Hilton Head Island Celebrates Darling’s First Win at Darius Rucker Intercollegiate
Junior All-American Hannah Darling secured her first career victory after being crowned co-champion of the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate on Wednesday at Long Cove Club. The Midlothian, Scotland, native fired a final round 70 (-1) to shoot 208 (-5). She was bogey free on the back nine with birdies at holes 14 and 16. It was a four-way tie atop the leaderboard with Darling, Mississippi State’s Julia Lopez Ramirez, Northwestern’s Jennifer Cai, and Texas’ Farah O’Keefe. Lopez Ramirez fired a field-best 64 (-7) in the final round to climb 23 spots on the leaderboard.
As a team, the Gamecocks fought back down the stretch to clinch another top-five finish at the event, the team’s fifth-straight. Carolina shot 286 (+2) in the final round and finished the tournament at 6-over (858). This year’s tournament featured 11 top-25 teams in what was again another loaded field at the prestigious event, which is in its 12th year of play. No. 20 Arizona State jumped Northwestern late to win by a shot in a tightly contested team race. The top five teams were separated by just five shots. The Sun Devils shot 291 (+7) to fend off the Wildcats by a shot at 3-over (855) for the event.
Individual Triumphs and Team Success
Junior All-American Louise Rydqvist finished strong to sneak inside the top-20. She shot 70 (-1) and birdied four of her final six holes. The Sweden native has finished in the top-20 in all six stroke play events this season. She was recently named to the ANNIKA Award Spring Watch List. Freshmen Vairana Heck and Maylis Lamoure were the final counting scores, shooting 72 (+1) and 74 (+3), respectively. Heck was bogey free on the back nine with a stretch of three-straight birdies on holes 13 through 15. Senior Sophia Burnett shot 77 (+6) and sophomore Mia Sandtorv Lussand, who was playing as an individual this week, finished strong with a final round 71 (E).
Upcoming Competitions
The Gamecocks get right back on the competition trail this weekend at the Valspar Augusta Invitational. Teams will play 36 holes on Saturday at Forest Hills Golf Club, and the final round will take place Sunday.
Leaderboard Standings
1. No. 20 Arizona State – 855 (+3)
2. No. 12 Northwestern – 856 (+4)
3. No. 11 Auburn – 857 (+5)
4. No. 5 South Carolina – 858 (+6)
5. No. 6 Arkansas – 859 (+7)
Top Individual Performances from Gamecock Golfers
1. Hannah Darling – 208 (-10)
2. Louise Rydqvist – 215 (+2)
3. Vairana Heck – 216 (+3)
4. Maylis Lamoure – 220 (+7)
5. Sophia Burnett – 233 (+20)
