Women's Golf . February 28, 2023

No. 4 Gamecocks, Claisse Lead After 36 Holes in Hilton Head

Travis Bell/Sideline Carolina

Claisse fires another 69 (-2) and leads by two, Carolina shoots field-best 284 (E) and leads by four over LSU

R2 Results (PDF) Leaderboard (Golfstat) R3 Pairings (Golfstat)

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – No. 4 South Carolina remained atop the leaderboard with hard-fought round of even par today (284). The Gamecocks are 1-under (567) as a team through 36 holes, four shots ahead of No. 6 LSU (+3, 571). Senior Mathilde Claisse led the team again with another round of 69 (-2) as she has the individual by two shots over Duke’s Phoebe Brinker and Auburn’s Megan Schofill at 4-under for the tournament.

The four-year starter from Paris, France is seeking her first collegiate win. The Gamecocks started on the back nine and Claisse was 2-over after a double bogey at the par-4 14^th hole. She made birdie at the par-5 15^th and then made three more birdies going bogey free coming in on the front nine. Claisse has 13 top-20s and five top-10s in 31 career starts. She had a career-best T-5^th finish at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate (Sept. 12-14) to start the year in the fall.

Fellow French senior Justine Fournand bounced back in a big way today with a bogey free, 1-under 70. She made 16 straight pars today before sinking a lengthy downhill birdie putt at the par-3 eighth hole, her second to last hole of round two.

Sophomore All-American Hannah Darling snuck inside the top-20 with a rock solid 71 (E). She made an early double bogey at the par-3 13^th hole then went bogey free the rest of the way with birdies on holes four and six. Darling, who is the top-ranked player for the International side in the latest Palmer Cup Rankings, has finished in the top-20 in all five previous starts this season. She’s ranked second in the Golfstat Player Rankings.

Freshman Mia Sandtorv Lussand shot 74 (+3) and was the final counting score. She had a couple late birdie chances but was unable to get a pair of solid rolls on the green to drop into the cup. She’s T-14^th alongside Darling at 2-over for the tournament heading into Wednesday’s final round. Sophomore All-American Louise Rydqvist shot 76 (+5). She’s T-28^th at 5-over for the tournament. Graduate transfer Katherine Muzi had another solid day competing as an individual. She shot 72 (+1) and is T-12^th at 1-over seeking her first top-10 finish as a Gamecock.

South Carolina is the only team in the field under par after 36 holes. No. 8 Texas and No. 20 Vanderbilt made moves up the leaderboard into fourth and fifth respectively thanks to 2-over team scores of 286. The Commodores’ Celina Sattelkau posted the low round of the day individually with a 68 (-3). She’s three back from Claisse with a trio of other players all at 1-under. LSU standout Ingrid Lindbals, ranked No. 2 in WAGR and the defending SEC Champion is a part of that group. 18-hole leader Megan Schofill of Auburn, who shot 67 (-4) in round one, is two shots back of Claisse.

The Gamecocks will be paired with LSU and Auburn in an all-SEC final grouping on Wednsesday. Fournand will lead things off for Carolina at hole one, teeing off at 11:10 a.m. (ET). Live coverage will be available again via Golf Channel from 2:30-5:30 p.m.

2023 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Gamecock Leaderboard

1. Mathilde Claisse – 138 (-4)

T12. *Katherine Muzi – 143 (+1)

T14. Hannah Darling – 144 (+2)

T14. Mia Sandtorv Lussand – 144 (+2)

T28. Louise Rydqvist – 147 (+5)

T61. Justine Fournand – 151 (+9)

* playing as an individual this week

2023 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Team Leaderboard

1. No. 4 South Carolina – 567 (-1)

2. No. 6 LSU – 571 (+3)

3. No. 15 Auburn – 577 (+9)