ATLANTIC

2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup — Final Recap

May 31, 2026

Mark Farag - Science of Fishing Editorial

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The Game On team holds the $281,700 ceremonial check after winning the 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup on May 30. Photo: The Buckskin Billfish / SC Governor's Cup Billfishing Series.

Update — June 4, 2026: Marlin Magazine 2026 recap photography added for the full podium (Game On, Claytime, Rascal). Standings remain unofficial — SC Governor's Cup ratification is still pending and final ratified totals may shift the order of the top five.

The 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup wrapped May 30 at Toler's Cove Marina on Charleston's Intracoastal Waterway, closing the third leg of the South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series with an awards ceremony at 8:30pm ET. Game On takes the unofficial win with 3,400 points, leading a deep podium in a record-sized field.

Unofficial Top 5 — Final Points

Pos.	Boat	Points (unofficial)
1	Game On	3,400
2	Claytime	3,000
3	Rascal	2,800
4	Showtime!	2,600
5	Viking 64	2,400

Points are unofficial as reported by Reeltime live scoring. The SC Governor's Cup applies a "best two of three days" release-formula to determine ratified final standings, so official ratified totals may shift the order of the top five.

Claytime, a 60-foot B&D captained by Phillip Fender, finished second overall in the release category at the 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup with 3,000 points. Photo: Marlin Magazine. — *Claytime — 60-foot B&D captained by Phillip Fender — finished runner-up at 3,000 release points and was Day 1's daily winner at the 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup. Photo: Marlin Magazine.*

Rascal, a 61-foot Viking captained by Mark Rogers, finished third overall at the 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup with 2,800 release points. Photo: Marlin Magazine. — *Rascal — 61-foot Viking captained by Mark Rogers — closed third in the unofficial top five with 2,800 release points at the 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup. Photo: Marlin Magazine.*

A sportfisher tied up at Toler's Cove Marina under the awards-night lights during the 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup. Photo: The Buckskin Billfish / SC Governor's Cup Billfishing Series. — A sportfisher tied up at Toler's Cove Marina under the awards-night lights — May 30, the closing day of the 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup. Photo: The Buckskin Billfish / SC Governor's Cup Billfishing Series.

By the Numbers

Field: 42 boats
Billfish catches reported: 118
Prize pool: $647,300

The 42-boat field is materially larger than recent Lowcountry Cup historicals and reflects the tournament's growing pull as a mid-series Atlantic stop on the SC Governor's Cup calendar.

Top Boats and Big-Fish Winners

SPORTIN' LIFE — Heaviest Mahi (53.30 lbs). — *SPORTIN' LIFE — Heaviest Mahi at 53.30 lbs. Photo: HMY Lowcountry Cup leaderboard / Reel Time Apps.*

Higher Limits — Heaviest Wahoo (41.30 lbs). — *Higher Limits — Heaviest Wahoo at 41.30 lbs. Photo: HMY Lowcountry Cup leaderboard / Reel Time Apps.*

Maizey Blue — Heaviest Tuna (18.60 lbs). — *Maizey Blue — Heaviest Tuna at 18.60 lbs. Photo: HMY Lowcountry Cup leaderboard / Reel Time Apps.*

Star Fish with Cynthia Starosta — Lady Angler Billfish Release Points winner (1,400 pts). — *Star Fish (Cynthia Starosta) — Lady Angler Billfish Release Points winner at 1,400 pts. Photo: HMY Lowcountry Cup leaderboard / Reel Time Apps.*

An SC Governor's Cup angler aboard during the 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup, the third leg of the SC Governor's Cup Billfishing Series. Photo: The Buckskin Billfish / SC Governor's Cup Billfishing Series. — An SC Governor's Cup angler underway during the 2026 HMY Lowcountry Cup, the third leg of the South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series. Photo: The Buckskin Billfish / SC Governor's Cup Billfishing Series.

Awards — Pending Ratification

The Top Angler award, Outstanding Billfish recognitions, and Conservation awards announced at the May 30 ceremony are not yet confirmed against the official record. We will update this section once SC Governor's Cup posts ratified totals and individual award recipients.

SC Governor's Cup Series Implications

The HMY Lowcountry Cup is the third of five legs in the South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series. With two legs remaining, the series chase tightens around boats that have now posted multi-leg points totals. Series leaderboard updates flow through the SC Governor's Cup once each leg is ratified.

What's Next on the SC Governor's Cup Calendar

The Tournament Updates hub tracks live scoring as each remaining leg fires.

Sources

Update log:
• Initial publish — results sourced from Reeltime, SC Governor's Cup ratification pending. Standings and ceremony photography pending official sources.
• June 4, 2026 update — Awards ceremony photography added from The Buckskin Billfish / SC Governor's Cup Billfishing Series Pixieset gallery. Cover image swapped to the Game On winning-team-with-check photo; two additional Buckskin Billfish photographs (night-dock sportfisher and SC Governor's Cup angler) added in body.
• June 4, 2026 T+5 backfill — Marlin Magazine 2026 recap photography added for the full podium (Claytime and Rascal team photos); broken Reeltime/Buckskin source-link label repaired. Standings remain unofficial pending SC Governor's Cup ratification.