May 24, 2016

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EUGENE, Ore. — South Carolina women’s golf posted a fourth-round 290 (+2) on Monday to secure a top-eight finish and advance to the match play stage at the NCAA Championship. The No. 18 Gamecocks concluded the stroke-play portion in seventh place with a four-day score of 1162 (+10), their best 72-hole total in program history.

Tomorrow’s quarterfinal contest against No. 2 seed and 2015 National Champions Stanford will mark South Carolina’s first appearance in match play at the NCAA Championship since the tournament’s format changed last season. The Gamecocks and Cardinal will return to action on hole No. 1 at Eugene Country Club on Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. PT. All four of Tuesday’s NCAA quarterfinal matches can be found on Golfstat.com.

UCLA finished atop the leaderboard with a 72-hole total of 1144 (-8), while Stanford (1147, -5) and Southern California (1150, -2) rounded out the top three. Duke’s Virginia Elena Carta took home the individual title after finishing 16-under 272.

Senior Sarah Schmelzel and Ainhoa Olarra paced South Carolina on Monday, as the two each carded a 71 (-1). Schmelzel finished stroke play in a tie for 20th (289, +1), while Olarra placed in a tie for 16th after totaling a four-round score of 288 (E). Junior Katelyn Dambaugh marked the other Gamecock to earn a top-20 finish, as she tied for 11th with a 72-hole total of 287 (-1) following her 74 (+2) on day four.

Marion Veysseyre’s steady fourth-round also keyed the Gamecocks down the stretch. The freshman turned in a 2-over 74 and finished her round with 15-straight pars. Veysseyre ended in a tie 73rd with a four-day score of 305 (+17), while Isidora Nilsson placed 81st (312, +24).

South Carolina headed into the turn with a five-stroke lead over the ninth-place team, and its cushion was stretched to six midway through the back nine. Schmelzel’s birdie on the par-4 8th gave the Gamecocks even more wiggle room before Dambaugh wrapped things up on No. 9.

Quoting Coach Kalen Anderson

Round Changer

Notable

• By advancing to match play, South Carolina secured at least its second-best finish ever at the NCAA Championship. The Gamecocks placed fifth in 2012 and they tied for 9th in 1995.
• South Carolina was one of just two schools to have three golfers finish in the top-20. Sarah Schmelzel’s 20th-place finish was the senior’s best career showing at the NCAA Championship.
• Tuesday will mark South Carolina’s second meeting with Stanford this season. The Gamecocks finished one stroke ahead of the Cardinal at the 2015 ANNIKA Intercollegiate.
• Junior Katelyn Dambaugh’s 11th-place finish was the best performance by a Gamecock since Katie Burnett placed fifth in 2012.
• Ainhoa Olarra has finished in the top-15 in two of South Carolina’s three postseason events. The sophomore had one top-15 finish during the regular season.
• The Gamecocks led the field with 246 pars during stroke play. Olarra and Schmelzel both finished in the top-three in total pars.

Up Next

The Gamecocks and Stanford get underway from Eugene Country Club at 7 a.m. PT tomorrow in the match play quarterfinals. Golf Channel will again broadcast the event, providing live coverage from 10:30-12:30 p.m. PT (1:30-3:30 p.m. ET).