Gamecocks Set to Finish Regular Season in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. — South Carolina is back on the course for the second time this week as it wraps up the regular season portion of the schedule at the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational (April 3-4). Teams will play 36 holes on Saturday with the final round taking place on Easter Sunday at Forest Hills Golf Club.
 
The top three spots in the lineup remain the same in junior Ryan Hall, super senior Jamie Wilson and sophomore Jack Wall. Senior Jack Parrott returns this week for the first time since the spring opening Gators Invitational (Feb. 12-13). Freshman Rafe Reynolds is the five man, playing in the lineup for just the second time this season. He made his lineup debut back in the fall at the Legends Collegiate Invitational (Oct. 25-27).
 
It’s a strong field this week with three top-10 teams (No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 5 Illinois and No. 6 Arizona State) and five others ranked in the top-50 of the latest Golfstat Team Rankings.  
 
Live scoring for this week’s tournament will be available via Golfstat.  
 
ABOUT THE COURSE
Established in 1926, Augusta University’s Forest Hills is a much-loved staple within the Augusta golf community. This 18-hole course holds remarkable history from Bobby Jones beginning his 1930 Grand Slam of Golf at Forest Hills in the Southeastern Open to college events where future greats like Phil Mickelson (1989), Davis Love III (1981-82) and others have competed. Forest Hills is home to the men’s and women’s Jaguar golf teams. The men won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2010 and 2011.  
 
The course was originally designed by world renowned course architect Donald Ross, but it was renovated by the Arnold Palmer Company in 2004. Forest Hills is repeatedly named “Best Public Course” by Augusta Magazine and offers traditional Southern topography with level, rolling fairways surrounded by magnificent trees.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Founded in 1979, this marks the 42^nd edition of the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational presented by Valspar. A women’s event, the Valspar Augusta Invitational, was added in 2005. PGA TOUR players that have competed in the tournament over the years include Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard, Chris Kirk, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Beau Hossler.
 
Under McDonald, Carolina has competed in the event eight times with a three top-five finishes. In the team’s last appearance in 2019, the No. 19 Gamecocks came from behind to take second behind No. 3 Wake Forest. Carolina shot 831 (-33) and blew away the rest of the field in the final round on Sunday with a score of 273 (-15). Jamie Wilson earned runner-up medalist honors with 54-hole tally of 204 (-12). All five players in the team’s lineup finished in the top-25 individually.
 
2021 Augusta Haskins Award Invitational Gamecock Lineup
1. Ryan Hall
2. Jamie Wilson  
3. Jack Wall
4. Jack Parrott
5. Rafe Reynolds
 
2021 Augusta Haskins Award Invitational Field
1. No. 3 Oklahoma State
2. No. 5 Illinois
3. No. 6 Arizona State
4. No. 14 Arizona
5. No. 17 Pepperdine
6. No. 24 USF  
7. No. 33 Notre Dame
8. No. 38 South Carolina
9. No. 66 UCF
10. No. 76 College of Charleston
11. Augusta
12. Virginia Tech
13. Kennesaw State
14. Georgia State
15. Army
 
*Rankings via Golfstat as of 3/31/21
 
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