No. 5 Gamecocks T-1st, Rydqvist Earns Co-Champion of Darius Rucker Intercollegiate

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Senior All-American Louise Rydqvist picked up her second collegiate win on Wednesday at the 13^th edition of the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate. The four-year starter from Värnamo, Sweden shot 212 (-1) to serve as co-champion of the prestigious tournament with Arkansas’ Kendall Todd.

Rydqvist and Todd were the only players in the field to post a 54-hole red number. Rydqvist fired scores of 72-69-71 while Todd shot 68-72-72. Today was Rydqvist’s second top-five finish of the season and the 11^th of her career in 35 starts for South Carolina.

It’s the third-straight season the Gamecocks have taken home the individual title at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate with All-American Mathilde Claisse winning in 2022 and All-American Hannah Darling earning co-medalist honors last season.

No. 5 South Carolina finished tied atop the leaderboard in the team race with No. 22 LSU in the first team tie in the 13-year history of the tournament. The Tigers took home the coveted guitar trophy on tiebreak criteria (combined total throw-out scores from each round). It is the Tigers second team title at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, as they won the event in 2023 as well. LSU closed strong today with four birdies in the final two holes from its counting scores, three coming at the par-3 17^th hole that had a front right pin location today playing 176 yards.

Senior All-American Hannah Darling and star freshman Eila Galitsky each finished in the top-15 for the Gamecocks in addition to Rydqvist. Darling, South Carolina’s all-time scoring average leader, shot 216 (+3) with scores of 72-73-71 to finish T-8^th. She has now finished in the top-15 in all seven of her starts this season for the Garnet and Black. Darling has an impressive 21 top-10 finishes now in 38 career starts for the Gamecocks. She was named to the ANNIKA Award Spring Watch List on Monday for the fourth time in her decorated career.

Galitsky, who won the Moon Golf Invitaitonal (Feb. 16-18) in just her second collegiate start, finished T-11^th with a 54-hole total of 217 (+4). The Chiang Mai, Thailand native fired scores of 74-69-74 this week at Long Cove Club.

Darling (fourth appearance), Galitsky (second appearance) and Rydqvist (second appearance), who are all ranked in the top-20 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings, each will compete again at the upcoming Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April.

Graduate Sophia Burnett finished T-26h at 8-over (221) and sophomore Maylis Lamoure finished T-52^nd at 13-over (226) to round out the Gamecocks starting five in action this week at Long Cove Club.

Carolina will conclude its regular season in two weeks as it host the Old Barnwell Derby Match Play, March 17-18, just outside of Aiken, S.C.

2025 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Leaderboard

T1. No. 22 LSU^ – 863 (+11)

T1. No. 5 South Carolina – 863 (+11)

3. No. 2 Arkansas – 867 (+15)

4. No. 9 Wake Forest – 871 (+19)

5. No. 8 Arizona State – 872 (+20)

T6. No. 7 Texas – 881 (+29)

T6. No. 10 Northwestern – 881 (+29)

T8. No. 20 Auburn – 884 (+32)

T8. No. 12 Vanderbilt – 884 (+32)

10. Ohio State – 885 (+33)

11. Alabama – 892 (+40)

12. Georgia – 895 (+43)

13. No. 18 Duke – 902 (+50)

14. No. 25 UCLA – 909 (+57)

T15. No. 13 Mississippi State – 911 (+59)

T15. Baylor – 911 (+59)

17. Kentucky – 912 (+60)

^ – LSU took home the trophy on tiebreak criteria

2025 Darius Rucker Intercollegiate Gamecock Leaderboard

T1. Louise Rydqvist – 212 (-1)

T8. Hannah Darling – 216 (+3)

T11. Eila Galitsky – 217 (+4)

T26. Sophia Burnett – 221 (+8)

46. Varina Heck – 225 (+12)

T52. Maylis Lamoure –  226 (+13)

85. Mia Sandtorv Lussand – 238 (+25)

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