May 2, 2017

Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings

COLUMBIA, S.C. ââ’¬” South Carolina senior standout Katelyn Dambaugh moved into the top-five in the latest Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings, which were released this week. The Goose Creek, S.C., native, who captured the 2017 SEC individual title last month, checks in at No. 5 on the list.

Dambaugh’s victory at the conference tournament vaulted her five spots up the ranking. She is the second-highest ranked American behind Hannah O’Sullivan, who is listed at No. 3. Dambaugh moved into the ranking’s top-10 in November after closing Carolina’s fall slate with three-straight top-five finishes.

After knocking on the door twice at the SEC Championship, Dambaugh broke through this spring in record fashion. She posted a final-round 66 (-6) to end at 12-under 204, the lowest 54-hole mark in tournament and school history. The victory marked the second career win for Dambaugh, who captured medalist honors at the 2016 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional.

Dambaugh, the program’s all-time leader in career stroke average (72.56), has led Carolina in six of its 10 tournaments this season. Her team-best 70.82 scoring average as a senior ranks sixth in Division I, and the three-time All-American is also listed in the top-15 in par-3, par-4 and par-5 scoring average.

Dambaugh and the No. 12 Gamecocks return to action next week at the NCAA Columbus Regional. The 54-hole event takes place May 8-10 on the Scarlet Course at the OSU Golf Club. The top-six finishers out of the 18-team field will advance to the 2017 NCAA Championship, set for March 19-24 at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill. Carolina is one of five schools to reach the NCAA Championship in each of the last seven years.