Oct. 12, 2008

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Junior Benedicte Toumpsin shot her second even-par round of the weekend Sunday to take her second top-20 finish in three events this season in the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championships at Fox Den Country Club.

The Gamecocks improved by 11 strokes on the final day and finished 15th overall at 912 (+54), six strokes ahead of Southern Methodist.

`It wasn’t our best week, we just made a lot of big numbers,” head coach Kalen Anderson said. “Our putting was definitely better. Benedicte was better today, she was really striking it well. A few bad holes here and there really hurt us. We counted a quad and a triple on day one; we made too many doubles and others this week. (The players) are coming off two hard weeks, so we’ll give them a couple days off and give them some time to get caught up with school and everything else. I know they’re tired, but that’s just part of what we do.”

Toumpsin torched Fox Den’s back nine (her first nine) Sunday with three birdies in her first six holes. Despite a pair of bogeys at 14 and 18, she made the turn at 1-under. An otherwise clean slate on the front nine was marred only by a bogey at the par-3 sixth, and she finished with an even-par 72. Coupled with her 72 Friday and a 76 in Saturday’s second round, Toumpsin finished at 220 (+4) and a tie for 19th place.

Senior Meredith Taylor had one of the best overall rounds of her collegiate career Sunday, and only one bad hole kept her from going under par for the first time as a Gamecock. Taylor had four birdies on the day and was 2-under through 15 holes. However, a disastrous 9 at the par-4 seventh dropped her to 3-over. A birdie at the eighth got her back to 2-over, where she would finish with a 74, equaling her career-low round. She finished tied for 65th at 231 (+15).

Juniors Taylor Barrett and Corrine Carr equaled their scores from Saturday as Carr shot 77 (+5) and Barrett finished with a 79 (+7). Barrett finished tied for 73rd at 233 (+17) and Carr was two strokes back, tied for 77th.

Katie Burnett, playing in her third collegiate tournament, was one stroke higher Sunday with an 82 (+10). She finished in a tie for 83rd at 238 (+22).

Paced by a final-round 281 (-7), Southeastern Conference foe LSU took the overall team title at 865 (+1). North Carolina and NC State tied for second at 874 (+10) and Louisville was one stroke back at 875 (+11).

NC State’s Lauren Doughtie took individual medalist honors after shooting a 68 (-4) today to finish at 209 (-7) for the weekend. Dori Carter (Ole Miss) and Cindy LaCrosse (Louisville) tied for second, two strokes back.

The Gamecocks will have next weekend off before returning to action Friday, Oct. 24, when they travel to Auburn, Ala., for The Derby Invitational.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS

TEAM STANDINGS