South-Carolina
Swamp Rabbit Cafe chef named to 2025 South Carolina Chef Ambassador Class, what to know
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The culinary skills, boldness, and creativity of Jeanne Koenigsberg of Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery have garnered the attention of Gov. Henry McMaster as she was named one of three 2025 South Carolina Chef Ambassadors.
In a press conference held in Columbia on January 13, McMaster appointed Koenigsberg alongside chefs Darren Smith of Conway and Shuai Wang of North Charleston to represent the state through food festivals and other promotional opportunities for visitors and residents of the Palmetto State.
Their duties involve sharing South Carolina’s culinary traditions, agricultural heritage, and undiscovered places within South Carolina and beyond through the art form known as food.
“I’m humbled to accept this nomination in a non-traditional food service establishment,” said Koenigsberg, executive chef and kitchen general manager at Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery. “It reminds us that the work we are doing is important to our community and surrounding communities.
“I know that this will continue to give us a platform to show the importance of local agriculture here in South Carolina,” she said.
Who is Jeanne Koenigsberg and what do SC Ambassadors do?
Honored for her expertise in farm-to-table meals and community engagement, Koenigsberg has expanded Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery’s reach, increasing the restaurant and storefront’s base and seasonal and catered menu options since her arrival in June of 2023.
Prior to Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery, Koenigsberg served as the executive sous chef at the Greenville Convention Center. While in Jacksonville, Florida, she was the executive chef at Wine Cellar and banquet chef for CSX, sous chef at The Museum of Contemporary Art — Jacksonville.
The South Carolina Chef Ambassadors program is now in its 11th year of existence as it assists in combining tourism and agriculture efforts in the state, which collectively contribute tens of billions of dollars to the economy and account for hundreds of thousands of jobs statewide.
Chefs are appointed annually by Gov. McMaster, and the program is run through a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT) and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA), which directly aims its support to the state’s farmers by using certified South Carolina produce, meats, dairy, seafood, and other farm-fresh foods.
Chefs appointed to the program in the Upstate are commonly seen in prominent culinary roles at large-scale tourist events such as Fall for Greenville, euphoria and more.
“Food is an important part of our state’s history, culture, and economy, and it’s where two of our largest industries – tourism and agriculture – overlap and excel,” said McMaster of the 2025 class of Chef Ambassadors.
“Our world-class culinary talent is highlighted and celebrated through the Chef Ambassador program, showcasing the best of South Carolina chefs, farmers, and locally grown products. I congratulate the 2025 class on this tremendous culinary honor,” he added.
In 2024, the Greer-based chef Michael Sibert of White Wine & Butter was named a 2024 South Carolina Chef Ambassador.
What is Swamp Rabbit Cafe?
Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery is a food market and cafe that has specialized in South Carolina-grown produce from farmers and vendors for nearly 14 years.
Owned by Mary Walsh and Jac Oliver, the neighborhood staple at 205 Cedar Lane Road has been committed to organic and ethically sourced ingredients since its inception, purchasing over $100,000 each month from local vendors and farmers around the state.
Their menu features a taste of locally farmed ingredients, recipes, and easy-to-carry menu items that are lifestyle, diet, and culture-conscious to all of its visitors.
– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.
All that separated Connor Doyal from the biggest win of his amateur golfing career was 5 feet of perfectly manicured green on Hole No. 18 at Naples National Golf Club. That plus a super-sized case of the yips.
“My hands were shaking uncontrollably,” said the 26-year-old mid-amateur from Charleston, South Carolina. “But I’ve had some moments like this before, and I think I’ve just learned to let it happen and not fight it. I knew it wasn’t going to be the best stroke of my life, but in the moment, I just had to trust myself to make the putt.”
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Just as he had for much of the third and final round of the 30th annual Terra Cotta Invitational, Doyal delivered, dropping in the putt to win the event by one stroke over 17-year-old junior golfer Dawson Lew of Toronto, Canada.
Connor Doyal, a 26-year-old mid-amateur golfer from Charleston, S.C., celebrates with the trophy after winning the 30th annual Terra Cotta Invitational on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Doyal, who entered the day two shots behind co-leaders Giuseppe Puebla of Royal Palm Beach and University of Florida senior Parker Bell, shot 5-under 67 to finish 12-under, two shots off the low-scoring record for the 54-hole tournament.
“Honestly, I just hit the ball fantastic start to finish,” Doyal said. “I hit a ton of greens and then the putter started heating up. I woke up feeling good this morning, and I knew I had it in me.
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“Coming down the stretch, I had to battle. I’m just glad it’s over. I mean, the heart rate is still extremely high right now.”
Doyal had seven birdies in his final round, the best of which came on the par-4 No. 14. He used his six-iron to blast his second shot 220 yards to within inches of the cup, setting up a short putt that gave him a one-shot lead over Bell.
Doyal followed with a birdie on No. 15 to up his lead to two strokes, but made things interesting by shorting a putt on No. 17 for bogey.
