April 1, 2006

Browns Summit, N.C. – South Carolina junior women’s golfer Jenna Pearson turned in one of the best single rounds of any Gamecock this year when she finished with a one-under par 71 during the second round of the Bryan National Collegiate, played at the Bryan Park Champion’s Course Saturday. Pearson’s effort led the charge for South Carolina, who surged four spots up the leader board to fifth place with a 309-295=604, 13 strokes behind tournament leader Georgia.

Pearson’s day started with a birdie on the par-four first hole and she found herself at three under after back-to-back birdies on the fifth and sixth holes, respectively. The Wheaton, Ill., native kept her scorecard clean with pars on 10 of her next 11 holes, and even a bogey on no. 18 wasn’t enough to keep her from finishing under par. Pearson’s performance Saturday was only one stroke behind the team-best 70 that she carded in the first round of the Chrysler Challenge this past Fall and was the fourth-best round of her career. Making it even more remarkable is the fact that she shaved eight strokes off her first-round showing and skyrocketed to a tie for 15th on the individual leader board and owns a 79-71=150 (+6) heading into the final round, putting her six strokes behind tournament leader Elizabeth Janangelo from Duke.

Though Pearson showed the largest improvement of any Gamecock from the first round to the second round, she was just one of four Carolina players who finished Saturday with a lower score than from the day before.

Though sophomore Whitney Simons did not improve her score, she remains one of Carolina’s top performers at the tournament, as she is tied for 18th on the individual leader board with a 75-76=151 (+7). Among the players with whom she is tied is Gamecock sophomore Laura Raffo, who owns a 77-74=151 (+7) heading into Sunday’s final round.

Carolina senior Erica Battle shaved six strokes off her first round effort and is tied for 47th with a 81-75=156 (+12). Sophomore Blythe Worley was also in action, improving three strokes off her first round score to tie for 32nd with a 78-75=153 (+9).

Final round action resumes tomorrow.

Team Leader Board
1. Georgia 300-291=591 (+15)
2. Duke 298-295=593 (+17)
3. Purdue 295-299=594 (+18)
4. Tennessee 306-294=600 (+24)
5. South Carolina 309-295=604 (+28)
T6. Wake Forest 303-303=606 (+30)
T6. Oklahoma State 306-300=606 (+30)
8. Florida 300-307=607 (+31)
T9. NC State 299-311=610 (+34)
T9. California 310-300=610 (+34)
11. Virginia 312-304=616 (+40)
12. Vanderbilt 316-308=624 (+48)
T13. College of Charleston 311-316=627 (+51)
T13. UNC Wilmington 312-315=627 (+51)
15. North Carolina 323-305=628 (+52)
16. LSU 314-324=638 (+62)
17. UNC Greensboro 323-322=645 (+69)

Gamecocks On The Individual Leader Board
T15. Jenna Pearson 79-71=150
T18. Laura Raffo 77-74=151
T18. Whitney Simons 75-76=151
T32. Blythe Worley 78-75=153
T47. Erica Battle 81-75=156