Oct. 16, 2016

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Led by senior Katelyn Dambaugh’s 4-under 68, South Carolina women’s golf posted a final-round 290 (+2) to move up two spots and grab a top-five finish at the Tar Heel Invitational Sunday at Finley Golf Course. The Gamecocks placed in a tie for fifth at the 54-hole event with a three-day total of 873 (+9).

Dambaugh (5th, -4) sparked her under-par performance with birdies on three of her first four holes, Nos. 6, 8 and 9. She added another one on No. 18 before tallying her final birdie of the day on the par-5 third. The Goose Creek, S.C., native recorded just one bogey on Sunday and finished her week with 10 birdies.

Junior Ainhoa Olarra rounded out her strong week with a 73 (+1) to finish in a tie for 15th at 1-over 217. She notched 15 pars Sunday, and her lone birdie of the round came on her final hole of the day, the par-5 sixth. Olarra led the Gamecocks with 41 pars for the tournament.

Freshman Ana Pelaez, who made her debut for the Gamecocks this week, tied for 31st (222, +6) after her final-round 75 (+3). She earned three birdies in round three to bring her tournament total to 10, and the Malaga, Spain, native played her final nine holes at even.

Sophomores Isidora Nilsson and Marion Veysseyre both placed in a tie for 45th with 54-hole marks of 224 (+8). Nilsson totaled 14 pars in the final round, while Veysseyre tallied birdies on Nos. 5 and 13. Senior Jia Xin Yang finished the best among those competing as individuals at the tournament, as she tied for 51st at 9-over 225.

No. 21 Wake Forest took home a wire-to-wire victory with a three-round score of 854 (-10). No. 1 Alabama (859, -5) placed second, while No. 25 Arkansas finished third at 4-under 860. Jennifer Kupcho (201, -15) of the Demon Deacons earned a six-stroke individual victory on the way to medalist honors.

Quoting Coach Kalen Anderson

Round Changer

Notable

• South Carolina’s fifth-place finish was its best of the fall. The Gamecocks have placed in the top 10 in each of their three events this season.
• Senior Katelyn Dambaugh’s performance marked her second-straight top-five finish. She earned runner-up honors at the Cougar Classic earlier in October.
• The Gamecocks tallied 186 pars at the Tar Heel Invitational, the most in the field.
• South Carolina was one of three schools to have multiple golfers boast double-digit birdies. Dambaugh and freshman Ana Pelaez both finished with 10.

Up Next

South Carolina rounds out its fall season at the 2016 Landfall Tradition. The 54-hole event at the Pete Dye Course in Wilmington, N.C., gets underway Fri., Oct. 28.