Hall Wins J.T. Poston Invitational, Gamecocks Take Second

SAPPHIRE, N.C. – Standout sophomore Ryan Hall played lights out golf on Tuesday, winning the 2019 J.T. Poston Invitational by one shot for his first collegiate win. As a team, South Carolina also played lights out but ultimately fell one-shot shy of tallying its first win of the 2019-20 season despite a record-setting day at The Country Club of Sapphire Valley.
 
Hall fired a pair of bogey free rounds with a 65 (-6) and 64 (-7) after opening with a 70 (-1) on Monday. The Knoxville, Tenn., native, had 13 birdies today in his climb up the leaderboard. His last bogey of the tournament came on the 16^th hole of round one yesterday. With the team needing some birdies late to make a run at the tournament title, Hall answered the call with four birdies in his final five holes. His final round 64 is T-4^th lowest score in program history. With a 54-hole total of 199 (6^th lowest in program history) the last two days, Hall becomes just the fifth different golfer at South Carolina to shoot a sub-200 score.
 
As a team, the Gamecocks finished with the lowest 54-hole score in program history at 806 (-46), surpassing the previous mark set last season (813) in the team’s historic, 35-shot victory at the Palmetto Intercollegiate in mid-march. Carolina began play this morning with a 264 (-20) in an abbreviated second round that was suspended for rain on Monday. It was the lowest 18-hole score all-time and pulled the Gamecocks within a shot of eventual champion Georgia Southern.
 
The Gamecocks followed that up with a 19-under 265 in the final round this afternoon, T-2^nd lowest 54-hole mark all-time at Carolina. Despite the Gamecocks’ low team score, the Eagles were able to hang on for the one-shot win. 
 
Senior Caleb Proveaux had another outstanding week, matching a career-best finish as he T-2^nd. He shot a new career 54-hole low of 200 (-13) with rounds of 67 (-4), 65 (-6) and 68 (-3). Like Hall, Proveaux was also bogey free in the second round. Fellow senior Jamie Wilson also logged a new career 54-hole low of 203 (-10) as he T-4^th. Wilson went low with a new career-best 64 (-7) in round two.
 
Freshman Jack Wall T-7^th for his first career top-10. He carded a new career 54-hole low of 204 (-9). Wall finished today with a bogey free 65 (-6), a new career-best. He and Proveaux tied for the field lead in par-4 scoring average this week (-8, 3.76).
 
The Gamecocks led the field this week with 70 birdies and tied for the field lead with four eagles.
 
Junior Jack Parrott shot T-37^th with a 54-hole total of 212 (-1). Fellow junior Andrew Spiegler made his season debut this week playing as an individual. He T-52^nd at 216 (+3).  
 
2019 J.T. Poston Invitational Final Team Leaderboard
1. Georgia Southern – 805 (-47)
2. South Carolina – 806 (-46)
3. VCU – 832 (-20)
4. Morehead State – 834 (-18)
5. Central Arkansas – 841 (-11)
6.  Charleston Southern – 843 (-9)
7. Belmont – 844 (-8)
8. Austin Peay – 846 (-6)
9. Western Carolina – 849 (-3)
T-10. Kennesaw State –  850 (-2)
T-10. High Point – 850 (-2)
12. Stetson – 853 (+1)
13. Western Kentucky – 856 (+4)
14. Florida Gulf Coast – 872 (+20)
 
2019 J.T. Poston Invitational Day One Gamecock Leaderboard
1. Ryan Hall – 199 (-14)
T-2. Caleb Proveaux – 200 (-13)
T-4. Jamie Wilson – 203 (-10)
T-7. Jack Wall – 204 (-9)
T-37. Jack Parrott – 212 (-1)
T-52. Andrew Spiegler* – 216 (+3)
*playing as an individual
 
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