USC men’s golf team sees challenges and opportunities as calendar turns to spring
South Carolina’s men’s golf team came out of their first spring tournament in search both a cure for cold putters and for two players to solidify the lineup.
“We didn’t play badly; we just didn’t make any putts on a golf course that was there for the taking,” coach Bill McDonald said in reflecting on his team’s seventh-place finish in the All-American in Humble, Texas. “We just missed an opportunity.
“What we need now is somebody to step up and play consistently in two spots. Do that and putt better — and I believe we will do both — and we’ll be fine.”
Seniors Jamie Wilson and Caleb Proveaux join sophomore Ryan Hall in forming the nucleus. Freshman Jack Hall, a starter in all the fall tournaments, is sidelined for at least mid-March with mononucleosis, leaving four players to compete for two spots.
Junior Andrew Spiegler and sophomore Harry Corbin edged junior Jack Parrott, a starter in the fall, in team qualifying for places in the All-American lineup. Freshman Nick Mayfield played as an individual.
“Sometimes in the first tournament after a long layoff, things are a bit out of sync and it takes time to regain consistency,” McDonald said. “Except for one tournament, we played pretty well in the fall, and we had some strong individual finishes. We can’t go crazy (with changes) after this first (spring) tournament.”
Indeed, the Gamecocks finds themselves in a similar position to a year ago — heading into the spring with a prominent freshman sidelined. Then, Hall missed time with a wrist injury; now, it’s Wall.
But if history repeats, the future is promising. The 2019-20 team won three spring events, zoomed up the rankings and came within a whisker of competing for a match-play berth in the national championship tournament.
Wilson, who won the high-profile Palmetto Amateur last summer, is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 70.9 strokes per round. Hall, the team’s top individual in three of the six tournaments, is right behind at 71.3 with Wall and Proveaux at 71.9.
“Obviously, the plan is to be peaking in April and May at (conference, regional and national) tournament time,” McDonald said. “There’s no magic formula, and these kids can change so much in a season that runs eight or nine months.
“What I like to do is to play as many as I can early for them to get experience. We want them to get comfortable on the road and see how they handle situations in tournaments. All the time, we’re trying to fine-tune and develop their games.”
McDonald has no timetable on Wall’s possible return. He has not been cleared to practice and regaining his strength will be important.
“Our next two tournaments are two days (36 holes one day, 18 the next), and walking and carrying his bag would be challenging,” the coach said. “We’ll just have to wait and see when he’s ready.”
Meantime, the search for two consistent contributors from among Parrott, Spiegler, Corbin and Mayfield will continue.
Finding an antidote for cold putters would work wonders, too.
Chip shots. Andrew Novak (Mt. Pleasant), the 2014 South Carolina Amateur champion who played at Wofford, birdied the last two holes to win the Korn Ferry Tour’s tournament in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. Novak is the second state player to win on the Korn Ferry this season, joining Tommy Gainey (Hartsville). Novak, Gainey, Roberto Diaz (USC Aiken) and Billy Kennerly (Clemson) all are in position to earn PGA Tour spots next season. . . . Scott Brown, the former USC Aiken star who lives in Aiken, solidified his full PGA Tour status for 2020-21 with his tie for second in the Genesis. He vaulted 89 spots to No. 57 in the FedEx standings. . . . USC’s women’s team, No. 4 in the Golfstat national rankings, opened the spring with a third-place finish in the IGJA Collegiate tourney in Guadalajara, Mexico. Freshman Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, No. 1 in the world amateur golf rankings, took third among individuals to pace the Gamecocks. Clemson’s women placed 13th in the Guadalajara event. . . . Jacob Bridgeman led Clemson’s men to fifth place in the Puerto Rico Classic in El Grande, Puerto Rico.