South Carolina, Clemson women’s golf teams have California on their minds

College golf’s spring season begins full force over the next few days. It’s no accident that both the South Carolina and Clemson women’s team will be spending time in California.

The national championship tournaments move to the Golden State this year, and both the Gamecocks and Tigers look toward May with California on their minds.

“I want our players to get used to the conditions, the grasses, everything,” said USC coach Kalen Anderson, who makes no secret of the lofty goal — competing for a national title — she sets for her team.

The Gamecocks and Tigers both will compete in the Theresa Hession Regional tournament that begins Sunday in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Then, USC will remain on the West Coast and play in the San Diego State Classic a week later.

Carolina’s women begin the spring ranked sixth in the revamped national poll, which includes more analytics and provides a more comprehensive look than the survey used in previous years. Clemson is No. 15.

On the men’s side, Clemson begins the spring season Monday in the Battle at Briar’s Creek in the South Carolina Lowcountry, and the Gamecocks start a week later in the Puerto Rico Classic.

USC’s women finished tied for fifth in the 2023 national championship, and Anderson believes her team is “in that realm” again, even with two freshmen in the lineup. The fall performance showed why.

The Gamecocks won the Annika Intercollegiate against a strong field and followed with third, fourth and fifth-place finishes. A reason to expect better, Anderson pointed out, is that All-American Hannah Darling, the No. 18 player in the women’s world amateur golf rankings, experienced a sub-standard — for her — fall.

Darling and fellow junior Louise Rydqvist (No. 36) provide the Gamecocks two of the top women’s amateurs in the world. Freshmen Maylis Lamoure (No. 98) and Vairana Heck (No. 127) and sophomore Mia Sandtorv Lussand (No. 169) round out a deep lineup.

Clemson’s women made the national championship tournament a year ago and enjoyed an outstanding fall — three top three finishes, including a co-championship, in four tournaments. But Savannah Grewal, who set or tied 32 school records, qualified for the LPGA Tour and turned professional.

Returning for coach Kelley Hester will be Annabelle Pancake, No. 75 among the world’s women’s amateurs; Chloe Holder, the team’s No. 2 scorer in the fall; and Isabella Rawl, who secured the point that gave Clemson the ACC championship.

Meanwhile, the Carolina and Clemson men enter the spring striving to find consistency. The Gamecocks earned a pair of fourth-place finishes in the fall, but they also had a ninth and a 14th. The Tigers managed to finish in the top half of the field in one of four tournaments.

Frankie Harris, a transfer from Auburn, led the Gamecocks in the fall, winning the individual title in the Daniel Island Intercollegiate. Zach Adams, the 2022 South Carolina Amateur champion, and Rafe Reynolds, runner-up in the 2023 State Amateur, earned top-10 individual finishes.

Senior Jonathan Nielsen posted a 70.8 scoring average and had a pair of top-10 finishes in the fall to lead Clemson. But the Tigers struggled overall, finished 13th in a 14-team field in Knoxville and 12th out of 14 at the Golf Club of Georgia tournament.

Both teams need to rebound to earn a berth in the national tournament. USC enters the fall ranked 54th and Clemson is No. 101 in the survey that figures prominently in the tournament selections.

All four teams will compete in close-to-home spring tournaments. USC’s men will be in the Hootie at Bulls Bay in Awendaw March 24-26 and, in addition to the opener at Briar’s Creek, Clemson’s men will be in Greensboro, Georgia for the March 17-19 Linger Longer Invitational.

USC’s women play in the Darius Rucker Invitational at Hilton Head Island March 4-6, the Valspar Augusta Invitational March 16-17 and the Old Barnwell Match Play March 25-26 in Aiken. Clemson women join the Gamecocks in the Augusta tournament, then host the Clemson Invitational March 22-24 at the Reserve at Lake Keowee.

Chip shots. In the SCGA’s season-opening Tournament of Champions at the TPC Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet, winners included Jacques Wilson (Charleston) in men’s club champion division, Rich Weston (Pawleys Island) in senior men’s club champion division, Kerry Rutan (Daniel Island) in the ladies’ division, Chris Eassy (Simpsonville) in the one-day gross division and Thomas Kennaday (Aiken) in the senior one-day gross division. ... The RBC Heritage presented by Boeing, the PGA Tour’s long-time stop on Hilton Head Island, is seeking additional standard bearers for the April 15-21 tournament. A standard bearer walks with each group, carrying a leaderboard to display current scores for each player. Students need to be between ages of 12 and 18, be able of walking 18 holes each day and have parental permission. Email sarah@heritageclassicfoundation.com or macy@heritageclassicfoundation.com for information.