April 17, 2018

No. 10 Women’s Golf at SEC Championship

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – No. 10 South Carolina women’s golf opens postseason play this week at the 2018 SEC Championship in Birmingham, Ala. The five-day event, which takes place Apr. 18-22 at Greystone Country Club, will feature a combination of stroke and match play for the first time. Each school will play 54 holes of stroke play before the field is cut to an eight-team match-play bracket. The match play quarterfinals and semifinals are set for Sat., Apr. 21, and the championship match will be contested on Sun., Apr. 22.

FROM THE COACH

“The course is in perfect condition — the greens are rolling pure and firm. It’s a great venue, and it should be a good test. We had one our best practice rounds of the year — everyone was really sharp around the greens. I like the way we look. Everyone has a good attitude, and they’re ready to compete.” — South Carolina women’s golf coach Kalen Anderson

HISTORY AT THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP

South Carolina boasts top-five finishes in each of the last five years at the SEC Championship in a stretch highlighted by runner-up showings in 2014 and 2015. The Gamecocks notched their lone SEC Title in 2002, and they have placed inside the top five seven times under coach Kalen Anderson. Former Gamecock Katelyn Dambaugh captured the individual title at the 2017 SEC Championship, while senior Ainhoa Olarra sports two top-25 showings at the tournament.

BREAKING DOWN THE FIELD

Six teams ranked inside the top 25 by Golfstat will be in action at Greystone Country Club. No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Arkansas and No. 10 South Carolina mark the three top-10 schools in the field, while No. 13 Florida, No. 20 Auburn and No. 24 Vanderbilt round out the list of ranked participants. Nine players listed inside the top 20 of Golfstat’s individual rankings will be competing at the SEC Championship, including South Carolina’s Ainhoa Olarra (No. 20).

LAST TIME OUT

South Carolina closed the regular season with a top-five showing after placing fifth at the 2018 Bryan National Collegiate on Apr. 7. The Gamecocks, who totaled an 898 (+34) in windy conditions, were led by Lois Kaye Go. The sophomore tallied her first top-three finish for Carolina, posting a 219 (+3) to finish in a tie for third. Gamecocks Ainhoa Olarra (T16, +9) and Marion Veysseyre (T21, +10) also grabbed top-25 showings at the 54-hole event.

CHIP SHOTS

• South Carolina enters its 11th season under head coach Kalen Anderson, who has guided the Gamecocks to 11 tournament victories.

• Carolina is one of four schools to reach the NCAA Championship in each of the last eight years, and last spring marked its 17th overall appearance.

• The Gamecocks have boasted multiple All-Americans in each of the last four seasons. Eight of the program’s 10 All-Americans have played under Anderson.

• Eight of Carolina’s 11 tournament victories during Anderson’s tenure have come in the spring.

• The Gamecocks enter the postseason ranked inside the top 15 by Golfstat for the second-straight year.

• A Gamecock has earned a top-five finish individually in five of the team’s last six events.

• South Carolina and Alabama are the only two schools to boast a top-five finish in each of the last five SEC Championships.

• Carolina’s 289.65 scoring average is on pace to be the lowest single-season mark in program history.

• Ainhoa Olarra has placed inside the top 25 in 13 of her last 14 events dating back to the start of 2017. The senior sports eight top-10 showings over that time.

UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS

South Carolina resumes postseason play next month at the NCAA Regionals, set for May 7-9. This year’s regional sites are Tallahassee, Fla., Austin, Texas, Madison, Wis., and San Francisco, Calif. The Gamecocks will learn their regional fate during the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Selection Show, which will air on Golf Channel on Wed., Apr. 25, at 5:30 p.m. ET.