May 20, 2008

Photo Gallery

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – South Carolina women’s golf shot 306 (+18) to hold 21st place through the first round of the NCAA Championship at University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course today. Senior Blythe Worley was the top Gamecock in the opening round as she turned in a 75 (+3) behind three straight birdies on the front nine.

For the most part, the Gamecocks opened their rounds well, sitting at four-over as a team through the front nine. The back nine gave everyone difficulty, however. Worley, who was the only Gamecock under par all day, made the turn at two-under before five bogeys derailed her run through the course. She is in 53rd place heading into Wednesday’s second round.

Sophomore Bénédicte Toumpsin had the steadiest back nine at just one-over to finish the round at 76 (+4) to sit in 68th place. The NCAA East Region champion stumbled out of the gate with a double-bogey on the second hole, followed by bogeys on Nos. 3 and 4. She got her round back on track with a birdie on the par-5 fifth hole and scored par on 12 of her remaining 13 holes.

Senior Whitney Simons had the smoothest round of the team, turning in a 77 (+5) for 85th place. Along with her birdie on the par-4 sixth hole, she carded six bogeys – three each on the front and back nine. Scoring two birdies on the final three holes of her front nine, senior Camila Mori finished in 97th place with a 78 (+6). Like her teammates, it was the back nine that gave her the most trouble after she made the turn at one-over. Sophomore Taylor Barrett turned in an 84 (+12) as she struggled with the course’s par-4s all afternoon, playing those 10 holes at 13-over. She turned in par on all four par-5s and three of the four par-3s, adding a birdie on No. 7.

Southern California leads the field by five strokes after shooting 284 (-4) to be the only team under par in the first round. UCLA and Auburn are tied for second. Wake Forest’s Nannette Hill leads the individual race after tying the course record with a 67 (-5) on Tuesday. Five players are two strokes off the pace in second place.

South Carolina will play round two on Wednesday with SEC rivals Alabama and Arkansa with the first group teeing off on No. 10 at 1:10 p.m.