Gamecocks in Lowcountry for Hootie at Bulls Bay

AWENDAW, S.C. — South Carolina is back on the course this week for the 2021 Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate (March 28-30). The Gamecocks have won the event four out of the last five seasons dating back to 2019. Last year’s tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19.
 
“We are very excited to be back in Charleston and playing in the Hootie at Bulls Bay,” said head coach Bill McDonald. “This year’s tournament has some special meaning in that it’s the first event of our season that was originally scheduled prior to the changes we had to make due to the pandemic. Our guys love the golf course here, and we’re looking forward to getting started tomorrow.”
 
It’s the same lineup for the third-straight tournament for South Carolina this week as it looks to maintain its prowess atop the leaderboard at Bulls Bay Golf Club. Junior Ryan Hall, who was recently named to the Haskins Award Watch List, mans the top spot amongst the Gamecocks’ five. The Knoxville, Tenn., native has been Mr. Consistency this season with top-20 finishes in all six of his starts.
 
Local product Jamie Wilson, a native of Mount Pleasant, S.C., returns home this week fresh off his first top-20 of the season in the team’s last outing at the Tiger Invitational (March 15-16). He has two top-five finishes in three career starts at the Hootie at Balls. He led the team to victory with a third-place finish in 2019. Wilson shot 209 (-9) with three consecutive 69s on his scorecard.
 
Sophomore Jack Wall is the three-man this week with super senior Caleb Proveaux and sophomore Nick Mayfield rounding out the lineup. True freshman Rafe Reynolds will be playing as an individual this week.
 
Live scoring for this week’s tournament will be available via BirdieFire.
 
ABOUT THE COURSE
Bulls Bay Golf Club sits among windswept savannahs and centuries old live oaks just minutes from downtown Charleston.
 
The par-72, Mike Strantz designed course plays 7,220 yards from the championship tees. Strantz transformed a once flat stretch of Lowcountry coastline into a landscape reminiscent of the great links courses of Scotland and Ireland. Roughly two million cubic yards of earth were moved to reshape the site. The course features 75-foot elevation changes and 360-degree views.  

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Gamecocks have played in the Hootie at Bulls Bay every year since the inaugural event in 2005. Carolina has eight top-five finishes (four wins) winning three-straight titles from 2015-17. All-Americans Matt NeSmith (2015) and Keenan Huskey (2016) are the two Gamecocks who have earned medalist honors at the event.
 
2021 Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate Gamecock Lineup
1. Ryan Hall
2. Jamie Wilson  
3. Jack Wall
4. Caleb Proveaux  
5. Nick Mayfield
IND. Rafe Reynolds
 
2021 Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate Field
1. No. 7 Auburn
2. College of Charleston
3. No. 42 Duke
4. Iowa State
5. No. 32 Kansas
6. Kent State
7. Kentucky
8. Louisiana Tech
9. Marquette
10. Missouri
11. No. 18 NC State
12. Purdue
13. No. 34 South Carolina
14. West Virginia
15. Wisconsin
16. Wichita State
 
*Rankings via Golfstat as of 3/23/21
 
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