South Carolina women’s golf team primed for special season

In pondering the possibilities for the University of South Carolina women’s golf team this spring, this image emerges: Coach Kalen Anderson might resemble a poker player with a fistful of aces.

“Exciting” is her word of choice in considering the Gamecocks’ prospects, but almost any adjective that suggests an outstanding season works.

“Our standards are very high,” the veteran coach said.

The confidence and lofty expectations are not misplaced.

The Gamecocks head into the spring ranked No. 2 in two polls (Golfweek and Golfstat), a testament to Anderson’s observation that the roster “is one of the most talented in the country.”

Add depth and experience, and what’s not to like?

“We do expect a lot of good things,” Anderson said in looking toward a busy spring season that begins on Valentine’s Day in a tournament in Melbourne, Florida.

Reasons for the optimism are everywhere. Consider:

▪ Three players — sophomore Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (No. 4), senior Ana Palaez (No. 25) and senior Pimnipa Panthong (No. 48) — are in the top 50 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

▪ Four players — Roussin-Bouchard, Palaez, Panthong and freshman Paula Kirner — have earned invitations to compete in the prestigious Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

▪ Four players — Roussin-Bouchard, Palaez, Panthong and senior Lois Kaye Go — have earned All-American honors in their college careers.

Add sophomore Mathilde Claisse, who posted the program’s fifth-best scoring average by a freshman a year ago, and freshman Kaiyuree Moodley, who arrived for the spring semester with glowing credentials.

The rankings and inclusion in national championship conversations are no surprise. After earning the No. 7 spot in the polls before the coronavirus outbreak canceled the 2019-20 season in March, the Gamecocks posted a first, a second, and a third in three fall tournaments.

And those finishes came without Palaez, who opted out of the fall competition due to the pandemic-related travel restrictions. She played in Europe instead and her strong performances included a third against a field of professionals in the Ladies European Tour’s Spanish Open.

Most college tournaments feature five-player teams with the low four scores counting, and Anderson, who has developed the Gamecocks’ into a perennial top-10 team in her 14 seasons at Carolina, has multiple options in selecting a lineup.

“A lot of talent, a lot of experience and a lot of depth,” she said. “They’re all competitive and push each other to continually improve.”

Roussin-Bouchard, who plans to turn professional in 2022, is the most decorated. She has been as high as No. 1 in the world amateur ranking, has two individual wins in eight college starts and has finished in the top five in half of her collegiate events.

In addition, she competed in the U.S. Women’s Open in December, finishing tied for 46th against the strongest field in women’s golf.

“We had a fantastic experience,” said Anderson, who caddied for Roussin-Bouchard. “We had the opportunity to evaluate her game against some of the best, and she turned some heads.”

Panthong joined the team as a graduate transfer after making All-American three times at Kent State. She finished 17th in the inaugural Augusta National tourney and advanced to the round of 16 in the 2019 U.S. Amateur.

Anderson recruited her to fill the expected gap created by the departure of two seniors, but circumstances added more firepower. With the 2019-20 season cut short by the pandemic, Go and Palaez received an added year of eligibility.

The pandemic also provided an opportunity for the Gamecocks to play a rare “home” tournament. With uncertainty surrounding health regulations, USC’s Darius Rucker championship at Hilton Head Island was postponed for a year and replaced by the Gamecock Intercollegiate, set for March 1-3 at Columbia Country Club.

“That’s going to be one of the best tournaments anywhere,” Anderson said. “Not only is Columbia Country Club a great test, the field is terrific. We have 13 of the 14 SEC teams plus Wake Forest, Duke, Furman and North Carolina.”

The Gamecocks play four tournaments prior to Augusta, then set their sights on the big prizes: the SEC Championship in mid-April, then the NCAA Regionals and Nationals in May.

And there is this, too: They’re as good in the classroom as on the golf course. The team’s cumulative GPA for the fall semester is 3.89.

“They’re a great group,” Anderson said. “I’m excited about what they can accomplish. It’s going to be fun.”

Chip shots. In the rain-plagued SCGA Tournament of Champions, division winners included Adam Hunt (Columbia/men’s club champion), Jack Brown (Laurens/senior club), John Obrien (Columbia/one-day gross), Gary Odom (Greenwood/senior one-day), Dennis Guerriero (Lexington/senior one-day net) and Sydney Roberts (Chesnee/women).