May 9, 2008

ATHENS, Ga. – South Carolina women’s golf held onto its third-place spot with one round left to play at the NCAA East Regional at University of Georgia Golf Course. Scores were higher throughout the field in the second round, and the Gamecocks followed their first-round 291 (+3) with a 303 (+15) on Friday. Carolina is just nine strokes behind tournament leader Florida and six behind defending national champion Duke. Gamecock sophomore Bénédicte Toumpsin finished the day as the tournament leader, adding a second-round 70 (-2), the low round of the day, to her first-round 68 to hold a three-shot lead on two players tied for second.

Toumpsin’s round was nearly flawless as she carded three birdies, including two on the front nine. Her only hiccup was a bogey on the par-3 eighth, but she steadied the round with nine pars and a birdie down the stretch.

Senior Camila Mori moved into the top 20 with a 76 (+4) in the second round. She picked up a birdie in each half of the course, both on par 3s, and battled back from a double-bogey on No. 15 to move into 18th place in the field.

With a second-round 78 (+6), senior Blythe Worley sits in 40th place. After a first-round 74 (+2), sophomore Taylor Barrett struggled in round two, turning in an 80 to fall to 49th position. Senior Whitney Simons added a 79 (+7) to her first-round 78 and is in 71st place.

The Gamecocks’ 303 team score tied Duke for the fourth-best total of the day and was enough to hold off a charge from SEC rivals Auburn and Georgia. Duke’s Amanda Blumenherst and Louisville’s Sara-Maude Juneau are tied for second place, three shots behind Toumpsin.

South Carolina will start the final round on the first tee with its nearest rivals, Florida and Duke, beginning at 8:10 a.m. At the end of play Saturday, the top eight teams and the top two individuals not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Championship at University of New Mexico Golf Course in Albuquerque, N.M.