May 8, 2008

ATHENS, Ga. – South Carolina women’s golf fired a 291 (+3) today to hold third place after the first round of the NCAA East Regional at University of Georgia Golf Course. Sophomore Bénédicte Toumpsin shot 68 (-4) to sit in a tie for second place just one stroke behind leader Sara-Maude Juneau of Louisville. The Gamecocks are six shots behind defending national champion Duke, which holds the first-round lead after shooting 285 (-3). SEC rival Florida is one stroke ahead of Carolina in second place.

“We had a solid day,” South Carolina head coach Kalen Anderson said. “Bénédicte played extremely well, and the whole team played smart golf. We got a little bit of a break with the weather teeing off early. The team went out and took advantage of the conditions and put us in a good position.”

Promising revenge on the course that stymied her earlier this season at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, Toumpsin opened her round with consecutive birdies on Nos. 10 and 11. She added another just before making the turn at three under. Hitting par after par, she got to five under with two to play. A bogey on the par-3 eighth set her back one stroke, but she closed with a par on the final hole to finish in a tie for second place.

Senior Camila Mori and sophomore Taylor Barrett are tied for 23rd place after shooting 74 (+2) on Thursday. Mori picked up a birdie on the par-5 12th and was steady throughout the rest of her round. Barrett continued her solid postseason play, rebounding from a difficult start to the round. After falling back to three over, she carded three birdies over a four-hole stretch to make the turn at one over. She was steady with pars on eight of her final nine holes to keep herself in the top 25.

Senior Blythe Worley is just outside the top 30 in 31st place after shooting 75 (+3) in her first turn around the course. She carded a pair of birdies on her first nine holes and battled through an up-and-down final stretch. Senior Whitney Simons shot 78 (+6) to hold a share of 64th place, carding two birdies to help offset a pair of double bogeys.

The Gamecocks will tee off on No. 1 in Friday’s second round beginning at 12:30. They will again be grouped with Louisville and Furman. Carolina holds a one-shot lead on Furman and a two-stroke advantage over Louisville.