Playing in a group just ahead of Doyel, Lew missed a 35-foot try for birdie on the par-5 No. 18 a smidge left to finish at 11-under after a final round 68.
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Clinging to that one-shot lead on No. 18, an admittedly amped-up Doyal nearly overshot the green on his third shot from about 80 yards out, the ball settling on the back fringe. He followed with a deft chip, setting up his tournament-winning putt.
“It was a little bit nervy there, but I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Doyal said. “I’m always going to be able to look back at that up and down on 18 and be like I have what it takes when the pressure is on.”
Widely regarded as one of the best amateur events for junior golfers in the country, the Terra Cotta’s field included nearly the entirety of the top 25 in the Rolex American Junior Golf rankings. That included Luke Colton of Frisco, Texas, who was gunning for an unprecedented third consecutive Terra Cotta championship. The 18-year-old Vanderbilt commit came up short in his quest, finishing 3-under and in a tie for 21st place.
“I started off pretty bad, just kind of had a weird first day,” said Colton, who opened with a 2-over 74. “Nothing was going my way. But I was pretty happy with the way I ended it.”
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Colton said the Terra Cotta is one of his favorite events of the season.
“You’ve got a great field and obviously an amazing course,” he said. “I think that’s why everybody wants to come and play at this tournament.”
Another top junior was a late and unreported entry to the Terra Cotta. Charlie Woods, son of golfing great Tiger Woods, got off to a rough start with an opening round 79, but shot a 3-under 69 in the final round to finish in a tie for 42nd place with a 3-over 219.
Among the five Naples-area competitors, former Gulf Coast High School standout and current University of Florida golfer Noah Kent had the best showing. The 20-year-old finished with a 2-over 218 for the tournament, placing him in a tie for 34th. The other local entrants were Spencer Ives (220), Brian Bassett (222), Jack Ryan Donovan (224), and Kaden Latrielle (229).
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Contact Sports Reporter Dan DeLuca at ddeluca@usatodayco.com. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Connor Doyal wins Florida amateur event, Charlie Woods ties for 42nd
Columbia, Mo. — The South Carolina softball team (25-21, 4-13) dropped the second game of its series at Missouri (24-23, 7-10) 5-0 Saturday night (Apr. 18).
Kai Byars led the Gamecocks with a pair of doubles on the night. It was her second multi-hit game of the season and her first game with multiple extra base hits.
The Tigers scored a run in the third inning without the aid of a hit. They would extend the lead and add four more in the fourth.
Carolina’s best opportunity for a run came in third. Byars doubled to lead off the inning and Shae Anderson followed with a bunt single. A double play on a potential sacrifice fly ended the rally.
Emma Friedel (8-4) took the loss, allowing one run on no hits in 3 1-3 innings. She struck out six and walked three.
The rubber game of the series will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET.
Audi Crooks on being in the transfer portal
USAT’s Sam Cardona-Norberg catches up with college basketball star Audi Crooks, who is still looking for her next team.
Sports Seriously
Jordan Lee entered the transfer portal after a breakout season at Texas and the junior guard isn’t going too far. She’s staying in the Southeastern Conference.
Lee announced on Instagram Friday that she’s transferring to South Carolina to play for Dawn Staley after spending the first two years of her collegiate career at Texas under Vic Schaefer. Lee captioned her Instagram post, which featured a video montage of her visit to Columbia, South Carolina, “Feeling cocky.”
Lee was one of four players from Texas to enter the transfer portal after the Longhorns’ second consecutive trip to the Final Four ended in a devastating loss to UCLA. She was named to the All-Region team in the Fort Worth 3 bracket in this year’s NCAA Tournament following her Sweet 16 and Elite Eight performance, where she recorded 22 points, six assists, three rebounds and four steals while also providing strong defense.
After being limited to five starts her freshman year, Lee slid into the starting lineup last season and started a career-high 38 games. She also averaged career highs in points (13.2), assists (2.5), rebounds (2.5), steals (1.5), field-goal percentage (42%) and free-throw percentage (75%), while shooting 34% from 3-point range.
Texas’ Aaliyah Crump, Justice Carlton and Aaliyah Moore also entered the transfer portal. On Friday, Crump announced she’s transferring to Duke, citing her connection with head coach Kara Lawson.
“For me, choosing Duke University goes far beyond one sentence. The moment I connected with Kara Lawson and her coaching staff, I knew I was exactly where I belonged,” said Crump, who averaged 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game her freshman season at Texas.
Crump continued: “Their dedication and vision for the program is truly special, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of it. The connection Coach Lawson and I have built is one of a kind, and I fully trust in her plan for the success of this program. I can’t wait to be coached by genuine people who support my growth not only as a basketball player, but as a person as well.”
Three-time All-American Madison Booker and junior starting forward Breya Cunningham are expected to return to Texas.
Contributing: Mitchell Northam
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
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