Feb. 15, 2016

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Former South Carolina women’s golf standout Justine Dreher, who helped lead the Gamecocks to the 2015 NCAA East Regional title last spring, impressed in her first event on the Ladies European Tour this past weekend.

The Valbonne, France, native placed fifth in the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open, finishing with a three-round total of 209 (-7) at the Clearwater Golf Club in New Zealand. Dreher stood in second place after an opening-round 5-under 67, and she headed into the final day just one stroke back of world No. 1 women’s golfer and eventual tournament champion Lydia Ko. The two-time All-American, who played at South Carolina from 2011-15, set the program’s lowest single-season scoring average (72.53) during the 2014-15 season.

Two other former Gamecocks, Nanna Madsen and Katie Burnett, also turned in strong performances at the 54-hole event. Madsen earned runner-up honors with a final score of 8-under 208. She shot under par on all three days, as the Kobenhavn, Denmark, native notched a top-three finish for the second-straight year at the tournament. Madsen competed in four tournaments for the Gamecocks during the 2014-15 season.

Burnett posted a final score of 213 (-3) to finish in a tie for 17^th place. She saw a strong finish to her weekend, posting a 3-under 69 to move up the leaderboard on the event’s final day. The Brunswick, Ga., native set multiple program records while playing for the Gamecocks from 2008-12. Her 72.94 stroke average during the 2011-12 season was the lowest single-season mark at the time, and Burnett currently stands in third place in school history with a career scoring average of 74.18.