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 14th hole. She made birdie at the par-5 15th 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-5th 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 13th 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-14th 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-28th 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-12th 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…
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