April 15, 2005

Tunica, Miss. – With Friday’s first-round action complete at the 2005 Southeastern Conference Women’s Golf Championships played at the Tunica National Golf Course, South Carolina is in 10th place with a combined score of 313.

Leading the way for Carolina is freshman Whitney Simons, who carded a four-over-par 76. Simons was steady all day long, and recorded a birdie on the course’s par-five seventh hole. Sophomore Jenna Pearson turned in a first-round 78 during a seesaw performance that saw her get out to a blazing start with four birdies in her first five holes. However, Pearson was six-over-par on her next seven holes. She achieved par on her next three holes before going double-bogey, birdie, double-bogey to close out her day.

Freshman Caroline Rominger slipped a bit from some of her recent showings in carding a seven-over 79, with junior Erica Battle and senior Tiffany Catafygiotu rounding out the Gamecock effort with identical eight-over-par 80s. Battle was solid for most of the day, but a string of six bogeys in her last seven holes saw her score inflate at the end. Catafygiotu also fell victim to a bad stretch, as she was over par on five consecutive holes to open her back nine.

South Carolina, the 2002 SEC Champion, looks to rebound in Saturday’s second round.

Team Leader Board1   Auburn  +3  F   2912   Tennessee   +11     F   299T3  Georgia     +13     F   301T3  Arkansas, U. of     +13     F   301T5  Alabama, U. of  +15     F   303T5  Louisiana State     +15     F   3037   Florida     +16     F   3048   Vanderbilt  +20     F   3089   Kentucky, U. of     +22     F   31010  South Carolina  +25     F   31311  Mississippi, U. of  +33     F   32112  Mississippi St. U.  +42     F   330
Gamecocks On The Individual Leader BoardT19 Whitney Simons   South Carolina  +4  F   76T29 Jenna Pearson South Carolina  +6  F   78T35 Caroline Rominger South Carolina  +7  F   79T42 Erica Battle   South Carolina  +8  F   80T42 Tiffany Catafygiotu     South Carolina  +8  F   80