Over the weekend, freshman Suzie Lee was the one thing every golfer aspires to be: consistent.
Lee shot three straight rounds of even-par 72 golf at the Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C. The East Northport, N.Y., native also had the lowest score on the team, and finished tied for 24th overall. Lee started out very strong in the final round, making birdie on two out of her first three holes. She then evened out to get her very good even-par score.
The most experienced player on the team, junior Katie Burnett, finished very strong on the last day of the tournament. Her 71 was the best round out of any Gamecock, and helped USC climb up the standings on Sunday's final round.
"Katie's game is better than it has ever been," coach Kalen Anderson said. "I know her course management is a lot better."
The only other non-freshman besides Burnett in the starting lineup for USC was sophomore Amanda Strang.
Strang improved on the final day of the tournament, shooting a 1-over-par 73. The Jonstorp, Sweden, native was also very stable on the afternoon, as she kept rolling in the pars. Katie Rose Higgins shot a 5-over par 221, and Samantha Swinehart fired a 12-over-par 228 to round out the rest of the squads performances.
Overall the team finished tied for 11th out the 18 teams in the field. It could have been a lot worse for the young Gamecocks as a good final day as a team helped tremendously in the overall standings.
Alabama ran away with the overall tournament title with a team score of 28-under-par, setting an overall tournament record in the process. Other SEC schools placed well with LSU placing an overall second. Vanderbilt and Georgia also placed ahead of USC with a tie for eighth.
"I like to get them exposed to the best competition that we can, and that is all about the SEC," Anderson said. "That makes us the best we can be by being exposed to that competition week in and week out. That helps us raise our level."
USC has a weekend off before the return to action in the Landfall Tradition Oct. 22 to 24 at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C. Last year the Gamecocks finished tied for 14th place in the same tournament.