Women's Golf . October 19, 2021

No. 8 Gamecocks Rally to Make Championship at Stephens Cup

Team faces LSU tomorrow in title bout of inaugural event at noon (ET)

ROLAND, Ark. — No. 8 South Carolina rallied on the back nine in the final round of stroke play Tuesday at the inaugural Jackson T. Stephens Camp. The Gamecocks’ counting scores shot a combined 2-under to punch the team’s ticket to the championship match against LSU on Wednesday at The Alotian Cup.

“I’m just really proud of the finish we had,” said head coach Kalen Anderson. “That was the message we had today: just finish to the end. That’s what they did. Anything can happen in match play, and we’re excited to be in the finals and going up against LSU tomorrow.”

Graduate transfer Tai Anudit and freshman Louise Rydqvist each shot 71 (-1) to lead Carolina in the final round. Anudit was bogey free on the back nine with three birdies. She moved up eight spots on the leaderboard to finish T-5^th in stroke play with a 54-hole score of 222 (+6). Rydqvist was bogey free on the front nine with three birdies as she finished T-14^th at 10-over.

Junior Mathilde Claisse and Justine Fournand came up clutch late for the Gamecocks. Arkansas had a narrow lead going into the final few holes. Claisse made birdie at the par-5 17^th to put Carolina ahead by one on the team leaderboard. She dropped a shot at 18 but was able to sink a critical 8-foot putt for bogey with Fournand still to play 18 and the team tied with the Razorbacks.

Arkansas’ Kajal Mistry and Fournand each missed the green long on the approach shots at 18. Fournand chipped it tight from behind the green and made a short putt for par to propel the Gamecocks to the championship match. Both Claisse and Fournand T-8^th at 7-over for the tournament.

Standout freshman Hannah Darling shot 76 (+4) in the final round and finished 27^th at 16-over.

Golf Channel, who has provided live TV coverage over the past two days at the event, will air tomorrow’s matches beginning at 3 p.m. (ET). Anudit will lead things off for South Carolina at noon (ET) from hole one.

2021 Jackson T. Stephens Cup Women’s Field
1. No. 35 LSU – 882 (+18)
2. No. 8 South Carolina – 890 (+26)
T3. No. 3 Arkansas – 891 (+27)
T3. No. 30 Ole Miss – 891 (+27)
5. No. 4 Virginia – 901 (+37)
6. No. 10 Baylor – 910 (+46)

2021 Jackson T. Stephens Cup Gamecock Lineup
T5. Tai Anudit – 222 (+6)
T8. Mathilde Claisse – 223 (+7)
T8. Justine Fournand – 223 (+7)
T14. Louise Rydqvist – 226 (+10)
27. Hannah Darling – 232 (+16)

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