Sixty staff, supporters and students from the University of South Carolina teed off for a cause on Friday, April 3, at the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support’s second annual FORE! Carolina Golf Tournament. The tournament, which benefits the Gamecock CommUnity Shop, moved to the Fort Jackson Golf Club’s Wildcat Course this year, following up on a successful debut in 2025.
“I’d like to thank all the volunteers who made this happen, there’s a lot of work that goes into making a golf tournament like this successful,” Associate Vice President, Dean of Students and Deputy Title IX Coordinator Marc Shook says. “We do this for a reason, and everyone participating as a player and a sponsor has an impact on our basic needs program for our students.”
The tournament received tremendous support from the community, with 17 sponsors signing onto the tournament. Horseshoe Catering provided breakfast before the shotgun start, while the Golden Spur Grill catered the 19th hole reception once teams finished up their rounds. NAI Columbia sponsored each team’s golf carts, while over a dozen partners featured on the tee boxes across the course.
When all was said and done, one team sat clearly on top of the leaderboard. Associate Vice President – Division CFO & COO Ben Galloway and his teammates Alex Galloway, Troy Chavis and Kris Le finished their round at 18-under-par 54, three strokes clear of second place.
With a score of 57, the team of Daniel Winders, Jason Stock, Justin Shinta and Lawton Brown won second place. Also shooting a 57, DJ Bookard, Chandler Cantwell and Benton Orr were awarded third place. Bookard, Cantwell and Orr are members of USC’s inaugural class of Evans Scholars, and their entry in the tournament was facilitated by sponsor NAI Columbia. Read more about the Evans Scholars and the McCausland Scholarship House.
Alex Galloway and Jeremy Picard won the two prizes for longest drive on hole #1 while Thomas Beard clinched the closest to the pin challenge on hole #15.
Proceeds from the tournament directly benefit the Gamecock CommUnity Shop, which provides food and essential resources to students facing basic needs challenges, empowering them to stay focused on their education and future. In the month of March, the shop saw over 2,500 student visits and distributed close to 20,000 items to Gamecock students and community members.
“The Gamecock CommUnity Shop is so thankful for Student Affairs and Academic Support hosting the FORE! Carolina Golf Tournament in support of students. We are serving approximately 150 students a day, so this will go a long way in helping support those students with their essential needs,” Assistant Director for Basic Needs Jennifer Jackson says.
The third annual FORE! Carolina tournament is expected in spring 2027. In the meantime, you can support the CommUnity shop by donating time and resources. Learn more here.