Hall Powers Gamecocks in Opening Round at Albuquerque Regional

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Junior First Team All-SEC selection Ryan Hall, the team’s top player, powered South Carolina to a solid start at the Albuquerque Regional on Monday. He shot 68 (-4) and the team carded an opening round 285 (-3), good for a three-way tie for fifth place.
 
“It was a good opening round for us and I thought the team really showed some character on the back nine,” said head coach Bill McDonald. “We got off to a great start and struggled on the hardest stretch, five through eight. Our guys finished strong though and we’re in a good position to move up the board tomorrow.”
 
Hall led the Gamecocks with six birdies in round one. The Knoxville, Tenn., native is T-3^rd and two shots behind No. 1 Oklahoma’s Jonathan Brightwell, who fired an opening round 66 (-6) to grab the individual lead. He leads the field in par-3 scoring average (2.25) after 18 holes, making red numbers on three of the four short holes. Hall was one of only four players in the 75-man field to make birdie at the hardest hole on the golf course, the 270-yard par-3 eighth.
 
Super senior Jamie Wilson also had a solid day, shooting a 1-under 70. He was 1-over at the turn, then carded a 2-under 34 on the back nine. The Mount Pleasant, S.C., native made birdie at the par-4 14^th then holed out for eagle from the downslope in the back of a greenside bunker at the drivable par-4 15^th. Wilson is T-18^th and ranks second in the field in par-4 scoring average (-3, 3.70).

Fellow super senior Caleb Proveaux was steady with an opening round 72 (E). He got off to a hot start with back-to-back birdies on holes one and two. He made bogey at seven and double at eight to make the turn at 1-over. The Lexington, S.C., native battled on the back with a bogey free 35 (-1).
 
Sophomore Jack Wall was the final counting score with a 2-over 74. He finished strong with a birdie at 18. Senior Jack Parrott shot 75 (+3). He had a tough front nine making the turn at 5-over. He fought back coming in with three birdies en route to shooting 34 (-2) over his final nine holes.
 
It’s a bunched leaderboard at The Championship Course at UNM. Just four shots separate the seven teams currently in the top-five. The Gamecocks will go off in the early wave at hole 10 alongside No. 12 Arizona State and No. 14 Texas A&M. Parrott is first out for Carolina at 10 a.m. ET.
 
2021 Albuquerque Regional Gamecock Leaderboard
T3. Ryan Hall – 68 (-4)
T18. Jamie Wilson – 71 (-1)
T24. Caleb Proveaux – 72 (E)
T40. Jack Wall – 74 (+2)
T49. Jack Parrott – 75 (+3)
 
2021 Albuquerque Regional Leaderboard
1. No. 41 Oregon State – 281 (-7)
2. No. 22 Texas Tech – 283 (-5)
T3. No. 29 New Mexico – 284 (-4)
T3. No. 14 Texas A&M – 284 (-4)
T5. South Carolina – 285 (-3)
T5. No. 12 Arizona State – 285 (-3)
T5. Nevada – 285 (-3)
8. No. 31 Stanford – 287 (-1)
T9. No. 47 Boise State – 289 (+1)
T9. No. 1 Oklahoma – 289 (+1)
11. Oakland – 294 (+6)
12. San Diego – 296 (+8)
13. New Mexico State – 300 (+12)
14. Prairie View A&M – 323 (+35)
 
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