2011 Men's Golf Fall Recap
11/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's golf team had quite a fall season, picking up a tournament and individual championship and playing on one of the world's top courses en route to solid tournament finishes. As the team and head coach Todd Lawton take a break to finish up the fall semester and begin to build toward the spring, it is time to take a look back at the fall season.
Tournament Recaps
Rutgers Invitational
When Adam Goins and Tyler Comer stepped to the tee on the first playoff hole to determine the individual championship, the two already knew that they had led the Spartans to the team championship at the Rutgers Invitational. Goins and Comer finished the tournament at 1-under-par to lead Upstate to a 21-stroke win over St. Peter's. Goins claimed the individual championship on the first playoff hole for his second career title. The Spartans placed four players in the top 10 and all five in the top 20 to claim the win in the 16-team tournament. Matthew Hopper and Brad Sill finished in the top 10 and Brian Horton ended up 17th.
Invitational at the Ocean Course
Adam Goins finsihed with a 4-over-par total and claimed a tie for 15th place at the prestigious Invitational at the Ocean Course two weeks ago on Kiawah Island, S.C. Goins' effort helped propel the Spartans to a tie for ninth in the 12-team tournament which boasted a strong field with six top 100 teams in the nation. After playing the final three holes of the first round at 12-over and finishing with a 305 team total, the Spartans rallied to shoot 292 and 299 in the final two rounds to move up three spots on the leaderboard. Brian Horton finished tied for 37th and Brad Sill was tied for 44th to give the Spartans three in the top 50.
Wendy's Kiawah Classic
After turning in a lackluster first round when the team recorded 14 holes of double bogey or worse, the Spartans rebounded with rounds of 302 and 301 in tough windy conditions to move from 16th after the first round into a tie for seventh at the finish of the Wendy's Kiawah Classic on Nov. 1. Brian Horton led the Upstate players in the tournament. He claimed a tie for 24th after posting a strong 69 in the final round. It tied for the lowest round of the day. Brad Sill (t-28th) and Adam Goins (t-36th) joined Horton in the top 40 to lead the Spartans. McKenzie Oref made eagle from the fairway on a par-4 during the first round to highlight the action.
Amelia National Intercollegiate
Adam Goins lowered his score in each round and turned in a 71 in the final round as he and teammate Brian Horton led the Spartans up the leaderboard to finish seventh in the 15-team tournament. Horton finished the tournament with a final round 72 to help the Spartan cause. Upstate actually stood 15th after the first round, tied for 11th after the second round and finished seventh overall, an improvement of eight spots in the final two rounds. Goins finished tied for 32nd and Horton tied for 39th.
Fall Notes
Playing the Ocean Course
When Upstate traveled to Kiawah Island for the Invitational at the Ocean Course, the Spartans got to do something that many golfers wish they could…test the strength of the Ocean Course at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. The site of the 1991 Ryder Cup, dubbed the "the War on the Shore," and the 2007 Senior PGA Championship, the Ocean Course is preparing to be the site for the 2012 PGA Championship. The Spartans fared well on the course and in the tournament, finishing a solid ninth in a field that contained seven top 150 nationally-ranked teams.
Winning Records Head-to-Head
Through the first four tournaments of the season, three Spartans have emerged to lead the team on the season. Not surprisingly, all three have winning head-to-head records against the competition. Adam Goins not only tops the team with a 73.9 stroke average, but he tops the Spartans with a .765 winning percentage. Brian Horton is third on the team with a 75.3 stroke average, but second with a .669 winning percentage. Brad Sill is second on the team with a 75.2 stroke average and third with a .663 winning percentage.
Goins, Horton Leading the Way
While playing tougher venues and against tougher competition, two Spartans have stepped up and have recorded lower stroke averages than their career averages so far this season. Adam Goins owns a career stroke average of 74.5, but has a 73.9 average this year. Brian Horton owns a career stroke average of 75.8, but is averaging 75.3 per round this season.
Owning the Rutgers Invitational
While no team in college golf can claim superiority over anyone or anything, the Upstate men's golf team sure can claim at least a strong comfort level playing in the Rutgers Invitational. The Spartans have had a tremendous record in the tournament. It was the site of Upstate's first tournament playing on the Division I level in 2007 and the Spartans came away with the team championship, while former standout Michael Lawrence took home the individual title. The Spartans finished second in both 2008 and 2009 with former great Josh Gallman winning the individual championship in 2009. After not playing in the event last year, the Spartans claimed both the team and individual championships again this season with Adam Goins winning in a playoff against teammate Tyler Comer and the team claiming the title by a comfortable 21 strokes.
Comer Ties Single-Round School Record
With a 66 in the final round of the Rutgers Invitational, junior Tyler Comer tied the single-round school record. He is now tied with three other Spartans - Josh Gallman, McKenzie Oref and Matthew Hopper - for the lowest round in program history.
Spartans in the Rankings
After winning the Rutgers invitational and finishing middle of the pack in their other three events, the Spartans are ranked in the top half of the Division I golf teams in the country. Upstate is ranked 142nd by Golfstat and 145th by Golfweek in their latest rankings.
Improving the First Round
While Upstate has had the good fortune to rebound from higher than expected first round scores and improve throughout the rest of each tournament, Upstate will look back at the fall and wonder what could have been if it had posted better first round scores. The Spartans averaged a 306.75 in the first round of tournaments. They went on to average 292.5 in the second round and 294.25 in the third. It marked a difference of 14 strokes in the second round and nearly 12 in the third.
Sill Turns in Quiet, but Solid Fall Season
Brad Sill is a quiet, unassuming young man who possesses tremendous talent on the course. While players like Adam Goins, Brian Horton, Matthew Hopper and Tyler Comer can come out of nowhere and post scores in the 60s and often garner all of the attention, Sill just goes about his business and posts consistent scores. For that reason, he ranks second on the team with a 75.2 stroke average. He has carded seven rounds of 74 or better through 12 rounds this year and turned in just two rounds in the 80s.
