Oct. 26, 2006

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s golf team returns to action this weekend when it travels to Auburn to compete at The Derby Invitational played at the par-72 Auburn University Club.

Included in the tournament field are Alabama, No. 6 Auburn, Baylor, Birmingham Southern, Central Florida, No. 20 Florida, No. 17 Florida State, Furman, Kansas, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Nebraska, No. 15 North Carolina, South Carolina, No. 10 Tennessee and Texas.

The Carolina lineup for The Derby includes freshman Bénédicte Toumpsin, senior Jenna Pearson, junior Blythe Worley, freshman Taylor Barrett and junior Whitney Simons. Junior Laura Raffo will also be in action, but will compete as an individual with her score not counting toward the team’s total.

Among the players competing at The Derby are the nation’s top-ranked player, Caroline Westrup of Florida State. Carolina’s Bénédicte Toumpsin (47) and Jenna Pearson (85) are both also ranked nationally by Golfweek. Following is a complete list of top-100 players competing at The Derby:

1. Caroline Westrup, Florida State
10. Sandra Gal, Florida
16. Jenny Suh, Alabama
20. Nicole Smith, Tennessee
26. Kathleen Ekey, Furman
36. Marci Turner, Tennessee
42. Lauren Hunt, North Carolina
47. Bénédicte Toumpsin, South Carolina
51. Candace Schepperle, Auburn
54. Abigale Schepperle, Auburn
59. Nicole Hage, Auburn
60. Jessica Lovell, Auburn
63. Melissa Eaton, LSU
66. Angela Oh, Tennessee
74. Margaret Shirley, Auburn
80. Elli Brown, Nebraska
84. Ann Laney, North Carolina
85. Jenna Pearson, South Carolina
86. Whitney Myers, Florida
89. Allison Martin, Baylor
99. Mallory Blackwelder, Florida