Sept. 15, 2008

HANAHAN, S.C. – South Carolina freshman Katie Burnett matched her first-round 70 (-2) on Monday to hold a share of second place in her collegiate debut at the Cougar Classic at Yeamans Hall Golf Course. The Gamecocks are in fourth place heading into Tuesday’s final round after shooting 296 (+8) today.

Burnett was impressive on Monday, carding three birdies on each half of the course. Consecutive birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 got her round started off with a bang. After a bogey on the par-4 10th hole brought her back to even par, she again posted back-to-back birdies, this time on Nos. 11 and 12, both par-4s. A bogey on the par-4 14th hole left her in danger of slipping out of the top five, but the young Gamecock rallied for a birdie on the par-5 18th to finish at 70.

Junior Bénédicte Toumpsin entered Monday’s second round tied with Burnett for the team lead, and a 72 (E) kept her in the top 10 with a share of sixth place. After making the turn at even-par, Toumpsin turned it up on the back half of the course, highlighted by birdies on the first and last holes of the set.

Junior Taylor Barrett matched her first-round 76 (+4) on Monday to move into a tie for 50th place with, among others, her teammate, senior Meredith Taylor. After steadily turning in pars from No. 3 to No. 13, Barrett hit a rough patch that saw her bogey the next four holes. She closed well with a birdie on 18, though. Taylor picked up three birdies in her second round, but was plagued by more bogeys than pars on the other 15 holes and turned in a 78 (+6). Junior Corrine Carr shaved seven strokes off her first-round score to card a 78 (+6) on Monday. She found her first birdies of the event on Nos. 11 and 13.

Overall, No. 9 Georgia surged ahead of first-round co-leader Virginia, ranked 14th in the nation, with a second-round 279 (-9). Three Bulldogs shot 70 or lower in the round, including Mallory Hetzel, who fired a 69 to maintain her individual lead. South Carolina’s Burnett is tied just three shots back, tied for second with Whitney Neuhauser of Virginia, Georgia’s Marta Silva and Caroline Westrup of Florida State.

Tuesday’s shotgun start is at 8:45 a.m. with the teams playing in foursomes. The Gamecocks will play with Georgia, Virginia and Alabama.