Dec. 7, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina men’s golf heads into the winter break with a strong fall season under its belt. The Gamecocks had top-five finishes in three of the team’s four events and will look to build on the momentum in the spring.

The team took 10th (875, +11) at the Carpet Capital Collegiate on Sept. 9-11, fifth at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate (839, -13) on Sept. 23-25, second at the Camden Collegiate Invitational (859, +19) on Oct. 22-23 and fifth at the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic (840, -12) on Nov. 4-6.

Sophomore Scott Stevens and junior Keenan Huskey, Carolina’s two returnees from the team’s magical NCAA run last spring, paced the Gamecocks throughout the fall season.

Stevens finished the fall with a 69.58 stroke average, three top-10 individual finishes, eight rounds at par or better and six rounds in the 60s. His best individual finish was at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate, when he earned runner-up medalist honors after shooting 198 (-15). The low tally was the third-best 54-hole score in program history. The Chattanooga, Tenn., native, finished tied for sixth at both the Camden Collegiate Invitational (215, +5) and the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic (203, -10). Stevens finished the fall ranked No. 25 in the United States Arnold Palmer Cup rankings.

Huskey finished just behind Stevens with a 69.67 stroke average. He finished in the top-20 individually in all four of the team’s events this fall, highlighted by a runner-up medalist finish at the Camden Collegiate Classic. Huskey finished tied atop the leaderboard after the third round in Camden (205, -5), but took second after a sudden-death playoff. The Greenville, S.C., native, shot in the 60s five times this fall and played eight rounds at par or better. Huskey shot 64 twice this fall, in the second round at the Maui Jim and the second round at Camden. The two 64s tied for the fourth lowest 18-hole scores in program history.

South Carolina is the only school in the country with two golfers in the top-10 for scoring average. Stevens is tied for 6th with his 69.58 stroke average and Huskey is tied for ninth with his 69.67 stroke average.

Junior Ben Dietrich had a steady fall for the Gamecocks, playing six of his 12 rounds at par or better and three rounds in the 60s. His best finish came at the Camden Collegiate after he tied for 17th (220, +10). The Bluffton, S.C., native’s low round of the fall came at the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic after he shot 213 (E) to finish tied for 30th. Dierich’s low 18-hole score came in the opening round of the Maui Jim, after he fired a 66 (-5).

Sophomores Will Miles and Ryan Stachler were the other regulars in the Gamecocks lineup this fall. Both placed in the top-20 at the Camden Collegiate Invitational. Miles tied for sixth with Stevens (215, +5) and Stachler tied for 17th with Dietrich (220, +10). Miles had three rounds of par or better in the fall and Stachler had two. Miles shot a 18-hole low of 68 in the final round of the Ka’anapali Collegiate Classic to end the fall on a high note.

True freshman Jamie Wilson and Caleb Proveaux made their Carolina debuts playing invidually this fall. Wilson played in two tournaments (Carpet Capital Collegiate and Maui Jim) while Proveaux competed solely at Camden. Wilson tied for 38th (219, +3) at the Carpet Capital for his top finish of the fall. Proveaux shot 225 (+15) and finished tied for 34th at the Camden Collegiate.

The Gamecocks return to action on Feb. 17 when they compete in the All-American Intercollegiate in Humble, Texas at the Golf Club of Houston. Carolina will participate in five more tournaments this spring leading up to the SEC Championship on April 21 in St. Simons Island, Ga. at the Sea Island Golf Club.