Women's Golf . September 11, 2023

Rydqvist, No. 7 Gamecocks Lead at ANNIKA Intercollegiate

Morgan Yi/ANNIKA Foundation

Junior All-American shot new career-low round of 66 (-6) in Monday's opening round ; team's 273 (-15) the second lowest 18 hole score in program history

R1 Results (Golfstat) R2 Pairings (Golfstat)

LAKE ELMO, Minn. – No. 7 South Carolina went low in its first round of the 2023-24 season on Monday. The Gamecocks shot 273 (-15) in round one at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate and have a four-shot lead in a loaded field that features six top-10 teams from the WGCA Preseason Coaches Poll.

The score T-2^nd lowest 18-hole round in program history (also shot 273 at the Augusta Invitational on 3/13/21and the Florida State Match-Up on 2/9/18). It’s the lowest round in program history to start a season, surpassing the 274 (-14) the team shot in the opening round of the ANNIKA Intercollegiate on Sept. 25, 2016. All five players for Carolina sit inside the top-30 with a pair slotted at the top.

Junior All-American Louise Rydqvist fired a new career-low round with a 66 (-6) that featured seven birdies. She sits alone at the top of the leaderboard with a trio of players a shot behind her at 5-under. Rydqvist finished the round with three-straight birdies on holes 16, 17 and 18. Freshman Maylis Lamoure is one of those players behind Rydqvist after turning in an impressive 67 (-5) in her Gamecock debut. She also made seven birdies on the day.

Fellow freshman Vairana Heck also impressed with a bogey free, 3-under 69 in her collegiate debut. She also sits inside the top-10 and is T-9^th. Junior All-American Hannah Darling, who was named to the ANNIKA Award Preseason Watch List for the third time in her career this morning, was the final counting score with a 1-under 71. Darling finished birdie-birdie at 17 and 18 to end on a high note. Sophomore Mia Sandtorv Lussand was also solid with an opening round 72 (E).

The Gamecocks’ four counting scores today at Royal Golf Club shot 7-under on the final three holes.

Carolina will be paired with No. 2 Wake Forest and No. 13 San Jose State for round two on Tuesday morning. Sandtorv Lussand will be the first player off for the Gamecocks at 111:20 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday. Live scoring will be available via Golfstat.

2023 ANNIKA Intercollegiate Leaderboard

1. No. 7 South Carolina – 273 (-15)

T2. No. 2 Wake Forest – 277 (-11)

T2. No. 13 San Jose State – 277 (-11)

4. No. 11 Oregon – 280 (-8)

5. No. 3 Texas A&M – 283 (-5)

6. No. 12 Baylor – 286 (-2)

T7. No. 23 Virginia – 287 (-1)

T7. No. 10 Florida State – 287 (-1)

9. No. 8 Texas – 288 (E)

10 .Minnesota – 290 (+2)

11. Duke – 291 (+3)