Sept. 12, 2006

Albuquerque, N.M. – With only one round of golf remaining at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational, the South Carolina women’s golf team is in second place with a 295-288=583 (-1), trailing Arizona State by eight strokes. The 17 teams competing in the field played 36 holes at the par-73 University of New Mexico Champions Course on Monday and play the final 18 on Tuesday.

Leading the way for Carolina is senior Jenna Pearson, who enters the final round atop the individual leader board with a 72-67=139 (-6) and freshman Bénédicte Toumpsin, who is tied for second with a 71-69=140 (-5).

Pearson’s second-round 67 tied Kristy McPherson’s school record for lowest individual round, which McPherson set at the 2001 SEC Championship. Starting on the fourth hole, Pearson opened the second round with birdies on four of her first six holes. She added another birdie on the 13th hole and erased the bogey she took on the 15th hole by posting an eagle on the par-5 18th hole. She finished her day with a birdie on the first and pars on the second and third holes to pass her previous career-best round of 69, set at the 2004 NCAA Fall Preview.

As for Toumpsin, she made her presence felt immediately by carding a 71-69=140 (-6) in her first two rounds of golf at the collegiate level. Toumpsin, the top junior player in Belgium and one of the top players coming out of Europe this past year, knocked in three birdies, achieved par on 14 holes and took only one bogey in her first round, then came back in the second round to drain three birdies with only one bogey. In carding a 69 in the second round, Toumpsin became only the 10th player in school history to fire a round in the 60s.

Juniors Blythe Worley, Laura Raffo and Camila Mori were also in action for Carolina, with Worley tied for 32nd on the individual leader board with a 74-76=150 (+4), Raffo tied for 59th with a 78-76=154 (+8) and Mori tied for 65th with a 79-76=155 (+9).

Competing as an individual with her score not counting toward the team total, freshman Taylor Barrett is tied for 80th with a 79-80=159 (+13).

Final round action resumes Tuesday.

Team Leader Board
1. Arizona State: 294-281=575 (-9)
2. South Carolina: 295-288=583 (-1)
3. Texas A&M: 294-291=585 (+1)
4. UNLV: 291-298=589 (+5)
5. BYU: 298-294=592 (+8)
6. TCU: 296-298=594 (+6)
T7. New Mexico: 298-298=596 (+12)
T7. UTEP: 291-305=596 (+12)
T7. Florida: 302-294=596 (+12)
10. New Mexico State: 300-298=598 (+14)
11. San Francisco: 303-301=604 (+20)
12. UNC-Wilmington: 307-301=608 (+24)
13. Hawaii: 296-314=610 (+26)
T14. San Diego State: 302-309=611 (+27)
T14. Oregon: 307-304=611 (+27)
16. Texas Tech: 312-301=613 (+29)
17. Texas: 304-314=618 (+34)

Gamecocks On The Individual Leader Board
1. Jenna Pearson: 72-67=139 (-7)
T2. Bénédicte Toumpsin: 71-69=140 (-6)
T32. Blythe Worley: 74-76=150 (+4)
T59. Laura Raffo: 78-76=154 (+8)
T65. Camila Mori: 79-76-155 (+9)
T80. Taylor Barrett *: 79-80=159 (+13)

* Playing as an individual.