March 13, 2011

By Wes Todd
Assistant Media Relations Director

BATON ROUGE, La. – South Carolina’s women’s golf team finished the final day of the LSU Tiger Golf Classic where it began, shooting a 20-over-par 308 to finish the week at 934 (+70) and in 14th place on Sunday at the University Club.

High scores abounded throughout the week as the winning score for the week was 24-over-par and Arkansas’ 1-under-par 287 on Sunday to win the tournament was the only team round within five strokes of par all week.

Junior Katie Burnett was South Carolina’s top finisher, shooting a team-best 75 (+3) in Sunday’s final round to finish at 232 (+16) for the week, tied for 43rd place. Burnett’s final round began with a pair of bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12, but made two birdies over the next three holes to head to the front nine at even-par. Three bogeys on the next six holes would push her back to 3-over, but a birdie at No. 7 helped offset a bogey at the ninth to give her a 3-over-par day, one of the better rounds from the field all day.

Sophomores Meredith Swanson and Amanda Strang both had their best rounds of the week with matching scores of 76 (+4) to close out the week. Swanson made the turn at 2-over, but made two birdies in a four-hole stretch and was just 1-over-par with five holes to play. A tough double-bogey at the ninth, though, led to a 4-over finish. Strang, after a bogey-birdie start, made three bogeys in a four-hole stretch to move to 3-over. But she was able to make eight straight pars before a bogey at her next-to-last hole, finishing a 4-over-par day.

Freshman Katie Rose Higgins, who led the team with a 74 on Saturday, finished with an 84 (+12) on Sunday. Samantha Swinehart, the team’s other freshman, shot an 81 (+9) to close out the week.

Arkansas took the team title with the best team round of the week, posting a 1-under-par 287 to finish at 888 (+24) to win the event by seven shots over Virginia. Top-ranked Alabama tied Tennessee and Duke for third place as all posted scores of 900 (+36). Duke’s Lindy Duncan took medalist honors at 218 (+2), winning on the third playoff hole against Louisville’s AnnaKarin Ljungstrom.

The Gamecocks will have next weekend off before heading to Greensboro, N.C., for the Bryan National Collegiate. That event runs March 25-27 at the Bryan Park Champions Course.

LSU GOLF CLASSIC – Final Results
March 13, 2011 – Baton Rouge, La.
University Club – Par 72, 6,194 Yards

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS
T43. Katie Burnett – 80-77-75=232 (+16)
T47. Samantha Swinehart – 76-76-81=233 (+17)
T71. Katie Rose Higgins – 80-74-84=238 (+22)
T76. Meredith Swanson – 83-81-76=240 (+24)
T83. Amanda Strang – 86-80-76=242 (+26)

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Arkansas – 888 (+24)
2. Virginia – 895 (+31)
T3. Alabama – 900 (+36)
T3. Tennessee – 900 (+36)
T3. Duke – 900 (+36)
6. LSU – 902 (+38)
7. Wake Forest – 909 (+45)
8. Texas A&M – 910 (+46)
9. NC State – 911 (+47)
10. Louisville – 914 (+50)
11. Tulane – 918 (+54)
12. TCU – 927 (+63)
13. North Carolina – 928 (+64)
14. South Carolina – 934 (+70)
15. Mississippi – 938 (+74)
16. Furman – 945 (+81)
17. UNC Wilmington – 958 (+94)
18. Kentucky – 959 (+95)
19. Louisiana-Monroe – 962 (+98)
20. Mississippi State – 963 (+99)
21. College of Charleston – 967 (+103)