May 20, 2003

West Lafayette, Indiana – The University of South Carolina women’s golf team shot a 30-over par 318 to finish in a tie for 11th place in Tuesday’s opening round of the 2003 NCAA Championships. The Championships are being played at the Kampen Course of the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Indiana, and feature the nation’s 24 best women’s collegiate teams in a 72-hole battle for the title.

USC is tied with 2002 NCAA Champion Duke and Arizona after the first 18 holes of competition. Southern California concluded the first round in the lead at 17-over par with a total score of 305.

Sophomore Tiffany Catafygiotu and senior Kristy McPherson both shot a seven-over-par 79 finish tied for 36th place after the first round. Senior Kacy Thompson and junior Adrienne Gautreaux each carded an 80 (+8) to finish in a tie for 47th place. Junior Marci Robinson recorded an 85 (+13) on the first day for a share of 102nd place.

The 15th-ranked Gamecocks return to the course Wednesday at 10:20 a.m. for the second round of the competition.

South Carolina advanced to the NCAA Championships for the third consecutive year and the eighth year overall. USC finished seventh in the NCAA East Regional last weekend to earn one of the eight spots from each of the three regionals to advance into this week’s tournament. The best NCAA Championship finish by a Gamecock squad dates back to 1995 when the team finished in a tie for ninth place. The best South Carolina individual performance at an NCAA Championship was Siew Ai Lim’s ninth-place finish in 1995.

INDIVIDUAL GAMECOCK GOLFERS
T36th Kristy McPherson 79 +7
T36th Tiffany Catafygiotu 79 +7
T47th Kacy Thompson 80 +8
T47th Adrienne Gautreaux 80 +8
T102nd Marci Robinson 85 +13