Roussin-Bouchard in Lead at SEC Championship

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  –  South Carolina women’s golf sophomore Pauline Roussin-Bouchard moved into the lead as the No. 1 ranked Gamecocks sit in second place through two rounds of stroke play at the SEC Championship on Thursday at Greystone Golf & Country Club. 

Roussin-Bouchard carded her second 5-under (67) in as many rounds, putting her at 10-under for the tournament. Her 134-stroke total is the lowest total through two rounds in SEC Championship history. The sophomore started the day with a birdie on the first hole, and then sank birdies on holes three and six to finish her front nine at 3-under. Roussin-Bouchard kept a steady hand through most of her back nine, shooting for par until the final two holes where she finished with back-to-back birdies to punctuate a 5-under round and head into the final round of stroke play with a two-stroke lead. 

Coming off her best round as a Gamecock sophomore Mathilde Claisse topped herself again, finishing Thursday’s round with a 4-under 68, eclipsing yesterday’s 3-under 69. Claisse shot for par on her opening two holes before sinking her second eagle of the tournament on hole No. 3. After a birdie on hole No. 7 Claisse hit a couple speedbumps with bogeys on holes nine and 11, but she righted the ship to add three more birdies, including one on hole No. 18 to finish the round at 4-under, and sits at 7-under, tied for sixth, with a round to play. 

Senior Ana Pelaez came back down to earth after her record-breaking opening round performance and hit a rough patch early with a double bogey on hole No. 5 and started making up that ground with a birdie on hole seven before back-to-back bogeys on holes nine and 10. From there Pelaez got back on track with birdies on holes 13 and 18 and shot for par for the rest of the back nine to finish at 1-over for the day, but still holds a 7-under for the tournament, tied for sixth.  

The Gamecocks posted a 7-under 281 as a team on Thursday, dropping them from the top of the leaderboard into second place, five strokes behind LSU. The top eight stroke play teams after tomorrow’s final round move on to the match play portion of the championship, with the stroke play finish determining the match play seeding. The individual leader after tomorrow’s stroke play round will be crowned SEC Champion. 

“Overall we hung in there today,” head coach Kalen Anderson said after the round. “It wasn’t the best day but we finished strong and still in striking distance of the top seed for match play. Just need to go out there and make some birdies tomorrow. Great day from Pauline and Mathilde today. Looking forward to the next few days here at the SEC Championship.”

The Garnet and Black tee off for the final round of stroke play at 10:40 a.m. ET on Friday. 
 

2021 SEC Championship Leaderboard – Round Two

1. LSU – 548 (-28)
2. South Carolina – 553 (-23)
3. Auburn – 557 (-19)
4. Ole Miss – 559 (-17)
5. Mississippi State – 561 (-15)
6. Arkansas – 562 (-14)
T7. Vanderbilt – 569 (-7)
T7. Alabama – 569 (-7)
T9. Florida – 571 (-5)
T9. Tennessee – 571 (-5)
11. Kentucky – 574 (-2)
12. Texas A&M – 583 (+7)
13. Missouri – 584 (+8)
14. Georgia – 588 (+12)

Gamecock Leaderboard

1. Pauline Roussin-Bouchard – 134 (-10)
T6. Ana Pelaez – 137 (-7)
T6. Mathilde Claisse – 137 (-7)
T51. Paula Kirner – 148 (+4)
T57. Lois Kaye Go – 151 (+7)