Men's Golf . September 8, 2016

Gamecocks Set To Open Season Friday

Sept. 8, 2016

2016 CARPET CAPITAL COLLEGIATE
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TOURNAMENT LINEUP

Keenan Huskey
2016-17 Stats
Events:
Rounds:
Average:
Low 54:
Low 18:

Scott Stevens
2016-17 Stats
Events:
Rounds:
Average:
Low 54:
Low 18:

Ryan Stachler
2016-17 Stats
Events:
Rounds:
Average:
Low 54:
Low 18:

Will Miles
2016-17 Stats
Events:
Rounds:
Average:
Low 54:
Low 18:

Ben Dietrich
2016-17 Stats
Events:
Rounds:
Average:
Low 54:
Low 18:

Jamie Wilson (IND.)
2016-17 Stats
Events:
Rounds:
Average:
Low 54:
Low 18:

Team (Rank*)

1. Alabama

2. Auburn

3. Chattanooga

4. Clemson

5. Dalton State

6. Florida

7. Georgia Tech

8. Kennesaw State

9. LSU

10. Memphis

11. North Florida

12. South Carolina

13. Tennessee

14. Virginia

Dates: Sept. 9-11

Location: Rocky Face, Ga.

Course: The Farm Golf Club

Par: 72

Yards: 7,012

“> “> “> “> “>

Dates	Event	Finish
9/9-11	Carpet Capital Collegiate Rocky Face, Ga.
9/23-25	Maui Jim Collegiate Scottsdale, Ariz.
10/22-23	Camden Collegiate Invitational Camden, S.C.
11/4-6	Ka’anapali Classic Collegiate Invitational Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
2/17-19	All-American Intercollegiate Humble, Texas
3/6-7	Palmetto Intercollegiate Aiken, S.C.
3/11-12	General Hackler Championship Myrtle Beach, S.C.
3/19-21	Valspar Collegiate Invitational Palm City, Fla.
3/26-28	Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate Awendaw, S.C.
4/9-10	Irish Creek Intercollegiate Kannapolis, N.C.
4/21-24	SEC Championship St. Simons Island, Ga.
5/15-17	NCAA Regionals TBD
5/26-31	NCAA Championship Sugar Grove, Ill.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s golf team, ranked No. 17 in the GCAA poll released Aug. 26, kicks off the 2016-17 campaign this weekend at the 28th Carpet Capital Collegiate. The annual tournament will be a 54-hole event contested Friday through Sunday at The Farm Golf Club in Rocky Face, Ga.

HISTORY AT THE FARM

The Gamecocks are making their 26th appearance overall and their 11th straight at the Carpet Capital Collegiate. Carolina’s best finish came in 2014 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

Last season, Carolina finished third at the Carpet Capital Collegiate after posting a 54-hole total of 880 (+16). Matt NeSmith was the low individual, placing T-7 after finishing the tournament +1. Scott Stevens finished T-14 after firing a score of 221 (+5). Keenan Huskey placed T-24 after shooting +9 (225). Ryan Stachler, who competed individually, tallied a 228 (+12) and finished T-39.

TOURNAMENT FIELD

This year’s field will once again be one of the toughest in the country, as 12 of the 14 teams finished last year ranked in the top 50 of the Golfstat Relative Rankings. Carolina is one of six teams representing the SEC along with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU and Tennessee.

Clemson, Georgia Tech and Virginia will be representing the ACC. Chattanooga, Dalton State, Kennesaw State, Memphis and North Florida round out the tournament field.

RECAPPING THE 2015-16 SEASON

South Carolina advanced to its fourth straight NCAA Championship after a second place finish at the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional behind SEC foe Georgia. At the NCAA Championship, the Gamecocks sat in 14th place heading into the final round of stroke play.

The team finished seventh after shooting a final round 277 (-3) to advance to the match play portion of the event for the first time in school history. The seventh-place finish was the team’s highest ever in stroke play at the NCAA Championship. In match play, the Gamecocks fell to eventual national runner-up Illinois, 4-1. Then-freshman Scott Stevens earned the lone point for the Gamecocks.

Three of the five players from Carolina’s NCAA Championship squad, Sean Kelly, Matt NeSmith and Will Starke, have graduated and moved on to the Canadian PGA Tour. Keenan Huskey and Scott Stevens return for the Gamecocks this season. The team’s final Golfstat ranking was 10th, marking the second-straight top-10 finish for the program.

MCDONALD’S 18

Gamecock head coach Bill McDonald is the winningest coach by tournament victories in school history with 18. McDonald broke the previous record of nine held by Puggy Blackmon (1995-2007) with Carolina’s win at the Carpet Capital Collegiate in September 2014. McDonald captured a school-record five wins in 2014-15 and snagged his latest victory at the 2016 Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate.

UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS

Carolina has a week off before traveling to Scottsdale, Ariz., for the Maui Jim Collegiate. The tournament runs Sept. 23-25 at Maribel Golf Club.