Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Gamecock Men’s Golf All-American Thompson leads men’s golf Special to The Gamecock Kyle Thompson won the 2000 Carpet Capital Collegiate, one of two tour naments won by Gamecock golfers this past year. by Preston Baines The Gamecock The Gamecock men’s golf team blasted the competi tion in the fall season, but they aren’t ready to stop there. The team’s goal is to win the university’s first-ever nation al championship in any sport. Puggy Blackmon, head coach for five-and-a-half years, said this is the deepest and most talented team he’s coached at USC. Senior Kyle Thompson leads the way for the fifth-ranked Gamecocks. Thompson, one of the top collegiate players in the nation, led the Gamecocks through a surprising fall finish after being ranked 18th in the preseason polls. “Kyle is having an All-American year and has really been a leader on the team this season and his entire career,” Blackmon said. In l hompson s hve collegiate tournaments in the ZUUU 2001 season, he has finished 2nd, 12th, 1st, 3rd and 20th. Those tournaments don’t include the numerous other am ateur tournaments he plays in year-round. Thompson and his coach agree his mental approach is the key to Thompson’s success. Thompson is almost a lock for first team All-America, and he’s also a possibility for college Player of the Year. While Thompson’s individual statistics are great, the USC team statistics are even better. The Gamecocks have finished in the Top 10 in all five tournaments they’ve competed in. The high mark of the fall season was the team’s cham pionship at the Inverness Intercollegiate following a sec ond-place finish at The Ridges to start the fall season. Redshirt sophomore Johan Kok won his first colle giate tournament at the 2000 Ridges. “Johan is going to be one of the key factors in us get ting where we want to be come season’s end,” Blackmon said. Kok is second in scoring average on the team at 71.83, trailing only Thompson’s 71. Thompson has the only oth er individual victory on the team from the fall, the 2000 Carpet Capital Collegiate in Dalton, GA. Senior John Bloomfield and junior college transfer Ernie Rose will also be important components in the team’s quest for the SEC and national championships. Bloomfield, of Kingston, Jamaica, has improved his stroke average each season and is the 19% Caribbean Am ateur Champion. He shot a USC record 19-under par at the 1999 Red River Classic. Rose comes to Carolina after winning numerous tour naments on the junior college level and being named a ju nior college All-American. Both Bloomfield and Rose haven’t finished below 41st in any tournament this season. One of the leaders on and off the course is senior Lars Cederqvist, a 2000 Verizon Academic All-American with a 4.0 GPA. He finished fourth on the team in scoring in the 1999-2000 season. Other players returning and looking to make an impact are redshirt sophomore Scott Feaster, sophomore Michael Maness and redshirt freshman Nash Elliot. “Michael probably has the greatest potential of any play er I have personally coached,” Blackmon said. Brent DelaHoussaye of Greenville is the highlight of this year’s freshman class. He’s already a team leader in scor ing average and, according to Blackmon, shows a great deal of maturity. He was one of the state’s best high school golfers and won the state championship his senior year at Riverside High School. The other freshmen on the team are Nash Elliot, Matt Robinson, Lee Taylor and Jake Thompson. The obstacles that stand in the Gamecocks’ way are the same ones that block their path every year. Geoigia, Geor gia Tech and Clemson are the only three teams in the na tion continuously ranked ahead of the Gamecocks. To get by those obstacles, Blackmon thinks the team still has to improve. “In order to get where we want to be, we have to step up our focus,” Blackmon said. “Wfe started well in the fall and seemed to be more distracted towards the end Our com mitment level isn’t quite where it needs to be.” If USC can get that commitment level up, this could just be the year of the Gamecocks. The sports desk can be reached at gamecocksports@hotmail.com Head Coach Puggy Blackmon 7th year at USC 2001 Schedule Feb. 19-20 March 9-11 March 24-25 April 6-8 April 20-22 May 13-14 May 17-19 May 30-June 2 Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Pointe Vedra Beach, Fla. Las Vegas Intercollegiate Las Vegas, Nev. Schenkei invit. Billy Hitchcock Int. SEC Tournament Cavalier Classic NCAA Regionals NCAA Tournament btatesboro, ba. Auburn-Opelika, Ala. TBA Charlottesville, Va. Williamsburg, Va. Durham, N.C. The Golfers John Bloomfield Lars Cederqvist Brent DelaHoussaye Nash Elliott Scott Feaster Johan Kok Michael Maness Matt Robinson Ernie Rose Lee Taylor Kyle Thompson Jake Thompson Sr. Sr. Fr. Fr. So. So. So. Fr. Jr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Jamaica, West Indies Skoevde, Sweden Greenville Estill Columbia Peachtree City, Ga. Galivants Ferry Rock Hill Gilbert Roanoke, VA Columbia Greenville