April 16, 2011

By Wes Todd
Assistant Media Relations Director

AUBURN, Ala. – South Carolina freshman Suzie Lee shot her second straight round of 73 (+1) and moved into the top 10 after Saturday’s second round of the SEC Women’s Championship at the Auburn University Club.

The Gamecocks shot a 16-over-par 304 and moved up one spot to eighth place at 606 (+30), five shots ahead of Florida and four shot back of Vanderbilt heading into Sunday’s final round. Carolina’s score of 304 was the fourth-best team round of the day, better than those of top-15 teams Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia, among others.

Lee, a native of East Northport, N.Y., held steady on a day when scores ballooned throughout the field with her round of 73. Despite starting with a pair of bogeys on 10 and 11, Lee calmed down and birdied 14 and 17 – along with a bogey at 15 – to make the turn at just 1-over for the day. She would move back to 2-over with a bogey at the third, but played her final six holes at 1-under par after a birdie at No. 4 and five straight pars to close. She finds herself in a three way tie for ninth place, just two shots out of the tournament’s top five.

Sophomore Amanda Strang had a big turnaround from her opening round, posting a 4-over-par 76 to mark a seven-shot improvement from Friday. She turned at even par after offsetting bogeys at 14 and 17 with back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th. However, she would falter somewhat down the stretch with two pairs of bogeys at 4-5 and again at 8-9. Nevertheless, it was a comparatively solid round on a day when only three players broke par.

Samantha Swinehart recorded her second straight round of 77 (+5), and she was rock solid for 17 holes. If not for a quadruple-bogey 8 on hole No. 1 – her 10th of the day – her round would have been one of the best of the day. She recorded 14 pars, two bogeys and a birdie, making the turn at even par. Fellow freshman Katie Rose Higgins shot a 78 (+6) that included two birdies but also two double-bogeys, and junior Katie Burnett was 1-under with two birdies on her back nine but finished her first nine with a triple, a double and two bogeys to shoot 79 (+7).

Homestanding Auburn continues to lead after posting the low round of the day at 290 (+2); the Tigers, at 573 (-3) are nine shots clear of Alabama at 582 (+6). Tennessee’s Erica Popson continues to lead at 140 (-4), but Auburn’s Cydney Clanton and Arkansas’ Emily Tubert closed the gap to one shot with matching rounds of 72 on Saturday.

The Gamecocks will begin Sunday’s final round on the No. 10 tee at 8:40 a.m. CDT (9:40 a.m. EDT), paired with Vanderbilt and Florida. Live scoring is available through golfstat.com.

SEC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP – SECOND ROUND
April 16, 2011 • Auburn, Ala.
Auburn University Club • Par 72, 6,364 Yards

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS
T9. Suzie Lee – 73-73=146 (+2)
T33. Katie Burnett – 75-79=154 (+10)
T33. Samantha Swinehart – 77-77=154 (+10)
T37. Katie Rose Higgins – 77-78=155 (+11)
T46. Amanda Strang – 83-76=159 (+15)

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Auburn – 283-290=573 (-3)
2. Alabama – 291-291=582 (+6)
3. LSU – 287-300=587 (+11)
4. Tennessee – 285-308=593 (+17)
5. Arkansas – 289-305=594 (+18)
6. Georgia – 292-309=601 (+25)
7. Vanderbilt – 295-307=602 (+26)
8. South Carolina – 302-304=606 (+30)
9. Florida – 301-310=611 (+35)
10. Kentucky – 315-305=620 (+44)
11. Mississippi – 316-314=630 (+54)
12. Mississippi State – 315-324=639 (+63)