April 18, 2008

LOUDON, Tenn. – With a team score of 300 (+12), South Carolina is tied for third place just three strokes back after the first round of the SEC Women’s Golf Championship at Tennessee National Golf Club. Sophomore Bénédicte Toumpsin carded a 72 (E) to lead the way in fourth place, and the three other scoring rounds for the Gamecocks rank among the individual top 21. Carolina is tied with Georgia within striking distance of tournament co-leaders Arkansas and Florida.

Toumpsin turned in bogeys on the first two and last holes but was rock solid on the 15 holes in between. After finishing the front nine at two over, the sophomore sensation got on a roll early on the back nine, turning in birdies on Nos. 11, 13 and 15 to work her way to one under with three holes to play. After pars on Nos. 16 and 17, she bogeyed the par-4 18th hole to fall back to even for the round.

Senior Whitney Simons had a similarly steady day to turn in a 75 (+3) and earn a share of 14th place. She stumbled late on the front nine with bogeys on three of the final five holes but played the back nine even, following up a birdie on the par-5 14th with a bogey on the par-4 15th.

Making her postseason debut, sophomore Taylor Barrett is also among the tournament’s top 20 with a share of 18th place behind a round of 76 (+4). The York, S.C., native teed off on the course right away with three straight birdies after a par on the first hole. Three bogeys in the final five holes of the front nine brought her back to even at the turn, and a double-bogey on the par-4 10th put her over par for the first time all day. She birdied the par-3 12th but battled for bogeys on three of the final four holes of the round.

Senior Blythe Worley is just outside the top 20 in a tie for 21st place after her 77 (+5) on Friday. Without a birdie in the round, she turned in bogeys on four of the 10 par 4s on the course. Senior Camila Mori finished the day at 78 (+6) and in 26th place. She carded a pair of birdies on the front nine, but suffered a bogey and two double-bogeys during the stretch as well. Her play was much steadier on the back nine, where she turned in six pars.

The matching 297s (+9) of Arkansas and Florida lead the field. The Lady Razorbacks have three players in the top 20, including individual leader Stacy Lewis, who shot 69 (-3) Friday afternoon to hold a two-stroke lead over Georgia’s Krystle Caithness and Mississippi’s Dori Carter. The Gators have three players ranked among the tournament’s top 10, led by Tiffany Chudy’s 72 (E).

Play resumes on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Gamecocks will play the second of the tournament’s three rounds with Arkansas and Florida with the group’s tee times beginning at 11:50 a.m.