Sept. 13, 2015

Results

ROCKY FACE, Ga. — The South Carolina men’s golf team posted a final-round 296 (+8) on Sunday at The Farm Golf Club to finish in third place at the Carpet Capital Collegiate.

The Gamecocks wrapped up the weekend with a 54-hole total of 880 (+16). Auburn captured the tournament title with a total of 868 (+4) after shooting a 287 (-1) on Sunday.

Carolina senior Matt NeSmith recorded his 18th career top-10 finish as he tied for seventh with a total of 217 (+1) after shooting a final-round 74 (+2). He tallied a pair of birdies and four bogeys on the afternoon.

Freshman Scott Stevens concluded a solid debut for the Gamecocks with a tie for 14th showing with a total of 221 (+5). Stevens carded a 76, which included one birdie and five bogeys.

Sophomore Keenan Huskey just missed out on a top-20 finish, tying for 24th with a total of 225 (+9). He overcame a triple bogey on the par-5 second to get back to even par through 15 holes, but a double bogey on No. 18 moved him back to 2-over.

Senior Sean Kelly tied for 27th with a total of 226 (+10) after shooting a 77, while senior Will Starke turned in the low round of the day with an even-par 72 to finish tied for 47th with a total of 230 (+14). Starke was 3-over at the turn but birdied the first two holes and last two holes of the back nine to end the day at even par.

Playing as an individual, freshman Ryan Stachler carded a 78 to finish tied for 39th with a total of 228 (+12).

Clemson finished second with a total of 877 (+13). LSU took fourth with a total of 883 (+19), while Georgia Tech rounded out he top five with a total of 885 (+21). Georgia Tech’s Jacob Joiner won medalist honors with a total of 212 (-4), including a final-round 72.

Round Changer
Starke and NeSmith help the Gamecocks make one last push up the leaderboard by shooting under par on the back nine. Starke carded a 3-under 33, while NeSmith shot a 1-under 35 to help Carolina move up two spots to third place.

Notable
• The third-place finish is Carolina’s best in a season-opening event since finishing third at the 2008 Carpet Capital Collegiate.
• The Gamecocks have finished in the top three in nine of their last 10 tournaments.
• NeSmith’s tie for seventh finish is the 18th top-10 finish of his career, which is the fourth most in school history. Kyle Thompson (1997-2000) holds the record with 22.
• Carolina led the tournament in par-4 scoring with an average of 4.16 (+24).
• NeSmith finished tied for first in par-4 scoring with an average of 3.97 (-1).
• The average score for the final round was 76.74, while the average score for the tournament was 76.29.
• Only six golfers carded rounds under par on Sunday.

Up Next
The Gamecocks will be back in action on Sept. 28-29 at the Shoal Creek Invitational. The 54-hole event will be contested at Shoal Creek Country Club in Birmingham, Ala.