May 30, 2015

Results

BRADENTON, Fla. — The sixth-ranked South Carolina men’s golf team remained firmly in the mix to make the third-round cut at the NCAA Championship after posting a second-round 298 (+10) on Saturday at The Concession Golf Club.

The Gamecocks will head into the third round in a tie for 20th with a total of 599 (+23). At the conclusion of Sunday’s third round, the field will be cut to the top 15 teams and top nine individuals not on those teams for a fourth round of stroke play, which will determine the top eight teams for match play and the 72-hole individual champion.

Carolina finished the second round just five strokes outside the top 15 and 10 strokes outside the top eight. Oregon, Texas and Virginia are tied for 14th with a total of 594 (+18), while San Diego State and TCU are tied for eighth with a total of 589 (+13). Southern California moved up two spots to take the lead with a total of 574 (-2), while Illinois (577), Georgia (581), LSU (581), South Florida (585) and Vanderbilt (585) round out the top five.

Junior Will Starke responded to his first-round 78 with an impressive 1-under 71 on Saturday. A native of Chapin, S.C., Starke is tied for 50th with a total of 149 (+5). After getting off to a hot start with back-to-back birdies on holes 12 and 13, he was unable to keep the momentum going as he bogeyed two of his final five holes to make the turn at even. He moved back to 1-under on the day with a birdie on the par-5 third. After a bogey on No. 6, he again made back-to-back birdies on holes seven and eight to move to 2-under before recording bogey on No. 9 to finish the day at 1-under.

Junior Matt NeSmith also went in and out of red numbers throughout the round but made bogey on the par-4 ninth to finish the day with a stellar even-par 72. NeSmith, who tallied three birdies and three bogeys on the afternoon, is tied for 30th with a total of 146 (+2).

Senior Caleb Sturgeon also had a solid day for the Gamecocks, shooting a 3-over 75, including a pair of birdies. Sturgeon is tied for 94th with a total of 153 (+9).

Senior Will Murphy turned in an 80 (+80) and is in 154th place with a total of 163 (+19). Murphy had a rough front nine, shooting a 44 (+8). However, he settled down to shoot even par on the back nine, recording all pars. Rounding out the lineup, junior Sean Kelly shot an 83 (+11) and is tied for 107th with a total of 154 (+10).

SMU’s Bryson Dechambeau holds the 36-hole lead with a total of 137 (-7).

Round Changer
Starke was one of only 23 golfers out of 156 to shoot under par on Saturday. He recorded five birdies and four bogeys on the afternoon and played the par-5s in 3-under.

Notable
• The Gamecocks are just five shots outside the top 15 and 10 shots outside the top eight. The field will be cut to 15 teams after 54 holes and to eight teams after 72 holes for match play.
• Carolina played the par-5s on its front nine (holes 10-18) in 4-over and played the par-5s on its back nine (holes 1-9) in 4-under without a bogey.
• Starke was one of only 23 golfers out of 156 to shoot under par in the second round. Only 46 rounds under par have been recorded out of 312 in two rounds.
• Starke played the par-5s in 3-under. He is tied for second in the field in par-5 scoring this week with an average of 4.25 (-6).
• After making the turn at 8-over 44, Murphy shot an even-par 36 on his back nine, recording all pars.

Quotable
South Carolina head coach Bill McDonald
“(The Concession) is playing really difficult, but we just haven’t been playing well either. I don’t think we’ve been very patient the last couple of days, and we haven’t made many putts. (Will Starke and Matt NeSmith) both gutted it out and played well. They looked like they both hit the ball fairly well. This is just a tough golf course. A par round on that golf course is a really good round. We just have to have our other guys step up, and hopefully Matt and Starke continue playing well and we get a good round in tomorrow.”

Up Next
The Gamecocks will tee off in the third round beginning at 7:30 a.m. off of the first tee and will be paired with UCLA and SMU. Live scoring will be available at golfstatresults.com.