Another tournament victory. What’s the limit for USC golfer Frankie Harris?
If he keeps this up, University of South Carolina golfer Frankie Harris will force his coach to head to Barnes & Noble to shop for a thesaurus. Rob Bradley will require new words to describe his senior All-American.
That’s because ...
Bradley took over the Gamecocks’ program in the summer of 2024 and noted he inherited two top 200 players, Harris and Nathan Franks. “They’re really nice players,” he said.
After Harris forged a pair of top-four finishes in four tournaments that fall, Bradley looked to the 2025 spring season and said, “Frankie Harris is really good.”
Harris opened the 2025 fall season with a tournament victory in Minnesota and the coach elevated his assessment. “Frankie’s a great player,” he said.
From “nice” to “really good” to “great.”
So, what now, Coach? What’s the best adjective to describe Carolina’s best player after his victory over a star-studded field Wednesday in the Puerto Rico Classic?
Maybe the answer should wait until he completes his final season in May. He could finish with a slew of school records, including most individuals wins, career scoring average and single-season scoring average.
More performances like his latest — 67-67-66/200, 16-under par — will give future Gamecocks some lofty targets. Harris already shares the school record for career individual wins with Kyle Thompson with five, and his scoring average this season is 69.8 despite a forgettable 6-over-par 222 in the Fallen Oak Invitation in Mississippi.
Harris’ triumph in Puerto Rico came over some of the college game’s best players, including the Virginia duo of No. 1 Ben James and No. 7 Bryan Lee.
Harris started the Puerto Rico event ranked 87th among all college players this season by Clippd, 15th among college seniors on the PGA Tour University list of college seniors and 35th among men amateurs in the world. Each list uses different criteria, but the win will mean a giant step forward.
And his performances should be no surprise. A synopsis of his credentials shows earning a place in the U.S. Amateur in each of the past four years; a second-place finish in the Jones Cup, a prestigious amateur event; and qualifying for the 2025 U.S. Open and coming within three strokes of making the cut at Oakmont.
Overall, the Gamecocks went into the Puerto Rico tourney ranked 49th in the Clippd team survey. Their fifth-place finish, trailing only four top-20 teams, will be a plus in the national rankings.
Freshman Talan Harrison posted a 9-under-par 207 and tied for 14th place. Senior Zach Adams finished T-55 at 1-under with sophomore Marek Fleming and junior Brock Blais each finishing T-66 at 2-over.
USC travels to Las Vegas for a tournament March 1-3, then makes a quick turn-around and competes in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on March 7-8.
Chip shots. South Carolina and Clemson women’s teams featured a strong finishing kick in tournaments to open their spring seasons, the Tigers placing third in the Paradise Invitational in Boca Raton, Florida and the Gamecocks climbing into a tie for sixth in the Therese Hession Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Senior Isabella Rawl played her final 36 holes in 10 under par and tied for fifth to lead Clemson. For USC, junior Vairana Heck shared ninth individually and posted her third career top-10 finish. ... USC sophomore All-American Eila Galitsky, ranked sixth in the world rankings for women amateurs, is one of 71 players who have accepted invitation to compete in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. After missing the cut in the 2023 ANWA, Galitsky has tied for eight and tied for fourth the past two years. ... Tickets for the PGA Tour’s upcoming ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic are available online at www.myrtlebeachclassic.com. The tournament will be played May 7-10 at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club.