May 18, 2016

By Brian Hand (Spurs and Feathers)

The South Carolina women’s golf program is one of the top programs in all of women’s college golf.

All one has to look at for proof of this is the fact that South Carolina has emerged as the champion of four of the last seven NCAA Regionals in which it has appeared.

One of just five programs to reach the NCAA Championship in the last seven years, South Carolina heads to this year’s NCAA Women’s Golf Championship May 20-25 at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Oregon, having won its second straight NCAA regional title.

The Gamecocks posted a three-round team tally of 7-under 857 to share the NCAA regional championship honors at the Baton Rouge Regional with Florida. South Carolina junior All-American Katelyn Dambaugh picked up her first individual win at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional by posting a program record-tying score of 9-under 207.

Obviously after dominating the NCAA regional round over the past few years, South Carolina now considers making noise at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship the logical next step. Last year the Gamecocks finished 17th, and South Carolina’s best showing overall is a fifth-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship.

“That’s what we want to do,” South Carolina women’s golf head coach Kalen Anderson said. “Our goals are high, but we have to take it one day at a time. It’s a little bit of a marathon out there, but a lot can happen when you get into match play. We have a good group that is excited. We’re a little bit (more) of the underdogs than in years past, and I think that takes some of the pressure off. It’s a good position for us to be in.”

To play well at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship the Gamecocks must first navigate their way through four rounds of stroke play. The field of 24 teams will be narrowed to 15 schools after the third round of stroke play on Sunday, May 22.

The top eight teams after the conclusion of stroke play on Monday, May 23, will advance to match play. Quarterfinal and semifinal action of match play is on Tuesday, May 24. The final two teams standing will then play for the national championship on Wednesday, May 25. The final round of stroke play and all of the match play will be televised by the Golf Channel.

Last year the Gamecocks entered the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship having been a No. 1 seed and as one of the top contenders, but during the championship things did not work out as planned.

Dambaugh believes they can use last year’s performance as motivation in this year’s championship.

“We obviously don’t have the success we had last year going into it, but I think now we’re a lot more calm and relaxed,” Dambaugh said. “Coming off the win at regionals, now we have more momentum. I think we have a good chance to go in there and do some good things with the way we’re playing right now.”

Right now, the Gamecocks are really starting to hit their stride as in their last three events they have finished no lower than fifth, and Anderson believes the team is playing their best golf right now.

“It was a difficult fall for us,” Anderson said. “We definitely didn’t post the results we wanted to. Kate and Sarah (Schmelzel) were playing extremely well, and I think that challenged the others in the offseason to step up. Ainhoa Olarra has played a huge role for us in that. She really made a difference and was one of our key players in the spring. Marion Veysseyre was a big boost for us as well. She’s still getting her feet under her, but her experience in the lineup has helped. They buy in, and we seem to peak at this time of the year.”

For the Gamecocks to have the performance they desire at this year’s NCAA Women’s Golf Championship they will have to play a grueling amount of golf over a short span of time.

“We just have to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves out there, and make sure we’re not getting too ahead of ourselves,” Dambaugh said. “It’s going to be a long week for everybody. It’s just going to be who’s going to be the toughest mentally and physically, and who’s going to take care of themselves. It’s going to be a grind, so we’re just going to have to be patient out there.”

Anderson knows the Gamecocks have a busy week ahead, but with the way her team is playing she is looking forward to getting the championship started.

“We’re excited to get out there and see the golf course,” Anderson said. “We’ve been getting some preparation in, and I’m just really proud of how the team’s come through in the last several weeks in the postseason. We’re looking forward to good things out there.”