Men's Golf . April 20, 2022

Hall Leads, No. 22 Gamecocks T-9th at Sea Island

Senior All-American shot 4-under 66 on Wednesday and leads by shot at SEC Championship

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Senior All-American Ryan Hall leads by one after 18 holes of the 2022 SEC Championship on Wednesday. The Knoxville, Tenn., native posted an impressive 4-under 66 in windy conditions.

Hall made five birdies and was bogey free on the back nine. He nearly aced the par-3 17^th hole, hitting his tee shot inside a foot.

As a team, No. 22 Carolina is T-9^th with No. 14 Auburn at 6-over with an opening round score of 286. It’s a bunched leaderboard and the Gamecocks are just four shots back of No. 16 Florida and Missouri, who are T-5^th at 2-over.

Freshman Nathan Franks is T-20^th as he posted a solid 1-over 71. The Roebuck, S.C., native made a pair of birdies and was close to several more if a few more putts dropped. He nearly made an eagle at the par-5 15^th, leaving his putt just shy of the hole for a tap-in birdie.

The Gamecocks other three players in the lineup had tough back nines. Sophomore Rafe Reynolds shot 74 (+4) in his SEC Championship debut. Junior Jack Wall, who has put together a fine season, shot 75 (+5). Redshirt senior Evans Lewis also shot 75 (+5).

There was only 17 players who posted a red number in Wednesday’s opening round. Winds are excepted to be a factor again tomorrow at Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course. No. 3 Vanderbilt fired the round of the day as a team with a 7-under 273. Three players in their lineup shot under par and are inside the top-eight on the leaderboard.

Carolina will be paired with No. 10 Arkansas and Alabama for round two on Thursday. Lewis will be the first player off for the Gamecocks on hole 10 at 9:20 a.m. (ET).

2022 SEC Championship R1 Leaderboard
1. No. 3 Vanderbilt – 273 (-7)
2. No. 12 Georgia – 276 (-4)
3. No. 25 LSU – 277 (-3)
4. No. 19 Texas A&M – 279 (-1)
T5. No. 16 Florida – 282 (+2)
T5. No. 45 Missouri – 282 (+2)
T7. Mississippi State – 285 (+5)
T7. Kentucky – 285 (+5)
T9. No. 14 Auburn – 286 (+6)
T9. No. 22 South Carolina – 286 (+6)
11. No. 10 Arkansas – 288 (+8)
12. No. 40 Alabama – 290 (+10)
13. No. 18 Tennessee – 292 (+12)
14. No. 21 Ole Miss – 294 (+14)

2022 SEC Championship R1 Gamecock Leaderboard
1. Ryan Hall – 66 (-4)
T20. Nathan Franks – 71 (+1)
T48. Rafe Reynolds – 74 (+4)
T57. Jack Wall – 75 (+5)
T57. Evans Lewis – 75 (+5)

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