Seven Spartans Among Top 29 at S.C. Amateur Match Play Championship
6/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
S.C. Amateur Match Play Championship Website
Spartanburg, S.C. - The 39th South Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship is being played at Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg. One of two home courses for the USC Upstate golf team, the course allowed eight Spartans to make their mark Wednesday and find themselves among the leaders with seven in the top 29 after the first round of stroke play qualifying.
The tournament players will play a second qualifying round on Thursday and the field will be whittled down to the top 32 players after the two stroke play rounds. The top 32 will then be put into a bracket with match play matches starting on Friday and the championship match played on Sunday.
Sophomore Brad Sill (Dorman High School, Spartanburg) and freshman Adam Goins (Gaffney High School, Gaffney) sit tied for 12th after opening stroke play qualifying for with a 1-under-par 71. The two helped lead the Spartans in 2010-11 and have continued their strong play this summer.
Three Upstate players stand just one stroke back and in a tie for 21st after shooting a 72. Tyler Comer (Broome High School, Pacolet Mills), Brian Horton (Boiling Springs High School, Boiling Springs) and Bryan Otis (Fort Mill High School, Fort Mill) each opened at even par.
Mathew Hopper (Gaffney High School, Gaffney) and Nelson Dickson (Boiling Springs High School, Spartanburg) both opened with 73 to stand tied for 29th, placing seven current Upstate golfers in the top 29 in the tournament.
In addition to the seven in the top 29, Will Graves (South Pointe High School, Rock Hill) opened with a 76, while former Spartan standout Jamie Lightsey (Fort Mill) opened with a 74 and is just one stroke out of qualifying position for the match play portion of the tournament.
