March 28, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. – South Carolina women’s golf holds 16th place through the first round against a highly-regarded field at the Bryan Park National Collegiate. Scoring 321 (+33) on Friday, the Gamecocks are led by senior Whitney Simons, who is in the top 25 after opening the tournament with a 75 (+3). Only six players in the field shot at or under par in the first round at the Bryan Park Players Course.

Simons was steady through a bulk of her round and scored two birdies within four holes to get to one-under for the round before a double-bogey on the par-4 13th set her back. After three pars, a pair of bogeys in her final three holes left her in a tie for 23rd place heading into Saturday’s second round.

Sophomore Bénédicte Toumpsin hit par on 12 of her 18 holes but could not come up with a birdie in the round to offset five bogeys and a double-bogey. Her 79 (+7) has her in 55th place. Senior Blythe Worley carded an 82 (+10) after playing five over on each nine and is in 74th. In her first tournament of the spring, freshman Erika Holmen shot 85 (+13) Friday to sit in 86th position, while junior Meredith Taylor finished at 88 (+16), good for 91st.

No. 1 Duke sits atop the leaderboard by four strokes over No. 5 Florida after shooting 294 on Friday. College of Charlestons’ Steffi Kirchmayr carded a 69 (-3) in the first round to hold a narrow one-stroke lead over three other players.