Oct. 5, 2007

COLUMBIA – Sophomore Benedicte Toumpsin and freshman Erika Holmen shot matching first-round 77s (+5) in the first round to lead South Carolina at the Lady Tar Heel Invitational. The Gamecocks are tied iwth East Carolina for 15th after round one with a team score of 311.

Starting on the back nine, Toumpsin got out to a quick start at +1 over the first half of the round, her lone bogey coming with a five on the par-4 15th. After three more pars, the experienced sophomore battled three of the next four holes, going bogey-par-bogey-double before scoring par on the final two holes. The round of 77 put her in 41st position.

Holmen had the opposite round, struggling with a seven on the par-3 14th and three bogeys on the back nine. A pair of birdies over the stretch tempered those difficulties, and the freshman added two more birdies in the next nine holes to finish at 77.

Senior Laura Raffo carded a 78 in round one, also battling the front nine at UNC Finley Golf Course. She carded a birdie on the seventh, but finished the round in 53rd place at +6 after five bogeys and one double.

Camila Mori was one stroke behind Raffo at 79 (+7). The senior birdied three and six, but could not overcome two doubles and one triple bogey. Senior Blythe Worley rounded out the team with a first-round 81, thanks to a steady front nine.

Overall, Wake Forest leads the field with a first-round 295, one stroke up on Tulsa and two ahead of Vanderbilt and Tennessee. Tulsa boasts in the individual leader in Michaela Cavener, whose 68 (-4) is two ahead of Vanderbilt’s Jacqui Concolino and Tennessee’s Angela Oh.

Play continues on Sat., Oct. 6, with the final round teeing off on Sun., Oct. 7.