May 10, 2007

Baton Rouge, La. – The No. 25 South Carolina women’s golf team shot a 290 (+2) in Thursday’s opening round of the NCAA East Regional, played at LSU’s par-72 University Club. UCLA leads the field at seven under. Carolina’s 290 is the second-lowest round the Gamecocks have posted in 21 NCAA regional and championship appearances, and it marks as the best NCAA opening round in school history.

The Gamecocks were led by junior Blythe Worley and freshman Bénédicte Toumpsin, both of whom fired an even-par 72 Thursday. Worley was the most consistent Gamecock of the day, posting 16 pars and a birdie. After a bogey on the par-3 eighth hole evened her score, Worley rattled off 11 consecutive pars to finish the day.

Sitting at one-over for the most of the day because of a bogey on the first hole, Toumpsin birdied the 11th hole but fell back with a bogey on the 12th hole. She remained at one-over before carding a birdie on the par-3 16th hole and hit par on the final two holes to finish with her 72.

Camila Mori, Jenna Pearson and Whitney Simons each posted identical one-over 73’s and sit tied at 34th on the individual leader board. Mori, a junior competing in her first NCAA Regional as a Gamecock, found herself even after five holes and hit 10 consecutive pars before bogeying the 16th hole.

Pearson was the third Gamecock to find herself even on the day after the front nine. The Second-Team All-SEC golfer then carded two birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey over a five-hole stretch to bring her score to one-over, and she hit even par over the final four holes to bring her total to a 73 on the day.

Simons finished Thursday with a 73, tying her season-best round set at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic. Her round was five strokes better than her season average of 78.47. The Aiken, S.C., native also enjoyed a consistent round, recording 14 pars to go along with two birdies and three bogeys.

Second round action resumes Friday. The top eight teams will qualify for the NCAA Championship.

Team Leader Board
1. UCLA: 281 (-7)
T2. Wake Forest: 284 (-4)
T2. Furman: 284 (-4)
4. Purdue: 285 (-3)
5. Louisville: 286 (-2)
T6. Alabama: 287 (-1)
T6. LSU: 287 (-1)
T8. South Carolina: 290 (+2)
T8. North Carolina: 290 (+2)
T10. Duke: 291 (+3)
T10. Texas A&M: 291 (+3)
T12. College of Charleston: 292 (+4)
T12. Florida State: 292 (+4)
14. Auburn: 293 (+5)
15. Virginia: 295 (+7)
16. Birmingham-Southern: 297 (+9)
17. Western Carolina: 301 (+13)
18. NC State: 302 (+14)
19. South Florida: 306 (+18)
20. Jacksonville State: 324 (+36)
21. Jackson State: 329 (+41)

Gamecocks On The Individual Leader Board
T25. Bénédicte Toumpsin: 72 (E)
T25. Blythe Worley: 72 (E)
T34. Jenna Pearson: 73 (+1)
T34. Camila Moria: 73 (+1)
T34. Whitney Simons: 73 (+1)