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Gamecocks Storm into Match Play at NCAA Championship
Men's Golf  . 

Gamecocks Storm into Match Play at NCAA Championship

May 30, 2016

GAMECOCK SCORECARDS
Sean Kelly
Round 1: 75
Round 2: 73
Round 3: 72
Round 4: 69
To Par: +9
Place: T-40th
Matt NeSmith
Round 1: 75
Round 2: 70
Round 3: 71
Round 4: 74
To Par: +10
Place: T-45th
Will Starke
Round 1: 67
Round 2: 72
Round 3: 79
Round 4: 66
To Par: +4
Place: T-13th
Keenan Huskey
Round 1: 70
Round 2: 70
Round 3: 76
Round 4: 75
To Par: +11
Place: T-51st
Scott Stevens
Round 1: 75
Round 2: 78
Round 3: 74
Round 4: 68
To Par: +15
Place: T-71st
Team Standings
Pos. Team R1 R2 R3 R4 Total
1. Texas 289 281 277 287 1134 (+14)
2. Illinois 290 280 289 276 1135 (+15)
3. LSU 286 282 283 285 1136 (+16)
T4. Southern California 283 282 285 287 1137 (+17)
T4. Vanderbilt 283 280 282 282 1137 (+17)
6. Oregon 291 277 284 287 1139 (+19)
7. South Carolina 287 285 293 277 1142 (+22)
8. Oklahoma 290 288 289 277 1144 (+24)
9. Arizona State 290 281 286 291 1148 (+28)
T10. Oklahoma State 285 289 285 291 1150 (+30)
T10. California 287 284 287 292 1150 (+30)
12. Arkansas 282 284 289 298 1153 (+33)
13. Kentucky 289 286 288 294 1157 (+37)
14. Louisville 291 282 294 291 1158 (+38)
15. Florida 286 287 293 297 1163 (+43)
Tournament Quick Facts

Dates: May 27-June 1

Location: Eugene, Ore.

Course: Eugene Country Club

Par: 70

Yards: 7,014

EUGENE, Ore. – A massive fourth round effort on Monday carried the University of South Carolina Men’s Golf team into the match play portion of the 2016 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship. The Gamecocks shot a round of 277 (-3) to finish the stroke play tournament at 1,142 (+22), good for seventh place.

As the No. 7 seed, the Gamecocks will play second-seeded Illinois in the match play quarterfinals on Tuesday morning. Matches will go off Eugene Country Club’s 1st tee beginning at 7:00 a.m. PT.

Carolina was one of just three teams to break par on Monday, joining fellow match play qualifiers Illinois (-4) and Oklahoma (-3). The round was the best of the tournament for Bill McDonald’s team by eight strokes. South Carolina played the back nine first, made the turn in 2-over, and then came home in 5-under.

Three Gamecocks posted a red number on Monday, including a heroic effort from Will Starke. The senior shot 66 (-4), which tied for the best individual round of the day at Eugene Country Club. Freshman Scott Stevens recorded his best round of the Championship, a 68 (-2), and Sean Kelly also went under par for the first time this week, with a 69 (-1).

The seventh-place finish is South Carolina’s best ever result in the stroke play portion of the NCAA Championship. The Gamecocks set another program record for low 72-hole score with their final total of 1,142.

Though the Gamecocks were strong throughout the round, they truly separated themselves in the race to the quarterfinals with an incredible effort on the par-5 4th hole. It was the 13th hole of the day for South Carolina, and every single Gamecock was under par, including four birdies and an eagle from Kelly.

Texas was the top finisher in stroke play, at 1,134 (+14). The Longhorns will match up with eighth-seeded Oklahoma, with the winner to face victor of the match between fourth-seeded Southern California and fifth-seeded Vanderbilt. The winner of South Carolina’s match with Illinois will take on either No. 3 seed LSU or No. 6 seed Oregon.

Quarterfinal Matches

  • No.1 — Keenan Huskey (South Carolina) vs. Thomas Detry (Illinois) — 7:00 a.m.
  • No. 2 — Matt NeSmith (South Carolina) vs. Edoardo Lipparelli (Illinois) — 7:10 a.m.
  • No. 3 — Scott Stevens (South Carolina) vs. Dylan Meyer (Illinois) — 7:20 a.m.
  • No. 4 — Sean Kelly (South Carolina) vs. Nick Hardy (Illinois) — 7:30 a.m.
  • No. 5 — Will Starke (South Carolina) vs. Charlie Danielson (Illinois) — 7:40 a.m.

Oregon boasts the NCAA individual champion, Aaron Wise, who ended the fourth round with a score of 275 (-5).

Starke was South Carolina’s top finisher for the tournament, at 284 (+4) to end the stroke play section tied for 13th. The Chapin, S.C. native was in the zone Monday, tallying five birdies. When the pressure was highest, Starke responded, finishing with four birdies in his last seven holes.

Kelly finished the stroke play tournament tied for 40th, at 289 (+9). The senior got progressively better throughout the week, posting scores of 75, 73, 72 and 69. His eagle on the 4th hole pushed the Gamecocks into the top eight, and he added two birdies on the day.

Matt NeSmith finished tied for 45th, with a score of 290 (+10). The senior shot 74 (+4) on Monday, with two birdies, including a gutsy effort on the par-4 8th hole. His birdie there, one of three on the day for South Carolina, gave the Gamecocks some much-needed cushion.

Keenan Huskey came in tied for 51st in the stroke play race, ending with a score of 291 (+11). The sophomore shot 75 (+5) on Monday, with three birdies.

Stevens ended the stroke play event in a tie for 71st, at 295 (+15). The freshman came through in the clutch Monday, with his 68 checking in as his best score of the week by six strokes. Stevens made five birdies on Monday to help the Gamecocks make match play in his first collegiate season.

Quoting Coach Bill McDonald

“(Making match play) is a tremendous accomplishment for our program, as it was for our women’s program as well. But you don’t have a lot of time to celebrate. We’ve got to great ready for tomorrow morning, and we’ve got to play one of the best teams in the country in Illinois.”

Round Changer

Starke’s round of 66 matches the second-lowest NCAA Championship single-round performance in South Carolina history, and it trails only the 64 that the senior shot in the first round of the 2014 Championship. Counting those two scores and his 67 on Friday in Eugene, Starke now owns three of the top six NCAA Championship rounds in Carolina history.

Notable

  • Starke’s T-13th finish is the third-best individual NCAA Championship result in program history, and South Carolina’s best individual placement since 1988.
  • With the conclusion of Monday’s round, the Gamecocks are done with stroke play for the 2015-16 season.
  • NeSmith ends his career with a stroke average of 71.65, while Starke’s final career average is 72.17. Those are the two best stroke averages in South Carolina history.
  • NeSmith’s 2015-16 average of 71.24 is third-best in the Carolina records and the best single season by a Gamecock senior.
  • Huskey finishes the season at 72.20, tied for third-best all-time among Gamecock sophomores.
  • Stevens ends the season with a 72.85 stroke average, third-best by a Carolina freshman.
  • South Carolina is one of only three schools to have both the men’s and women’s teams advance to match play, joining Oregon and USC.

Up Next for the Gamecocks

South Carolina and Illinois tee off at 7:00 a.m. PT on Tuesday, with live television coverage beginning at 10:30 a.m. PT. The winner advances to the match play semifinals, which start at 1:30 p.m. PT.