Upstate Ends Fall Season at Amelia Island Intercollegiate
11/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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Spartanburg, S.C. - The USC Upstate men's golf team ends its fall season Monday and Tuesday when it joins 14 other teams in a solid field at the Amelia National Intercollegiate on Amelia Island, Fla.
A-Sun rival North Florida is co-hosting the event with Georgia Southern. The 54-hole tournament will be played with 36 holes on Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday. The tournament is being played at the Amelia National Golf Club. It plays at 7,166 yards and is a par-72 layout on Amelia Island, just north of Jacksonville.
Upstate is one of 15 teams in the strong field. Joining Upstate will be Arkansas State, Elon, Francis Marion, Furman, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville, North Florida, Penn State, Texas A&M, Troy State, Virginia Commonwealth, Wofford, Winthrop and Xavier. North Florida is ranked sixth in the latest Golfstat ranking, while Texas A&M comes in at No. 13, giving the field two top 15 programs.
Nine of the 15 teams are ranked in the top 150 in the nation by Golfstat and Golfweek, with Upstate coming in at No. 119 by Golfweek and No. 140 by Golfstat.
Upstate head coach Todd Lawton will send the lineup of Brian Horton, Brad Sill, Adam Goins, Tyler Comer and Matthew Hopper into action for the final tournament of the fall. The unit played together for the first two tournaments of the season, teaming to win the Rutgers Invitational and finishing tied for ninth in a national-caliber event at the Invitational at the Ocean Course. The team averages 296.9 per round. McKenzie Oref will also play in the tournament as an individual.
Horton is coming off a strong final round in the Wendy's Kiawah Classic. He turned in a 69 to vault into a tie for 24th as the low Spartan in the tournament. His final round helped lead the Spartans to a tie for 7th in the 21-team tournament.
Looking Back at the 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.
The Birdie Machine
Junior Brian Horton certainly has the game to go low. Two years ago, he claimed a share of the individual title with former all-time great Josh Gallman at the Palmas Del Mar Collegiate Classic with a 5-under-par total. In the final round of the Wendy's Kiawah Classic last week, he recorded six birdies in the final round alone en route to shooting a 69 and leading the Spartans to a tie for seventh. He tallied 12 birdies in the tournament to lead the Spartan cause.
Spartans in the Rankings
Through three tournaments this fall, Upstate is making a name for itself as a solid golf team. Not only did it win the Rutgers Invitational to open the season, but the Spartans have claimed top 10 finishes in strong tournaments at the Invitational at the Ocean Course and Wendy's Kiawah Classic. The Spartans are ranked in the top half of the college golf teams in the country, coming in at No. 119 in the latest Golfweek ranking and No. 140 in the latest Golfstat report. Sophomore Adam Goins is the highest ranked Upstate player, coming in at No. 279 in the Golfweek individual ranking.
