The South Carolina Men’s Golf team placed ninth in the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational hosted by the Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida. After posting a solid first round score of 284, the Gamecocks plummeted in the second round with a total score of 310, but rebounded to post a third round score of 293. Overall, the Gamecocks finished with a combined 54-hole total score of 887 (+23). Senior Matt NeSmith led the way on the final day of tournament action, shooting an even par 72.
In a post-tournament interview, coach Bill McDonald was happy with his team's performance on the final day.
“I thought we came out and played a lot better today," McDonald said. "I was proud of our guys for responding well after our struggles yesterday. This team has yet to put three straight good rounds in a row, but I’m seeing some signs that we are headed in the right direction."
Individually, Senior Matt NeSmith paced the Gamecock’s golf team with a 16th-place finish overall, posting a 54-hole total of 220 (+4). NeSmith has now finished in the top-20 in three consecutive tournaments and has 27 top-20 finishes to date as a Gamecock. NeSmith also recorded 12 birdies throughout the duration of the tournament, tying him for second-most in the field.
Sophomore Keenan Huskey also posted a double-digit birdie total with 11 during the tournament. He finished 28th overall with a 54-hole total of 223 (+7).
Promising freshman Scott Stevens saw his streak of top-20 finishes end in Orlando, placing 46th overall with a 54-hole total of 227 (+11).
Senior Will Starke had an uneven performance on Tuesday, with five birdies but also four bogeys and one quadruple bogey during the final round. Overall, he finished 34th with a 54-hole total of 224 (+8).
The ninth place finish represents a step back for the Gamecocks, who placed sixth in their previous tournament. However, the Gamecocks continue to show some encouraging signs in their play as echoed in Coach McDonald's post-game comments.
After all, the Gamecocks did place in in the top six in rounds one and three of the Tavistock Invitational, but finished ninth overall due to their dismal second round score. If the Gamecocks can show more consistency going forward from one round to the next, they may find themselves in contention to win a tournament.
Their next opportunity comes next week when the men's golf team will host the Camden Collegiate Invitational over Oct. 24 to 25 at Camden Country Club in Camden, South Carolina.