March 23, 2008

ATHENS, Ga. – With a final-round 307, South Carolina women’s golf moved up two places over the final 18 holes to finish 13th in the 18-team field at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, which concluded today at University of Georgia Golf Course. In a field that included 12 teams ranked in the nation’s top 25, the Gamecocks closed the tournament at 942 (316-319-307) to finish two shots ahead of Furman. Senior Blythe Worley was the top finisher for South Carolina, taking 24th place with a tournament total of 232.

Worley improved her score with each round, closing with a team-best 74 (+2) on Sunday after shooting 80 and 78 in the first two rounds, respectively. She posted a pair of birdies in each of her last two rounds and carded just four bogeys on Sunday. Sophomore Bénédicte Toumpsin rallied back from an opening-round 82 to post 78 on Saturday and close with a 74 (+2) Sunday. With her final round effort, which saw just two bogeys, Toumpsin finished with a tournament total of 234 and a share of 37th place.

Senior Whitney Simons closed the tournament in 62nd place behind rounds of 80, 81 and 79. Without carding a birdie in the event, Simons played more steady golf in the final round en route to her 79 (+7). Sophomore Taylor Barrett was three strokes behind Simons in 77th place, recording rounds of 81, 82 and 80.

Senior Camila Mori was the top Gamecock in the first round as she opened with a 75 (+3), but she struggled on Saturday with an 86 and closed the tournament with an 83 Sunday to finish in 81st place.

Junior Meredith Taylor entered her first career tournament as an individual and finished in 67th place with a three-round total of 241. She sandwiched Saturday’s 76 between rounds of 82 and 83 and Friday and Sunday, respectively.

No. 10 Georgia, the tournament host, topped No. 8 Purdue in a two-hole playoff after the teams finished 54 holes tied at 900. The Boilermakers posted a final-round 295 to catch the Bulldogs in the final round. The boost for Purdue came as two Boilermakers tied for individual medalist honors. Christel Boeljon and Maria Hernandez recorded matching 218s (+2) to unseat their teammate Maude-Aimee Leblanc and Amanda Blumenherst of Duke, who had shared the lead heading into the final round.

South Carolina returns to action on Fri., Mar. 28, at the Bryan National Collegiate in Browns Summit, N.C. It is the final tune-up for the Gamecocks before the SEC Tournament begins on Apr. 18.