University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
Invitational at the Ocean Course
Spartans 10th at the Invitational at the Ocean Course
10/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Kiawah Island, S.C. – Playing in a tough field on one of the world's best courses, the USC Upstate men's golf team rallied for a 292 in the second round and moved up two positions on the leaderbaord to end the first day of the Invitational at the Ocean Course in 10th-place Monday afternoon.
Upstate is one of 12 teams playing in the tournament on the renowned Ocean Course at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. The course was the home of the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2007 Senior PGA Championship, and will serve as the site for the 2012 PGA Championship. Playing in near perfect conditions with a strengthening wind as the day went along, Upstate also had to battle a tough field which boasts six top 100 teams in the Golfweek and Golfstat rankings.
Upstate spent much of the first round in the top five until finishing the last three holes at 12-over-par as a team to finish with a 306. The round put the Spartans in last place heading to the second round of the day. Upstate rallied in the second and shot a 292 to finish the day with a 597 total to move up two positions on the leaderboard, jumping Kansas and Charleston Southern.
Florida shot rounds of 291 and 276 for a 567 total and owns the lead by 10 strokes heading to the final round on Tuesday. Alabama-Birmingham is second at 577 and is followed by Maryland (580), South Florida (581), College of Charleston (584), Mercer (590), Notre Dame (590), Davidson (591), Richmond (595), Upstate (597), Kansas (599) and Charleston Southern (602).
Upstate is just seven shots out of sixth place. The Spartans will be paired with Kansas and Charleston Southern in the final round on Tuesday.
Individually, Adam Goins (Gaffney, S.C.) posted rounds of 75 and 73 to lead Upstate on the day. He is tied for 22nd with a 36-hole 148 total. Brian Horton (Boiling Springs, S.C.) and Brad Sill (Spartanburg, S.C.) are both one stroke back of Goins at 149 and are tied for 31st. Horton turned in rounds of 76 and 73, while Sill carded rounds of 77 and 72. McKenzie Oref (Easley, S.C.) posted rounds of 78 and 79 for a 157 total and is tied for 57th.
Matthew Hopper (Gaffney, S.C.) had the biggest turnaround of the day. After opening with an 85, he shaved 11 strokes off of his score to post a 74 in the second round. He owns a 159 total. Tyler Comer (Spartanburg, S.C.) turned in rounds of 77 and 83 for a 160 total.
Florida's Tyler McCumber shot rounds of 69 and 68 to open a two stroke lead with a 7-under-par total.
