Starke turns in low score at Carpet Capital Collegiate
The South Carolina men’s golf team finished in 10th place at the Carpet Capital Collegiate tournament Sunday at The Farm Golf Club in Rocky Face, Ga.
The Gamecocks ended play Sunday with a three-round score of 888 ( 24). Will Starke, a sophomore from Chapin, was the low scorer for the Gamecocks, finishing two under par for three rounds. Starke recorded his second career top-five finish and carded a team best seven birdies in round three.
“He hit some good golf shots,” assistant coach Alex Hamilton said. “He played really solid. That’s how you play when you have a good tournament: You hit some good shots and some bad shots, but at the end of the day, you just keep fighting and make some putts.”
Junior Caleb Sturgeon, a native of Laurens, finished tied for 41st, with a total score of 224 ( 8). Sturgeon’s coach said he struck the ball well, scoring a pair of birdies Sunday, but his round took a turn for the worse when the junior recorded three bogies and a triple bogey to end his play.
Despite Sturgeon’s disappointing late-hole play, Hamilton was quick jump to the support of the team veteran.
“Caleb is one of our leaders,” Hamilton said. “Caleb is the captain of our team and someone who we rely on week in, week out. It was just a combination of some bad breaks here and there and not having his best game, but Caleb is definitely someone we trust and rely on.”
The star of the South Carolina squad, sophomore Matt NeSmith, had a somewhat discouraging tournament, finishing in a tie for 45th with a score of 225 ( 9). The North Augusta native scored a 71 (-1) Saturday following his opening round score of 76 ( 4). He had his worst day in round three, ending the tournament with a 78 ( 6).
The weekend in Georgia was the first of three tournaments the Gamecocks will play in this month. South Carolina returns to play Sept. 22-24 in the Rees Jones Invitational at Haig Point Golf Club on Daufuskie Island.
Hamilton said he does not feel that his team has any reason to panic looking ahead the rest of the season.
“This team does not have a problem working hard,” Hamilton said. “Sometimes in sports, it just doesn’t go your way, and it just happened to be a tournament where it didn’t go our way.”