March 8, 2015

Photo Gallery | Final Results

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – No. 2 South Carolina extended its streak of regular-season top-five finishes to 13, tying for fifth at the 2015 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate. The Gamecocks fired a 54-hole total of 890 (+38) at the Long Cove Club over the weekend, including a 14-over 298 on Sunday. The event, widely considered one of the nation’s premiere collegiate tournaments, is hosted in partnership by South Carolina, Long Cove Club and Grammy award winner Darius Rucker.

After a first-round team score of 299, South Carolina was eighth, but the Gamecocks rebounded, climbing to fifth place with scores of 293 and 298 in the second and third rounds, respectively.

Sophomore Katelyn Dambaugh shot a 3-over 74 in the final round and was South Carolina’s top finisher, placing 16th overall at 8-over (221). Junior Sarah Schmelzel led the Gamecocks on Sunday with her best round of the weekend, carding a 2-over 73 giving her a three-day total of 225 (+12). Schmelzel finished 30th overall.

Jia Xin Yang finished the third round at 5-over (76). The sophomore owned a three-day total of 223 (+10) to earn her second top-25 finish of the year by finishing 23rd. Junior Mary Fran Hillow fired a 7-over 78 to bring her three-round total to 226. Hillow was 39th on the individual board at 13-over par.

Senior Justine Dreher shot a 5-over 76 in the final round. Dreher was 15-over (228) for the weekend to finish 47th. Playing as an individual, freshman Ainhoa Olarra also posted a round of 76 (+5) to finish 30th overall (225, +12).

Duke captured its second-straight Darius Rucker Intercollegiate title with a nine-stroke victory at 6-over (858). The Blue Devils fired the lowest third-round total in tournament history with a 282, matching the lowest 18-hole team total in event history. The team’s 54-hole score of 858 is also a new tournament record. LSU and Southern Cal tied for second at 15-over. Tennessee bested the Gamecocks and Wake Forest by one stroke, taking fourth at 37-over.

Freshman Leona Maguire led Duke to the title, firing a tournament and competitive course record for women at the Long Cove Club with a second-round 65 on Saturday. Maguire shot a 69 in the final round and defeated LSU’s Madeline Sagstrom in a one-hole playoff. Maguire birdied No. 18 to force the playoff and promptly birdied the hole again to take home medalist honors.

NOTABLES

• Mary Fran Hillow produced the second-best par-3 scoring in the field, finishing the tournament at 2-under. South Carolina was fifth amongst the field in team par-3 scoring at 5-over.
• The Gamecocks shot 27 birdies over the course of the tournament.
• This weekend’s field featured 12 of the nation’s top-20 teams and teams owned 11 of the last 14 NCAA championships.

UP NEXT

The Gamecocks travel to Athens, Ga., for the Liz Murphey Intercollegiate on the University of Georgia Golf Course Mar. 27-29.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS

T16. Katelyn Dambaugh 76-71-74=221 (+8)
T23. Jia Xin Yang 72-76-75=223 (+10)
T39. Mary Fran Hillow 74-74-78=226 (+13)
T30. Ainhoa Olarra (Ind.) 73-76-76=225 (+12)
T30. Sarah Schmelzel 77-75-73=225 (+12)
T47. Justine Dreher 79-73-76=228 (+15)

TEAM STANDINGS

1. Duke 293-283-282=858 (+6)
T2. LSU 291-286-290=867 (+15)
T2. Southern California 285-296-286=867 (+15)
4. Tennessee 300-294-295=889 (+37)
T5. South Carolina 299-293-298=890 (+38)
T5. Wake Forest 303-293-294=890 (+38)
7. Miss. State 300-291-301=892 (+40)
8. Virginia 304-303-293=900 (+48)
9. Arkansas 293-306-302=901 (+49)
10. Furman 300-297-305=902 (+50)
11. Alabama 303-301-299=903 (+51)
12. Vanderbilt 301-306-298=905 (+53)
13. Arizona State 298-308-301=907 (+55)
T14. North Carolina 293-312-303=908 (+56)
T14. Auburn 298-307-303=908 (+56)
16. Kentucky 310-309-298=917 (+65)
17. Georgia 303-311-311=925 (+73)