May 12, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Golfweek named South Carolina sophomore Bénédicte Toumpsin its Women’s Player of the Week today after she picked up her first career victory at the NCAA East Regional on Saturday. It was her first career victory and came by one stroke over two players, including the nation’s top-ranked player, Amanda Blumenherst, from Duke.

“Bénédicte is an extremely talented player,” South Carolina head coach Kalen Anderson said. “She has five top-five finishes this season, with four of those coming in the spring. She picked a great time to get her first career win. She is a player that has a lot of success ahead of her.”

After scorching the course with a 68 in the first round to tie her career low, Toumpsin stayed in the tournament lead with a 70 in round two. Holding onto her three-shot lead in the final round was not an easy task, however. Playing in the group with Blumenherst, Toumpsin knew where she stood throughout the round. She made the turn at one-under before her first double-bogey of the tournament on No. 11 put her over par for the first time in the event. She steadied herself with three pars to hold a six-stroke lead on Blumenherst through 14 holes. She yielded one stroke to the nation’s top ranked player with a bogey on the par-4 15th, then gave up all five strokes of her lead with a quadruple bogey on No. 16, which Blumenherst birdied. With the event knotted up, Toumpsin bounced back on the par-5 17th to match Blumenherst’s birdie, setting up No. 18 as the decisive showdown. Toumpsin got within a short wedge to the green, knocked her third shot within five feet of the hole and sank the putt for birdie, while her rival could only come up with par.

Toumpsin became just the second Gamecock to win an NCAA Regional, joining Siew Ai Lim, who won the East Regional in 1995. Toumpsin’s total of 214 (-2) was the lowest by a Gamecock in an NCAA Regional since Kristy McPherson carded a 209 to finish second in 2003.

South Carolina advanced to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2003. The four-day event begins on Tue., May 20, at University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course.