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May 16, 2016

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2016 NCAA TUSCALOOSA REGIONAL
Tournament Scores // Tournament Stats // Photo Gallery // Twitter // Facebook
GAMECOCK SCORECARDS
Sean Kelly
Round 1: 71
Round 2:
Round 3:
To Par: -1
Place: T9th
Matt NeSmith
Round 1: 70
Round 2:
Round 3:
To Par: -2
Place: T5th
Will Starke
Round 1: 73
Round 2:
Round 3:
To Par: +1
Place: T18th
Keenan Huskey
Round 1: 73
Round 2:
Round 3:
To Par: +1
Place: T18th
Scott Stevens
Round 1: 74
Round 2:
Round 3:
To Par: +2
Place: T26th
Team Standings
Pos. Team R1 R2 R3 Total
1. Georgia 284 284 (-4)
2. South Carolina 287 287 (-1)
3. Kentucky 288 288 (E)
4. UNLV 290 290 (+2)
5. Alabama 292 292 (+4)
6. Auburn 294 294 (+6)
7. Colorado 296 296 (+8)
8. College of Charleston 298 298 (+10)
9. Lipscomb 302 302 (+14)
10. Kansas 308 308 (+20)
11. Southern Illinois 314 314 (+26)
12. Charleston Southern 315 315 (+27)
13. Harvard 323 323 (+35)
Tournament Quick Facts

Dates: May 16-18

Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Course: Ol’ Colony Golf Complex

Par: 72

Yards: 7,514

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of South Carolina Men’s Golf team stands in second place at the 2016 NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional after one day of competition. The Gamecocks withstood tough conditions to post a round of 287 (-1) at Ol’ Colony Golf Complex, with senior Matt NeSmith’s 70 (-2) leading the way.

Georgia leads the field through 18 holes after shooting a team score of 284 (-4) on Monday. Bulldogs Greyson Sigg and Zach Healy and Colorado’s Jeremy Paul top the individual leaderboard after each shooting 68 (-4) to start the Regional.

The top five teams and the top individual not on those teams will advance out of Tuscaloosa and into the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship, which will be held May 27 — June 1 in Eugene, Ore. South Carolina currently holds a seven-stroke lead over the sixth-place team, Auburn, with 36 holes left at the Regional.

NeSmith finished the day two-under par to lead the Gamecocks and check in tied for fifth overall. He made four birdies, tied for the team lead. The round was his 21st of par or better this season, which paces the Gamecocks, and it was his seventh career NCAA Regional round of par or better. The senior has shot below par in three of his last four NCAA Regional rounds.

Fellow senior Sean Kelly is tied for ninth individually after shooting 71 (-1) on Monday. The Staten Island, N.Y., native came out hot, with three birdies on the front nine. He posted four overall, and like NeSmith, he has finished under par in three of his last four rounds at NCAA Regionals.

Will Starke is tied for 18th with two rounds left after carding a 73 (+1) on the first day in Tuscaloosa. The senior made the turn in 2-over but caught fire to start the inward nine. He birdied the 10th, 11th and 14th holes and enters the second day just five shots off the individual pace.

Keenan Huskey matched Starke with a 73 (+1) on Monday to crack the top-20. The sophomore held the individual lead after birdieing three of the first seven holes to get to 3-under, and he ended the day tied for 18th.

Scott Stevens joined Huskey as Gamecocks making their NCAA Regional debuts on Monday, and he finished the day with a 74 (+2). The freshman is tied for 26th after posting two birdies on his opening 18 holes.

Quoting Coach Bill McDonald

“We played well. We had two really good rounds, with Sean Kelly and Matt NeSmith being under par in such difficult conditions. The other guys hung in there and played solid rounds, and we’re off to a good start. That’s all you can ask for in the first round at Regionals.”

Round Changer

NeSmith made the turn at even-par 36 and shifted into high gear when he arrived at the back nine. The senior birdied the 10th, 12th, and 14th holes to briefly take the individual lead, and he enters Tuesday’s round two strokes off the pace.

Notable

  • The Gamecocks are aiming for their fourth consecutive NCAA Championship berth.
  • Kelly played the par-3 holes in -1. He’s one of just four players to finish under par on the par-3’s Monday in Tuscaloosa.
  • As a team, South Carolina made 16 birdies, second-most in the field.

Up Next for the Gamecocks

The Gamecocks take part in day two of the Tuscaloosa Regional on Tuesday, when they tee off at 9:15 a.m. CT. South Carolina will be paired with Georgia and Kentucky, and live scoring is available throughout the day at Golfstat.com.

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