starke is tied for seventh with 14. The record is 22 held by Kyle Thompson.

A Look Back at the 2014-15 Season
Carolina turned in one of the greatest seasons in school history in 2014-15. The Gamecocks won a school-record five tournament titles, recorded a school-record 10 top-five finishes and shattered the school record for team scoring average in a season by more than four strokes (282.85). The Gamecocks wrapped up the year ranked No. 6 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings and No. 7 in the Golfstat Relative Rankings. Carolina finished tied for second at the SEC Championship and runner-up at the NCAA Bremerton Regional to earn its third-straight trip to the NCAA Championship.

Individually, the Gamecocks combined for 33 top-20 finishes in team events, including 11 top-fives and three tournament wins. Will Starke earned second team PING and Golfweek All-American honors and first team PING All-Southeast Region and All-SEC honors, while Matt NeSmith garnered third team PING and Golfweek All-American honors and first team PING All-Southeast Region and All-SEC honors. Starke finished the year with the lowest single-season scoring average in program history (70.27), while NeSmith finished with the second lowest (70.51). NeSmith also became the second Gamecock to win an SEC title as he claimed a six-stroke victory at the SEC Championship with a school-record 54-hole total of 196 (-14).

Among the Best in the World
South Carolina seniors Matt NeSmith and Will Starke are listed in the latest Golfweek/Amateurgolf.com World Player Rankings. Nesmith is ranked ninth in the world and seventh in the U.S., while Starke is ranked No. 199 in the world and 82nd nationally. In the Scratch Players World Amateur Rankings, NeSmith is ranked No. 11, and Starke is ranked 48th.

Three-Straight Trips to the National Championship
The Gamecocks made their third-straight appearance at the NCAA Championship last season. Carolina is one of only four SEC schools and 13 schools nationally to earn a trip to the NCAA Championship each of the last three years. Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Florida State, Texas, Illinois, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Washington, UCLA and Southern California also punched their tickets to the 2013, 2014 and 2015 NCAA Championships.

A Top-10 Program
Carolina wrapped up 2014-15 ranked in the top-10 in both the Golfstat Relative Rankings and Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings. The Gamecocks were ranked No. 6 by Golfweek and No. 7 by Golfstat. Carolina enters the year ranked No. 7 in Golfweek’s preseason countdown of the top 30 Division I programs and No. 8 in the Bushnell Golfweek Preseason Coaches Poll.

McDonald’s 14
Gamecock head coach Bill McDonald is the winningest coach by tournament victories in school history with 14. McDonald broke the previous record of nine held by Puggy Blackmon (1995-2007) with Carolina’s win at the Carpet Capital Collegiate last September.