University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
General Hackler Invitational
Sill Claims Top 25 Finish at General Hackler Championship
3/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Murrells Inlet, S.C. – USC Upstate men's golfer Brad Sill claimed a top 25 finish in one of the most prestigious college golf tournaments in the Southeast Monday, finishing tied for 24th in the General Hackler Championship played at the TPC of Myrtle Beach.
Sill, from Spartanburg, finished the tournament with a 74 on Monday and totaled 226 over 54 holes in a strong field. The tournament boasted seven teams ranked in the top 50 in the latest Golfstat ranking, including defending national champion Augusta State.
"Brad had a great tournament all the way around," said Upstate head coach Todd Lawton. "He stayed with it throughout all three rounds. His driving was down the middle of the fairway throughout the tournament. The only place he struggled was on the par-5s where he missed a couple of shots here and there, or else he could have been in the top 10."
Sill's performance helped Upstate finish 13th in the 17-team tournament, slipping one spot from where it stood when play began on Monday. The Spartans had held a three-stroke lead over No. 22 Wake Forest to start the day, but the Demon Deacons shot 12 strokes better than Upstate on the day to leap into 12th.
Still, the prestige of the tournament was something that Upstate needed to experience as it navigates its way in the ranks of premiere competition on the Division I level.
"As far as a college tournament, this was as close to a PGA Tour event as there is," said Lawton. "They had four live scoreboards on the course. The driving range was very much like a professional tour. It was an opportunity to play in a great tournament with a great field and the ability to play in an event that mirrored that of an NCAA Regional.
"With all that said, I think everyone had a great time. This golf course commands respect. It demanded precision to get close to pins and score. Between the windy conditions and the setup of the course, it was very difficult. But, it was also a very good setup. It was an incredible course and I think a great experience for the guys on the team."
Augusta State saved its best round for its last, shooting a 281 on Monday to vault to the team championship with an 878 total. The Jaguars entered the day tied for fourth, but won the tournament by three strokes over Virginia (881). Auburn was third at 890 and was followed by Tennessee (893), Pepperdine (897), Coastal Carolina (904), East Carolina (905), North Florida (908), Lamar (915), East Tennessee State (916), College of Charleston (922), Wake Forest (929), Upstate (938), Charleston Southern (940), Presbyterian College (954), Gardner-Webb (971) and Western Carolina (979). Augusta State's Henrik Norlander finished with a 67 and won the individual title by four strokes with a 6-under-par score.
Matthew Hopper (Gaffney, S.C.) was the second-lowest Spartan in the tournament. He finished with a 234 total and in a tie for 46th. Nelson Dickson (Spartanburg, S.C.) finished tied for 51st with a 235 total. Adam Goins (Gaffney, S.C.) claimed a tie for 80th, while Brian Horton (Boiling Springs, S.C.) finished 87th.
