Fresh off the second-best NCAA Tournament finish in program history, the South Carolina women's golf team returns its top player from the 2015-16 season, which gives Gamecock fans reason to be optimistic for the upcoming campaign.
Senior Katelyn Dambaugh will be leading the charge for South Carolina again in 2016, after boasting the team's lowest score at all but two tournaments last season. Dambaugh shot a 9-under 207 at the Baton Rouge Regional for medalist honors in addition to finishing in the top five in another five tournaments.
Dambaugh will have to lead the Gamecocks without former teammate Sarah Schmelzel, who had the team's second-best 18-hole scoring average last season and was the medalist at April's Bryan National Collegiate. Beyond Schmelzel however, every Gamecock who saw action in 2015-16 returns to this year's team.
Among those returnees is junior Ainhoa Olarra, who played in all 11 tournaments last season. Olarra ranked third on the team with a 74.38 scoring average, and she managed four top-20 finishes as a sophomore, including two appearances in the top 10. After posting nine under-par rounds in her sophomore season, Olarra has potential to emerge as the number two player for the Gamecocks this season.
The Gamecocks were unable to win a tournament last season, claiming runner-up honors twice and tying for first at the Baton Rouge Regional. If the rest of the team can support Dambaugh, South Carolina will be a force to be reckoned with yet again in the postseason.
Players to watch
Katelyn Dambaugh — You just can't ignore Dambaugh. The senior was a First Team All-American in 2015-16 and was named the runner-up for the ANNIKA Award. Dambaugh will be South Carolina's unquestioned leader after finishing inside the top 20 in all but one tournament last season and posting 18 rounds under par.
Marion Veysseyre — As a freshman last season, Veysseyre posted an impressive 76.82 scoring average, scoring as low as 70 in her first season with the Gamecocks. She also hung on in match play until the final hole against Stanford's four-time All-American Mariah Stackhouse during the NCAA Tournament. After putting together a solid amateur career in Europe, Veysseyre should make an impact in Columbia this season.
Mark your calendar
Sept. 25-27 ANNIKA Intercollegiate — The Gamecocks won the Florida event in 2014, but finished ninth of 12 teams last season, 44 shots behind Southern California, the 2015 champion. The ANNIKA Intercollegiate features some of the better teams in the Southeast, and South Carolina will need to prove its merit in the team's first tournament of the season.
Oct. 14-16 Ruth's Chris Tar Heel Invitational — Hosted by North Carolina, this event features premiere teams every season, and the Gamecocks fared poorly in 2015. Still early in the season, a bounceback performance in Chapel Hill will build momentum as the team looks to return to national prominence.