The two best individual performances of the first week of the college season in the Palmetto State where turned in by Coastal Carolina golfers.

Trey Crenshaw from Lancaster, won the Golfweek Fall Challenge at True Blue on Pawleys Island.

Crenshaw set individual and program records with his 18-under par 198 total.

His record setting win pushed Coastal’s most famous alum, Dustin Johnson’s 54 hole scoring record set in 2005 to second place in the record book.

The Sunbelt Conference honored the Chant’s sophomore as the Player of the Week.

Crenshaw was playing as an individual in the team event while the varsity was opening the season at the Gopher Invitational in Minnesota.

The Chants’ came close to doubling up on season opening individual wins.

Chant’s senior Garrett Cooper from Chesnee battled the final two rounds for the individual championship before finishing as the runner-up.

“I was a little nervous going into the final round,” said Cooper. “I had never been in that position before, but it was a good experience,” he said.

Cooper got to the lead on the strength of a 5-under par 66 in the second round on the first day.

“I chipped and putted pretty well and I was able to keep it going for 54 holes,” he said.
Cooper started the final round tied with three other golfers including Furman’s Will Moran.

College golf sets the field by team score, not individual scores. Cooper didn’t have any idea what was going on with the other leaders until he completed his round,

“I don’t like to check GolfStat while I’m playing, I wouldn’t do anything different even if I knew,” he said.

Cooper had shot a first day total of 134 (playing 36 holes) to work his way into a first place tie. In the final round his run of three straight birdies on his back nine temporarily gave him the lead.

Cooper finished the event with a 1-under par 70 for a 9-under par 54 hole total.

None of the four second round leaders finished on top as Wilson Andress from Georgia Southern shot a final round 5-under par 66 to come from fifth place to take the win.

The second place finish was the best individual performance for the former Chesnee Eagle golfer.

His previous best college finish was a fifth place finish at the Carolina Classic at Carolina Country Club last fall.

Garrett’s teammate Seth Taylor from Gaffney shot a final round 3-under 68 for the second best Coastal Carolina score.

“I had a pretty good summer and playing well to start the season should help,” said Cooper.

Here is a sampling from the opening week for Palmetto State college teams in no particular order and with not every state team included.

Clemson finishes second at Cougar Classic

The Tigers made up seven of the eight shots they needed to catch Ole’ Miss for the lead at Yeamans Hall, but the Rebels held on for a one-shot win.

Clemson’s Melena Barrientos finished fourth individually and Annabelle Pancake’s final round 67 helped the Tigers start the new season with a second place finish.

Wofford improves to fifth place at Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational

The Terriers played in the tournament in Colorado and used a strong final round to move up to fifth place.

Mathew Larkin, who won the pre-season Upstate Amateur was the top Terrier finishing at 3-under par and tied for 9th.

Converse sets new 36 hole scoring record

The Valkyries shot a second round 303 to finish in second place at the Montevallo Full Moon Invitational and set new school scoring record for a 36 hole tournament at 602.

Converse golfers Ava O’Sullivan finished second with teammate Helena Noel right behind in third place.

Gamecocks finish 6th in weather shortened Badger Invitational

The weather cut USC’s first tournament down to 36 holes in Madison, Wisconsin. The Gamecocks finished sixth in the event won by Texas A&M.

Graduate transfer Zach Byers and Gene Ziegler each shot final round 70s to help the Gamecock’s move up a couple of places.

Ziegler was USC’s top golfer finishing in a tie for 20th.

Furman 15th at Cougar Classic

The Lady Paladins started a pair of freshmen in their lineup for the first event of the season. Twins Faith and Chloe Johnson got their first action and each contributed some scoring rounds for Furman.

Sarah-Eve Rheum finished 10th and Anna Morgan was 13th.

Furman ties for 6th at The Gopher Invitational

The Paladins Will Morlan was in the hunt for the individual championship well into the final round before finishing in solo third place. Furman’s team finished sixth in the tournament won by Georgia Southern.

Tigers tie for 12th at the Maui Jim Intercollegiate

Clemson finished at 7-under par in the tournament won by Auburn at 45-under par in Arizona.

Kian Rose led Clemson finishing in a tie for 17th at 7-under par. Transfer Jonathan Neilson saw his first action and tied for 51st at even par.

Upstate Men and Women set team scoring records

USC Upstate men’s golf put forth the program’s lowest 54-hole team total since 2019, as all six Spartan golfers competing at the Allstate/Streamsong Invitational fired career-low 54-hole totals.

The Spartans finished 10th in the event won by Virginia.

In the Golfweek Fall Challenge at True Blue on Pawleys Island the Spartan women’s team finished 8th.

Preaw Nontarux finished fourth and set a pair of school records for the lowest individual round with her opening round 7-under par 64 and her 54 hole score of 207 was also an Upstate record.

The Spartans also broke the record for the lowest 54-hole team total (871).

South Carolina finishes 4th at The ANNIKA

The 3rd ranked Gamecocks finished fourth in the premier event of the first weekend. Wake Forest, Texas and Virginia took the top three spots in the very strong field.

USC golfers Hannah Darling and Mathilde Claissee tied for fifth.

Limestone finishes third at the Bearcat Fall Invitational

The Saints were led by Greg Cranes who tied for second in the tournament played at Forest Hills in Augusta.