Gamecocks Open Play at Palmetto Intercollegiate Monday

AIKEN, S.C. — South Carolina makes its triumphant return to the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate on Monday. The Gamecocks have won the event five times, three titles coming under head coach Bill McDonald (2015, 2016 and 2019).
 
“It’s always special to be playing and competing at Palmetto Golf Club,” said McDonald. “It’s rich history and influence on the game of golf is immeasurable. ‘The Old Lady’ is in fantastic condition and we look forward to the next couple of days. We’ve had a productive couple of weeks preparing, and our guys have worked hard to get ready for the next few weeks of a lot of golf.”
 
Carolina will be making its first appearance in the event since the spring of 2019 when the team was victorious by 35 shots thanks to a then 54-hole program record score of 813 (-27). All-American Will Miles picked up his first collegiate win with a nine-shot victory. He went wire-to-wire and set a tournament record with a 54-hole score of 197 (-13).
 
It’s the same five-man lineup this week for the Gamecocks that opened the season at the Puerto Rico Classic (Feb. 13-15). All-American Ryan Hall is the No. 1 player. He fired a season-best round of 65 (-7) on day three in Puerto Rico to finish 15^th with a 54-hole total of 204 (-12). It was the 21^st top-20 of his career (29 starts).
 
Junior Jack Wall and transfer Evans Lewis will be 2-3 in the lineup this week. Freshman Nathan Franks and sophomore Rafe Reynolds round out the South Carolina starting five.  
 
Players will be treated to 54 holes of golf this week at historic Palmetto Golf Club which was founded in 1892 by Thomas Hitchcock. The golf course is a par 71 layout and plays at 6,695 yards from the championship tees. What the course may lack in length, it more than makes up for with its small elevated and undulating greens, and clever (some say diabolical) bunkers.
 
While not one of the five original founding members of the USGA, Palmetto Golf Club joined on Jan. 22, 1896, 14 months after the USGA was founded. The club’s USGA certificate is believed to be the oldest still in existence and is on display at the club.
 
Teams will play 36 holes on Monday with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. (ET). The Gamecocks will be paired with Virginia and Virginia Tech for the first two rounds. Carolina will tee off on holes one through four.
 
Live scoring is available via Golfstat.
 
2022 Palmetto Intercollegiate Field
1. Charleston Southern
2. Darmouth
3. Francis Marion
4. Furman
5. Gardner-Webb
6. High Point
7. Presbyterian College
8. Samford
9. No. 43 South Carolina
10. Temple
11. *No. 2 USC-Aiken
12. VCU
13. Virginia
14. Virginia Tech
15. Wofford
*NCAA Division II Golfstat Ranking
 
2022 Palmetto Intercollegiate Gamecock Lineup
1. Ryan Hall
2. Jack Wall
3. Evans Lewis  
4. Nathan Franks    
5. Rafe Reynolds  
 
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