April 17, 2005

Tunica, Miss. – With a three-day score of 313-301-300=914, the South Carolina women’s golf team finished seventh at the Southeastern Conference Championships, played at Tunica National Golf Course this weekend.

Freshman Whitney Simons was Carolina’s top performer and was one of three Gamecocks finishing in the top 15, placing in a tie for 12th on the individual leader board with a three-day score of 76-73-78=227. Simons entered Sunday’s final round only four strokes off the lead, but a four-hole stretch on the course’s 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th holes gave Simons trouble, as she suffered through two bogeys and a double bogey. She regrouped and shot par on eight of her last nine holes.

The story of the day for the Gamecocks was junior Erica Battle, who turned in her career-low round with a two-under 70. Battle’s day was highlighted by an eagle on the course’s par-five third hole. Battle’s eagle, which was the first for any Gamecock this spring, put her at four-under through 12 holes, with a pair of bogeys on the last six holes bringing her score to two-under. Battle’s final-round 70 moved her up 21 spots on the leader board, and she finished the tournament with a three-day score of 80-78-70=228 placing in a tie for 15th in the field. Battle’s performance for the weekend was very similar to last year’s SEC Championships, when Battle carded a 79-74-71=224,

Also finishing in a tie for 15th with Battle was teammate Caroline Rominger, who turned in her best round of the weekend, shooting a one-over 73. Rominger was very steady on Sunday, canceling out a two bogeys with birdies on the course’s par-five 14th hole and the course’s par-five third hole. Rominger finished with a three-day score of 79-76-73=228.

Sophomore Jenna Pearson finished in a tie for 34th with a three-day score of 78-74-82=234. Senior Tiffany Catafygiotu rounded things out with a three-day 80-83-79=242.

Final Team Leader BoardT1  Auburn  +40     F   291     302     311  =  904T1  Georgia     +40     F   301     302     301  =  9043   Arkansas, U. of     +41     F   301     309     295  =  905T4  Louisiana State     +42     F   303     293     310  =  906T4  Tennessee   +42     F   299     304     303  =  9066   Florida     +47     F   304     307     300  =  9117   South Carolina  +50     F   313     301     300  =  9148   Kentucky, U. of     +59     F   310     314     299  =  9239   Vanderbilt  +63     F   308     316     303  =  92710  Alabama, U. of  +69     F   303     316     314  =  93311  Mississippi St. U.  +83     F   330     312     305  =  94712  Mississippi, U. of  +105    F   321     328     320  =  969
Gamecocks On The Individual Leader BoardT12 Whitney Simons   South Carolina  +11     F   76  73  78  =   227T15 Erica Battle   South Carolina  +12     F   80  78  70  =   228T15 Caroline Rominger South Carolina  +12     F   79  76  73  =   228T34 Jenna Pearson     South Carolina  +18     F   78  74  82  =   234T51 Tiffany Catafygiotu South Carolina  +26     F   80  83  79  =   242