Gamecocks grab lead at SEC Championship Thursday

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – South Carolina women’s golf grabbed the lead at the SEC Championship after posting a second-round 291 (+3) Thursday at Greystone Country Club.

The No. 10 Gamecocks, who sport a two-round mark of 582 (+6), are eight shots clear of the field with one day of stroke play left. The top eight teams after Friday’s action will advance to match play at the SEC Championship.

Carolina senior Ainhoa Olarra moved atop the individual leaderboard Thursday, ending her round with a one-shot lead following a 3-under 39. The San Sebastian, Spain, native sits at 5-under 139 through 36 holes.

Olarra will head to the last day of stroke play in search of her second individual title of the spring.

The Gamecock senior found her stroke midway through the front nine, notching birdies on Nos. 6, 7, and 9 to make the turn at 2-under 34. She opened her back nine with eight-straight pars before tallying a birdie on No. 18 after hitting her approach shot to less than four feet.

Anita Uwadia marked the second Gamecock to register a round of par or better Thursday, as she posted a 72 (E). The sophomore, who sits in a tie for 16th place at 5-over 149, boasted a strong start to her day. Uwadia made the turn at 4-under 32 after recording four birdies on her front nine, and she closed her day with six-straight pars.

Fellow Carolina sophomores Lois Kaye Go (T10, +3) and Ana Pelaez (T27, +8) both fired a 3-over 75 Thursday. Go tallied two birdies on her day, notching ones on the par-3 eighth and par-5 11th.  Pelaez carded a pair of birdies on her front nine and made the turn at even (36) before bouncing back from a bogey on No. 16 with two-straight pars to close her day.

Gamecock junior Marion Veysseyre will enter Friday’s round in a tie for 12th after shooting a 4-over 76 in round two. Veysseyre generated some momentum at the conclusion of Thursday’s action with birdies on the par-4 16th and par-5 18th.

No. 2 Alabama (590, +14) sits in second place, while No. 3 Arkansas (592, +16), Georgia (596, +20) and No. 13 Florida (599, +23) round out the top five. Maria Fassi of the Razorbacks is one shot behind Olarra for the individual lead.

SOUTH CAROLINA RESULTS

1. Ainhoa Olarra 70-69=139 (-5)

T10. Lois Kaye Go 72-75=147 (+3)

T12. Marion Veysseyre 72-76=148 (+4)

T16. Anita Uwadia 77-72=149 (+5)

T27. Ana Pelaez 77-75=152 (+8)

TEAM STANDINGS

1. South Carolina 291-291=582 (+6)
2. Alabama 286-304=590 (+14)
3. Arkansas 299-293=592 (+16)
4. Georgia 306-290=596 (+20)
5. Florida 298-301=599 (+23)
6. Vanderbilt 296-306=602 (+26)
7. Auburn 306-301-607 (+31)
8. Kentucky 309-301=610 (+34)
9. Missouri 304-308=612 (+36)
10. Mississippi State 308-305=613 (+37)
11. Tennessee 310-304=614 (+38)
12. Ole Miss 316-305=621 (+45)
13. LSU 313-311=624 (+48)
14. Texas A&M 312-315=627 (+51)

South Carolina concludes the stroke-play portion of the 2018 SEC Championship Friday. The Gamecocks, who are paired with No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Arkansas, will begin their day on No. 1 at 9:40 a.m. CT.