Gamecocks and Panthong Finish Third at Blessings Collegiate Invitational

FAYETTEVILLE, ARK.  –  The South Carolina women’s golf team battled to a third-place finish, while senior Pimnipa Panthong took third in her Carolina debut at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational on Wednesday.  

“Overall we had a pretty good tournament,” head coach Kalen Anderson said. “Not the start we needed but we finished strong over the last few days. I liked the team’s resilience, we didn’t have a lot of momentum today, but the team hung in there and we came out with a strong day through some difficult hole locations. They hung in there and stayed patient. Pim started out 3-over through the first four holes and finished the day 4-under, that’s the sign of a really good player. Pauline didn’t have her best striking day but she hung in there and shot even, Lois Kaye fought hard all day, Paula was playing well and just didn’t have the finish she needed. Overall it was a really good group effort all week on a difficult course. I’m proud of how they finished after our difficult start. We have a lot of great golf ahead in the next few events, we’re looking forward to building off this.”

Panthong shot a 4-under round of 68 to elevate her to a third-place finish. After going 3-over through the first four holes Panthong showed why she’s on the Preseason ANNIKA Award Watch List by locking in and finishing the front nine with three birdies. The senior kept that momentum on the back nine with birdies on 13 and 15, followed by an eagle on 16, and she finished the day with a birdie on 18 to seal her third-place finish.   

Sophomore Pauline Roussin-Bouchard picked up where she left off last year by taking eighth at the Blessings. Roussin-Bouchard struggled to find a groove but sank a pair of birdies on the front nine before back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 to help secure her even par 72 and eighth-place finish, the fifth top-10 finish of her career. The Gamecocks are one of the two teams with two players to finish in the top-eight at the tournament, with both players appearing on the Preseason ANNIKA Award Watch List. 

Senior Lois Kaye Go finished strong to earn a tie for 26th place, while freshman Paula Kirner notched five birdies in the final round of her collegiate debut to earn a tie for 31st. Sophomore Mathilde Claisse had a rough day after two strong rounds to open the tournament on her way to a 36th place finish. 

The Gamecocks head to Mississippi State for their next tournament, The Ally at Old Waverly. The action in West Point, Miss. is set to begin on Oct. 19. 

2020 Blessings Collegiate Invitational Women’s Leaderboard
1. Arkansas – 864 (E)
2. LSU – 882 (+18)
3. South Carolina – 885 (+21)
4. Ole Miss – 888 (+24)
5. Georgia – 895 (+31)
6. Florida – 902 (+38)
7. Auburn – 904 (+40)
8. Kentucky – 912 (+48)
9. Vanderbilt – 915 (+51)
10. Alabama – 918 (+54)
11. Texas A&M – 924 (+60)
12. Tennessee – 938 (+74)
13. Mississippi State – 980 (+116)
14. Missouri – 647 (+71)
 
Gamecock Women’s Leaderboard
3. Pimnipa Panthong – 216 (E)
8. Pauline Roussin-Bouchard – 220 (+4)
T26. Lois Kaye Go – 226 (+10)
T31. Paula Kirner – 229 (+13)
36. Mathilde Claisse – 230 (+14)