March 24, 2007

Athens, Ga. – One day after hitting South Carolina’s first ace since 2005, Jenna Pearson shot a 71 in the second round of the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic to push herself into the top five of the tournament held at the par-71 University of Georgia Golf Course. Pearson enters the final round in a tie for third with a 145 (+3), two strokes behind tournament leader Melissa Eaton (LSU).

As a team, South Carolina came in at 16 over par and is sixth on the team leader board with a 602, placing the Gamecocks ahead of five ranked teams.

Pearson, ranked No. 82 nationally, birdied three of the first seven holes and was two-under at the turn. Bogeys on the 16^th and 17^th holes kept her at an even par to end the day.

Freshman Bénédicte Toumpsin improved 28 spots with a 71 in the second round to move into the top 15 on the individual leader board. Toumpsin stood at two-over after nine holes before displaying a steady game by hitting par on the next six holes to continue improving her position. She notched two birdies in the final three holes to end her day at an even par and put her in a tie for 12^th heading into the final round.

Whitney Simons, Camila Mori and Taylor Barrett all carded 79’s Saturday, the second time this season that three teammates fired the same score in the same round. The other time occurred when Mori, Blythe Worley and Laura Raffo all carded a 76 in the second round of the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational at the par-73 University of New Mexico Championship Course.

Simons sits tied for 43^rd on the individual leader board after two rounds while Mori is tied for 50^th. Barrett enters Sunday tied for 57^th while Worley, competing as an individual, has a 154 after two rounds to sit in a tie for 43^rd.

Final round action resumes with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Team Leader Board
1. Auburn: 293-299=592 (+24)
2. Arkansas: 300-297=597 (+29)
3. Florida: 300-298=598 (+30)
T4. Wake Forest: 307-292=599 (+31)
T4. Virginia: 303-296=599 (+31)
6. South Carolina: 302-300=602 (+34)
T7. Georgia: 303-300=603 (+35)
T7. Purdue: 304-299=603 (+35)
T7. Alabama: 302-301=603 (+35)
T10. Michigan State: 297-310=607 (+39)
T10. LSU: 301-306=607 (+39)
12. Florida State: 312-302=614 (+46)
13. Kent State: 314-310=624 (+56)
14. Furman: 312-314=626 (+58)
15. UCF: 319-308=627 (+59)
16. Mississippi State: 314-315=629 (+61)
17. Augusta State: 314-325=639 (+71)
18. Georgia State: 331-312=643 (+75)

Gamecocks On The Individual Leader Board
T3. Jenna Pearson: 74-71=145 (+3)
T12. Bénédicte Toumpsin: 77-71=148 (+6)
T43. Whitney Simons: 75-79=154 (+12)
T50. Camila Mori: 76-79=155 (+13)
T57. Taylor Barrett: 78-79=157 (+15)

*T43. Blythe Worley: 78-76=154 (+12)

*Competing as an individual; score does not count towards team final.