Rees Jones Intercollegiate: Univ. of South Carolina triumphs
Univ. of South Carolina photo
DAUFUSKIE ISLAND, S.C. (Nov. 4, 2008) - South Carolina earned its second tournament title in four attempts during the 2008 fall season, pulling away on the final day of competition to score a 21-stroke victory in the Rees Jones Intercollegiate at Haig Point. In addition, freshman Wesley Bryan and junior Paul Woodbury tied for the individual tournament championship, the first of their respective careers.
With most of the field shooting high scores on a breezy Tuesday at Haig Point, the Gamecocks managed to stay consistent with a 298 (+10) to run away with the team title. San Diego State and Georgia State tied for runner-up honors with a 900 (+36), and tournament host Michigan State finished fourth.
Bryan and Woodbury entered the final round of play tied for second place at even par through two rounds. Bryan looked to have the early advantage with a bogey-free front nine to make the turn at 1-under, five shots ahead of Woodbury who struggled to a front-nine 40.
Bryan held the five-stroke advantage through 16 holes, 1-under with two holes to play against Woodbury's 4-over standing. But Bryan, playing in the next-to-last group, would go double bogey-bogey to finish with a 74. Woodbury, who was in the group right behind Bryan, birdied both 17 and 18 to forge a tie for the title with a 74 of his own.
Georgia Tech's Tobias Rosendahl took third at 3-over-par.
Meanwhile, South Carolina junior George Bryan IV had the best round of the day for the Gamecocks, shooting an even-par 72 that included three birdies. The elder Bryan would finish fourth, his best finish of the season thus far.
Senior Mark Silvers III would give the Gamecocks a fourth top-10 finish despite closing his tournament with a 78 (+6). However, with the course playing tough for the entire field, Silvers only dropped one spot in the final standings from his sixth-place position after 36 holes. It was Silvers' second top-10 finish of the season to go along with his fourth-place showing at South Carolina's other tournament victory, the Mason Rudolph Invitational in September.
The victory marks the first time since the 2003-04 season that the Gamecocks won multiple tournament titles in the same season. That year, South Carolina finished first or tied for first in three events.
South Carolina took three of the top four individual spots with Bryan and Woodbury sharing the tournament title and Georgia State's Tobias Rosendahl finishing third at 219 (+3) after a final-round 78.
With the tournament title comes the conclusion of the fall portion of South Carolina's season. The next event for the Gamecocks will be March 8-9 at the General Hackler Invitational in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
--Courtesy USC athletic department