No. 1 Gamecocks Fight Back to Sixth Place Finish at Windy City Collegiate

WILMETTE, Ill. — Top ranked South Carolina bounced back in the final round of the Windy City Collegiate on Thursday as the team rose five spots on the leaderboard to finish sixth in another loaded field. The Gamecocks shot the second-best score in the field with a 4-over 292.
 
“I’m very proud of the team’s tenacity and comeback today,” said head coach Kalen Anderson. “The golf course and conditions were exceptionally challenging this week. Yesterday was just an off day from which we can learn a great deal early in the season. However, most importantly, this group responded with tremendous character today.”
 
True freshman Hannah Darling led the team again with an impressive final round 70 (-2) that featured five birdies. She T-7^th at 4-over for the tournament, marking the second straight top-10 finish to start her promising career in Garnet and Black.
 
Junior Mathilde Claisse, the lone returner in the lineup from last season, also shot 70 (-2) today. She made just one bogey the entire round, an impressive feat a difficult course where scoring was tough. Claisse T-27^th at 11-over.

Redshirt senior transfer Tai Anudit had a stretch of three birdies in four holes coming in to get back to even par with two to play. She made par at hole eight and tripled the final hole to finish with a 75 (+3). She T-38^th at 13-over. Freshman Louise Rydqvist was the final counting score with a 77 (+5). She finished T-53^rd at 17-over.
 
It was another loaded field this week in Chicago at Westmoreland Country Club with nine teams ranked in the top-25 of the latest Women’s Golf Coaches Association Poll.
 
South Carolina will be off for two weeks before returning to competition at the coveted Jackson T. Stephens Cup Oct. 18-20 at The Alotian Club in Roland, Ark. The newly formed annual tournament is 54-holes of stroke play followed by match play to determine the team champion. The event is named in memory of late Augusta National Chairman, Jackson T. Stephens. It will feature seven of the of the top NCAA Division I men’s and women’s teams as well as an eighth team on each side competing at the invitation of the host club.
 
2021 Windy City Collegiate Final Leaderboard
1. No. 5 Stanford – 878 (+14)
2. No. 21 Virginia – 886 (+22)
3. No. 10 Florida – 890 (+26)
4. No. 8 Texas – 892 (+28)
5. No. 22 Oregon – 899 (+35)
6. No. 1 South Carolina – 907 (+43)
T7. No. 18 Michigan – 909 (+45)
T7. Northwestern – 909 (+45)
9. No. 2 Duke – 912 (+48)
10. Iowa State – 915 (+51)
11. Purdue – 916 (+52)
12. Michigan State – 922 (+58)
13. Mississippi State – 923 (+59)
14. No. 12 Southern Cal – 930 (+66)
15. Augusta – 937 (+73)
 
2021 Windy City Collegiate Classic Final Gamecock Leaderboard
T7. Hannah Darling – 220 (+4)
T27. Mathilde Claisse – 227 (+11)
T38. Tai Anudit – 229 (+13)  
T53. Louise Rydqvist – 233 (+17)
T56. *Paula Kirner – 235 (+19)
T61. Justine Fournand – 236 (+20)
 
*playing as an individual
 
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