Spartans Crowd Field In Qualifying For S.C. Amateur
7/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
July 17, 2009
Spartanburg, S.C. - When the 2009 South Carolina Amateur Championship gets underway Aug. 6 at Berkeley Hall Plantation in Bluffton, several USC Upstate golfers past and present will be in the field as seven Spartans have qualified for the championship.
Baxter Culler, who graduated in May after a stellar four-year career at Upstate, won the qualifying tournament at Three Pines Country Club Thursday afternoon with a 6-under-par 66. He heads the list of five individuals who qualified for the championship at the Three Pines venue. Joining Culler in the field are current Spartans Tyler Comer (68, sophomore), Brian Horton (69, sophomore transfer from Gardner-Webb) and Michael Lawrence (70, senior), as well as former Spartan Jamie Lightsey (72).
In addition to the five players who qualified for the 2009 SC Amateur Thursday at Three Pines, Josh Gallman (senior) and McKenzie Oref (freshman) will also be among the 127 individuals who have qualified for the championship after receiving exemptions into the tournament. Gallman earned an exemption after finishing tied for second in last year's championship, finishing one stroke behind champion Lee Palms. Oref received his exemption after qualifying for the USGA Junior Amateur in 2008. Gallman is currently playing in the prestigious Southern Amateur at Colonial Country Club outside of Memphis, Tenn., and has made the cut heading into the weekend at 4-under for the tournament.
